Need something to do with your toddler this Thanksgiving season? Browse through these 10 Christian Thanksgiving crafts for toddlers that you can enjoy with your little ones!
Thanksgiving is one of the most beautiful times of the year for families to come together and express their gratitude for all of the blessings in their lives. While the holiday season is often filled with delicious Thanksgiving dinners and fun activities, it’s also a great opportunity to teach children, especially toddlers, about the importance of thankfulness from a Christian perspective.
Christian Thanksgiving crafts for toddlers not only offer a fun way to keep little hands busy but also help them understand the deeper, Christ-centered meaning of the season. These crafts develop fine motor skills, creativity, and spiritual awareness in young children, all while providing a great reminder of the good things God has done.
In this post, we’ll cover a variety of easy Thanksgiving crafts designed specifically for toddlers. From thankful turkeys made with construction paper and glue sticks to pine cone turkeys and paper plate turkey crafts, you’ll find great ideas that are simple, fun, and full of meaning. Plus, many of these crafts use simple supplies you probably already have around the house.
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1. Thankful Turkey Craft
The Thankful Turkey Craft is a great way to introduce toddlers to the concept of gratitude. This simple craft requires basic materials like construction paper, googly eyes, glue sticks, and markers.
To make the turkey, cut out a large circle from construction paper to form the turkey’s body. Then, cut out several strips of paper to use as turkey feathers. These are all provided in the download.
On each strip, help the children write something they’re thankful for, such as “family,” “friends,” or “Jesus.” These feathers are glued around the turkey’s body to create a colorful display of thankfulness. This is not only a fun craft but also a valuable object lesson, reminding children to have a thankful heart, even in difficult times.
If you’re looking for a more structured way to incorporate this craft into a lesson, consider including it in your Thanksgiving Sunday school lessons. It’s a hands-on way to teach children about gratitude while working on fine motor skills. And as a bonus, it’s an easy cleanup craft that involves minimal materials.
2. Paper Plate Turkey Craft
This simple craft of a turkey uses paper plates, construction paper, and googly eyes to create cute little turkeys that kids will love. It’s also an excellent way for toddlers to practice their fine motor skills as they glue and assemble the parts.
To make the turkey, start with a paper plate for the turkey’s body. What I love about this specific paper plate turkey craft is that there are no feathers to cut. Add googly eyes and a beak to the center, and you’ve got an adorable Thanksgiving decoration for your home or classroom!
This craft can be adapted for older children or middle school students by allowing them to create more different designs with the feathers or by adding details using glitter glue and markers. It’s also a great way to involve the whole family in the Thanksgiving spirit. Younger children will love it, but even older kids will have fun making these little turkeys. Plus, it makes for great table decorations during Thanksgiving dinner!
3. Thankful Tree Craft
Another great idea for teaching gratitude during Thanksgiving time is the Thankful Tree Craft. This craft encourages children to reflect on the good things in their lives and offers a visual representation of those blessings. It’s simple enough for toddlers but can also be adapted for older kids.
To make the Thankful Tree, start with a large piece of paper or a poster board as the tree’s trunk. Cut out leaves from construction paper and give each child a few leaves to write or draw something they are thankful for. Once the leaves are finished, they can glue them to the tree, creating a beautiful display of gratitude.
This craft fits well with a Thanksgiving Bible lesson, emphasizing the importance of thankfulness to God. You can also tie in a verse reference to reinforce the lesson like 1 Thessalonians 5:18,
“Give thanks in all circumstances,”
1 Thessalonians 5:18
For Sunday school teachers, this is a great reminder that even during difficult times, we should always be thankful.
4. Toilet Paper Roll Pilgrims and Native Americans
To introduce some history to your Thanksgiving crafts, you can create Pilgrims and Native Americans using toilet paper rolls. This craft ties in well with a lesson on the Native Americans and the first Thanksgiving. It’s a fun way to teach social studies to younger children while keeping their attention with a hands-on activity.
Simply cover the toilet paper rolls with construction paper to create the clothing for both Pilgrims and Native Americans. Use markers, googly eyes, and small scraps of paper to add details like hats, feathers, and facial features. This craft is a great way to incorporate a historical lesson into your Thanksgiving activities.
5. Pine Cone Turkeys
Pine Cone Turkeys are another classic Thanksgiving craft idea that kids of all ages can enjoy. All you need are a few pine cones, construction paper, googly eyes, and some glue.
Let each child choose a pine cone, which will serve as the turkey’s body. Then, cut feathers out of construction paper, and let them glue the feathers between the pine cone scales. Add googly eyes and a small beak to complete the turkey. These little pine cone turkeys make great decorations for your Thanksgiving table and provide a great opportunity for kids to work on their fine motor skills.
For younger children, you can simplify this craft by cutting out the feathers ahead of time. For older children or middle school students, encourage them to add their own personal touches with glitter, paint, or additional decorations.
Here is a great example by Live Craft Eat.
6. Thanksgiving Napkin Rings
Get your toddlers involved in preparing for Thanksgiving dinner by making Thanksgiving napkin rings. These simple crafts can be made from construction paper, card stock, or even paper bags.
Cut out a strip of paper and let the children decorate it with drawings or Thanksgiving Bible verses like Psalm 107:1, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.” Then, roll it into a ring shape and secure it with glue or tape. These handmade napkin rings are not only a great way to involve your kids in Thanksgiving preparations, but they also serve as a great reminder of the reason for the holiday.
If you are looking for something pre-made, check out my Thanksgiving nameplates that you can print out at home!
Here’s an elegant option for your Thanksgiving table if you want to go a completely different direction!
7. Pumpkin Pie Paper Plate Craft
What’s Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie? This fun craft allows toddlers to create their own “pumpkin pie” using a paper plate and construction paper.
Start by cutting out a triangle from the paper plate to represent a slice of pie. Let the children paint or color the triangle orange to resemble pumpkin filling. Then, use cotton balls or white paper for the whipped cream on top! This is an easy Thanksgiving craft that’s great fun for young kids, and they’ll love creating their own pretend Thanksgiving desserts.
This craft also works well in Sunday school classes, where you can use it as an analogy for the good news of Jesus being the sweetest gift we’ve received.
A Night Owl Blog has a great example of how this could look!
8. Free Thanksgiving Coloring Pages
Free Thanksgiving coloring pages are a fantastic way to engage toddlers, especially during Thanksgiving Sunday school lessons. Coloring helps young children develop their fine motor skills and is a great quiet activity for kids during Thanksgiving dinner. You can find free printable templates online or even create your own designs that feature thankful hearts, Bible verses, or images of the first Thanksgiving.
If you’re teaching a Sunday school lesson, consider pairing these coloring pages with a simple lesson plan on gratitude or sharing a verse reference like Colossians 3:15:
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”
Colossians 3:15
9. Thankful Scavenger Hunt
For a fun, active thanksgiving activity, consider organizing a Thankful Scavenger Hunt for toddlers. This is a great way to get kids moving and thinking about the things they are thankful for.
You can also make your own by creating a list of items they need to find around the house or classroom that represent something they are grateful for, such as a small toy, a family photo, or a piece of food from Thanksgiving dinner.
You can tie this activity into your sunday school lesson or simply use it as a fun family activity during the holiday season. It’s a great time for toddlers and older children alike and a wonderful way to reinforce the idea of thankfulness.
10. Thanksgiving Bingo
Thanksgiving Bingo is a fun and simple craft activity perfect for toddlers, combining creativity and interactive play. This specific Thanksgiving Bingo game is image based so toddlers can pick it up and play too!
To make it a Christian activity, consider adding Bible verses to the bottom of each image and calling card. A great one to start with is “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good” (Psalm 107:1).
After each Bingo, take a moment to say a brief prayer of thanks, helping toddlers connect the fun of the holiday with the blessings God provides.
Crafts and Bible Lessons
One of the best things about these Thanksgiving craft ideas is that they can be easily woven into your Thanksgiving Bible lessons. Whether you’re teaching Sunday school classes or hosting a Thanksgiving event at home, these crafts provide a hands-on way to reinforce the biblical themes of thankfulness and gratitude.
I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving season and have lots of time with family, friends, and those you love best!
More Thanksgiving Ideas:
- Gratitude Book Round Up
- Thanksgiving Book Round Up
- Thanksgiving Bingo
- Thanksgiving Coloring Pages
- Thanksgiving Name Plates
FREE Printable Coloring Thanksgiving Placemats
The Free Thanksgiving Planner Printable
10 Christian Thanksgiving Crafts for Toddlers
A Gratitude Tree Printable
Don’t Forget to Pin for Later!