25 Thanksgiving Classroom Crafts That Kids Will Love to Make

Facebook Email Flipboard Pinterest Reddit

Need something festive and doable for your students this season? These Thanksgiving classroom crafts are just the thing to fill your bulletin boards, windows, or party tables with autumn cheer.

Whether you’re teaching toddlers or early elementary kids, there’s something in this roundup for every age and schedule. And if you’re looking for more ideas for home or school, check out our complete list of Thanksgiving crafts to keep the celebration going all week.

Collection of 25 Thanksgiving classroom craft ideas for kids, featuring various handmade turkeys, cornucopias, ships, and paper-based decorations using googly eyes, feathers, and handprint cutouts.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and a participant in other affiliate programs, I earn a commission on qualifying purchases. Read our disclosure policy.

Two completed turkey name crafts are displayed side by side, each with colorful feathers spelling out “Emma” and “Aiden,” created as a personalized Thanksgiving activity for kids.

Name Turkey

Kids can spell their name in this personalized art as part of a turkey's feathers. Using a free template, they cut out colorful paper feathers for each letter and glued them around a turkey's body, proudly displaying their name.

It's an engaging way for children to practice letters and fine motor skills while creating a festive Thanksgiving decoration.

www.pre-kpages.com

Coffee Filter Turkey

In this classic project, little ones transform ordinary coffee filters into bright, tie-dyed turkey feathers. Children dot the filters with washable markers or bingo daubers, spray with water to watch the colors blend, and then attach a clothespin “turkey” body with eyes, beak, and wattle.

Each turkey turns out unique and colorful, making it an easy, inexpensive project that looks adorable hanging up for Thanksgiving.

alittlepinchofperfect.com

Cornucopia Thanksgiving

In this meaningful art activity, kids create their own paper cornucopia—the “horn of plenty”—filled with fall goodies. With the free printable, they can color and cut out fruits and vegetables and even write what they're thankful for on the pieces before gluing them to spill out of a paper cornucopia basket.

It's a fun way to introduce the symbol of the harvest and encourage gratitude while creating a colorful Thanksgiving display.

Related: Thanksgiving Activity Sheets

Turkey Handprint

This keepsake art uses your child's handprint to form the turkey's tail feathers for a sweet personal touch. Kids trace their hand on colored paper (or use the template), cut it out, and glue on a turkey body and googly eyes—no paint needed.

The result is an adorable paper turkey that captures a moment and makes a great Thanksgiving memory or card for the family.

kidscraftroom.com

Torn Paper-Paper Plate Pumpkin Wreath

Little hands strengthen fine motor skills by tearing up orange paper to make this seasonal pumpkin wreath. Kids glue the torn pieces around a plate ring (the wreath base) to form a circle of textured “pumpkins,” then add green paper stems or leaves for a finishing touch.

The finished wreath is a lovely fall decoration with a rustic, handmade charm—and no two pumpkins will be exactly alike!

Also try: Pumpkin Headband Craft

www.journeytosahm.com

Paper Bag Turkey

Turn a plain paper lunch bag into a cute turkey puppet that toddlers can play with. Using basic supplies like construction paper, glue, and googly eyes, kids attach colorful paper feathers to the back of the bag and add a friendly face (beak, eyes, and red wattle) on the front.

The finished turkey can gobble and “talk,” making this a fun Thanksgiving art project and a toy for imaginative play.

Related: Paper Strip Turkey Craft

Corn Handprint

By tracing their hand, children make the green husks for a cute paper corn-on-the-cob art. Using a template, they add a yellow corn cob shape on top of the handprint “husk” and can decorate the corn with crinkled tissue or drawn kernels.

This simple fall project ties in a farm theme, gives kids practice with tracing and cutting, and results in a fridge-worthy corn plant made from their handprint.

littlebinsforlittlehands.com

Turkey Hat

Kids will love wearing this homemade turkey hat for the Thanksgiving festivities. It's made simply from construction paper: children cut out and glue together a band for the head, add a turkey face with big eyes and a beak on the front, and stick a fan of colorful paper feathers at the back.

This playful art comes with just paper and glue, and it doubles as a cute costume—perfect for classroom parties or family photo ops.

Also try: Cupcake Liner Turkey Craft

alittlepinchofperfect.com

Paper Plate Mayflower with Pete the Cat

This project combines storytime with creativity by featuring Pete the Cat on the Mayflower. Using a paper plate as the base for the ship, kids paint or color it to look like a boat and add paper sails on top of a stick mast.

There's an extra fun step for fans of Pete the Cat: placing a cut-out of the lovable cat character on the deck, making it a perfect activity to accompany the book “Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving.”

double image of photo turkey craft side by side

Turkey Photo

Turn your child into a turkey with this adorable photo art. Kids paste a cut-out picture of their face onto a turkey body (using a provided template), then add paper feathers, feet, and a beak to complete the transformation.

It's simple to make and results in a hilarious, personalized Thanksgiving decoration that family and friends will love seeing on display.

nontoygifts.com

Torn Paper Turkey

In this project, kids create a vibrant turkey by tearing and pasting bits of paper, almost like a mosaic. They cover a paper plate with layers of torn construction paper pieces in different colors to form the turkey's feathery tail, then add a round paper turkey body at the front with googly eyes, beak, and snood.

Tearing paper and gluing the scraps is not only lots of fun (and great for fine motor skills), but it also gives the turkey a unique textured look that preschoolers will be proud of.

Related: Turkey Leaf Craft

www.craftplaylearn.com

Paper Native Americans

This paper art helps teach children about Native American people in a respectful and hands-on way. Using a free template, kids create a figure of a Native American boy or girl by cutting out and assembling simple paper shapes (adding details like a traditional headband with feathers).

As they create, it opens up an opportunity to discuss the people who lived in America before the Pilgrims, making it a thoughtful activity to accompany Thanksgiving lessons about history and gratitude.

Shape Turkey

A clever way to mix math with art is for children to build a turkey out of shapes. Using a free template, they cut out circles, triangles, rectangles, and ovals in fall colors and then glued them together to form a turkey (for example, a big circle for the body, a triangle beak, etc.).

Not only do kids end up with a cute Thanksgiving turkey, but they also get to practice identifying shapes in a hands-on, creative way.

www.artycraftykids.com

Tissue Paper Pumpkin

Little ones can make a fun, bumpy pumpkin that looks almost like stained glass using tissue paper. Kids tear or crumple up pieces of orange tissue and glue them onto a pumpkin-shaped template, filling it in with colorful texture (and using green tissue for the leaf or stem).

As they scrunch and stick the tissue paper, they get a great fine motor workout, and the finished pumpkin is a bright, airy decoration perfect for a window or fridge during fall.

Also try: Torn Paper Pumpkin Craft

www.notimeforflashcards.com

Cork Turkey

Recycle a wine cork and a few cupcake liners into a tiny turkey decoration with personality. Kids color and fold cupcake liners in half to create the turkey's fanned-out tail feathers, then glue them to the back of an upright cork.

On the front, they add googly eyes, a little paper beak, and a red paper “gobble” to turn the cork into a turkey. This mini art is quick, cute, and perfect as a Thanksgiving table topper or place-card buddy.

Related: Torn Paper Turkey Craft

Mayflower Handprint

Sail into history using your child's handprint to create the Mayflower ship. Kids trace and cut out their hand on paper to become the billowing sails, then attach them to a paper boat hull, mast, and flag (all provided in a template).

As they create this famous ship from the first Thanksgiving, it's a great chance to talk about the Pilgrims' journey in a simple, visual, and memorable way for young learners.

creativefamilyfun.net

Cardboard Tube Pilgrim Hat

This upcycled art turns a toilet paper roll into a miniature Pilgrim hat, just right for Thanksgiving pretend play or decor. Kids cut a cardboard tube down to size, paint it black (for the hat), and glue it onto a circle of black paper to form the hat's brim.

A little yellow paper buckle on the front gives it the classic Pilgrim hat look. It's easy to make and uses common materials, sparking conversation about the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving.

Also try: Pilgrim Photo Craft

www.hellowonderful.co

Paper Turkey

If you need a last-minute Thanksgiving activity, this simple “paper bag turkey” project comes together quickly and is fun. Children take a small paper bag and decorate it to look like a turkey by adding a paper turkey head, beak, and googly eyes on the front, plus a bunch of bright paper feathers poking out the back.

The finished turkey bag can be used as a puppet or a table decoration, making it an instant entertainment for kids during the holiday.

Related: Turkey Paper Cup Craft

Turkey Headband

Kids will enjoy creating and wearing this Thanksgiving headband. Using a printable template, they can color and cut out a turkey with its feathers, then attach it to a band made from construction paper that fits around their head.

Once they finish, they'll have a turkey hat to strut around in—perfect for pretend play or bringing holiday cheer to a Thanksgiving gathering.

abcsofliteracy.com

Letter T Turkey

Gobble up learning with this alphabet-themed art that turns the letter “T” into a turkey. Children start with a large cut-out or printable letter T and then embellish it with turkey features: a round paper head at the top, googly eyes, a beak, and plenty of paper feathers fanned out behind the T-shape.

It's a creative way to reinforce the letter T sound (T is for Turkey!) and make a cute Thanksgiving display – a perfect combination of literacy and art.

Also try: Turkey Card Craft

www.darcyandbrian.com

Turkey Tissue Paper Suncatcher

Kids can create a beautiful turkey suncatcher that looks like stained glass shining in the window. They start by gluing small squares of colorful tissue paper all over a turkey feather template or outline, completely covering it to form the translucent tail.

After kids add a construction paper turkey body, they can laminate the piece or tape it down. When sunlight streams through the tissue paper feathers, the colors brighten the room, turning it into an eye-catching Thanksgiving decoration.

Related: Turkey Art Project

Paper Pumpkin

Here's a super simple pumpkin project designed just for preschoolers. With the help of a free template, kids cut out an easy pumpkin shape from orange paper and glue on a cute jack-o'-lantern face or a simple stem and leaf.

It's quick to make and uses only basic supplies, but creates a fun fall ornament that little ones will be excited to show off—ideal for honing scissor skills and celebrating autumn in the classroom or at home.

www.theottoolbox.com

Cardboard Tube Turkey

This artsy idea doubles as a festive way to serve drinks to kids on Thanksgiving. Using a recycled cardboard paper towel tube, children create a sleeve that slips over a juice box and makes it look like a turkey. They decorate the tube with brown paint or paper, add googly eyes and a beak on the front, and attach paper feathers to the back.

Slide it onto a juice box, and you have an instant “turkey juice box” – a fun surprise at the kids' table and a great fine-motor project.

Also try: Turkey Handprint Card Craft

www.craftplaylearn.com

Thanksgiving Turkey With Accordion Legs

This turkey comes with silly, wiggly legs (and arms) made from accordion-folded paper strips. Kids assemble a friendly turkey using a template for the body and feathers, then fold paper strips back and forth to create springy accordion legs and wings.

Gluing those on makes the turkey look like it's dancing! The result is a goofy paper turkey that can hang or sit, with its bouncy legs delighting everyone who sees it – a perfect art to bring some giggles to Thanksgiving.

Related: Accordion Turkey Craft

nontoygifts.com

Mayflower Boat Shape

This educational art lets kids build the Mayflower ship while practicing their shapes. Using a printable template, children cut out shapes like a trapezoid (for the ship's hull), rectangles (the ship's mast), and triangles (the sails), then glue them together into a scene of the Mayflower boat.

Kids can add a circle as a sun or a ship's crow's nest. It's a simple and clever way to discuss the Pilgrims' Mayflower journey while reinforcing shape recognition.

More Fun Kid’s Ideas

30 Fun Turkey Activities For Kids
47 Easy Turkey Disguise Project Ideas For Kids
26 Must-Try Free Thanksgiving Worksheets For Learning

Facebook Email Flipboard Pinterest Reddit

photograph of found of Simple Everyday Mom, Sam

Meet Sam

Sam is the crafter and founder of Simple Everyday Mom. She has been featured in Oprah Mag, Good Housekeeping, The Spruce Crafts, Country Living, The Bump, and more.

About Sam