7 Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids That Get Them Talking About Gratitude

These easy Thanksgiving crafts for kids are the ones Macaroni KID moms keep coming back to. Some take 10 minutes. A couple turn into traditions you'll pull out every November.

And yes, every one of them sneaks in a little gratitude. The kids won't even notice.

1. Free Printable Gratitude Cootie Catcher

Best for: ages 4 to 10 • Time: 5 minutes

Remember making these at recess? Our free printable version has Thanksgiving prompts inside, like "Name someone who made you laugh this week."

• Print the FREE Thanksgiving gratitude cootie catcher. Get it here!
• Cut, fold, and play.

Mom tip: Print a stack and leave them at the kids' table. It keeps little hands busy while the turkey rests.

Kara Murphy | Macaroni KID

2. Thankful Tree

Best for: all ages • Time: 30 minutes, then all month

A thankful tree goes up early in November and fills in a little more every day. By Thanksgiving, it's covered in notes from everyone in the house.

You'll need:

• A few sturdy branches from the yard
• A vase or jar
• Sand, rocks, or dried beans to hold the branches in place
• Construction paper in fall colors
• Scissors, markers, string, and a hole punch
• Paint (optional)

How to make it:

1. Trim the branches. Let the kids paint them if they want.
2. Stand the branches in the vase and fill it with sand or rocks so they stay put.
3. Cut out paper leaves, punch a hole in each, and tie on a loop of string.
4. Keep the leaves and a marker in a bowl next to the tree. Anyone can write something they're thankful for and hang it up.

Mom tip: Bring it to the table on Thanksgiving and read a few leaves out loud before you eat.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Macaroni KID (@macaronikid)

3. Handprint Turkey Canvas

Best for: toddlers and up • Time: 20 minutes, plus drying

The handprint turkey is a classic for a reason. This version puts the whole family's handprints on one canvas, so you get a keepsake instead of a paper plate that gets tossed by December.

You'll need:

• A large canvas
• Washable paint
• Sponge brushes
• Markers

How to make it:

1. Brush paint onto each person's hand and press it onto the canvas. Fan the fingers out to make the tail feathers.
2. Add a body, eyes, beak, and legs with paint or markers.
3. Once the paint dries, each person writes one thing they’re thankful for under their turkey.
4. Write everyone's name and the year at the bottom.

Mom tip: Do the youngest kid's hand first, while they're still interested.

4. Pinecone Turkeys

Best for: ages 3 and up • Time: 20 minutes

Start with a walk to collect pinecones, then come home and turn them into a whole flock of turkeys. They make cute place-setting decorations, too.

You'll need:

• Pinecones
• Colored construction paper
• Googly eyes
• Red and orange felt or paper scraps
• Glue (a glue gun for grown-ups, school glue for kids)

How to make it:

1. Cut feathers from construction paper.
2. Write something you’re thankful for on each feather.
3. Tuck or glue the feathers into the back of the pinecone.
4. Glue on googly eyes, a small orange triangle beak, and a red wattle.

Mom tip: Let yard pinecones sit on the porch or in the garage for a few days before you bring them inside. Any little critters hiding in them will move out first. Don’t want to bring the outdoors in? Craft stores sell bags of clean pinecones.

5. Gratitude Turkey Centerpiece

Best for: ages 7 and up • Time: 45 minutes

This yarn-wrapped turkey takes a little patience, so it's a great one for older kids who want a bigger project. Each feather holds something someone is thankful for.

You'll need:

• Foam craft balls (one 6-inch, one 4-inch)
• Brown and white yarn
• Googly eyes
• Red and yellow felt
• Toothpicks
• Colored construction paper

How to make it:

1. Wrap the large foam ball in brown yarn and the small one in white yarn. Join them with toothpicks to make the body and head.
2. Add googly eyes and felt for the beak and wattle.
3. Cut feathers from construction paper. Have each person write something they're thankful for on one.
4. Tape each feather to a toothpick and push it into the back of the turkey.

Mom tip: Save the turkey and add new feathers every year.

Emily Papa | Macaroni KID

6. Kid-Made Thanksgiving Place Cards

Best for: ages 8 to teens • Time: 30 minutes

Give your tween a real job on Thanksgiving. They make a place card for every guest, and you get one less thing on your list.

You'll need:

• Cardstock
• Markers, stickers, or washi tape
• Small leaves or mini pumpkins (optional)

How to make it:

1. Cut cardstock into rectangles and fold them in half so they stand up.
2. Write each guest's name on the front.
3. Inside, have your kid write one thing they appreciate about that person.

Mom tip: Have guests read their card out loud before dinner. Grandparents love this one.

7. Gratitude Tablecloth

Best for: all ages • Time: 15 minutes a year

This one starts small and gets better every year. Pull out the same tablecloth each Thanksgiving and have everyone write what they're thankful for, plus the date.

You'll need:

• A plain white or cream cotton tablecloth
• Fabric markers or permanent markers

How to make it:

1. Lay the tablecloth on the table before the meal, or after dessert.
2. Pass the markers around. Each person signs their name, the year, and what they're thankful for.
3. Do it again next year in a different color.

Mom tip: Slide a piece of cardboard under the spot where little ones write so the marker doesn't bleed onto your table. Wash it in cold water.

Krystal Farnell | Macaroni KID

Pick One and Start This Weekend

You don't need to do all seven. Start the thankful tree this week so it has time to fill up, print a few cootie catchers for the big day, and save the tablecloth for after pie.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Macaroni KID!