I try to make it a point to ask my kids each day to name one
thing they are grateful for. I think it helps us stay focused on things that
matter the most and remind us of the positive things in our day. Things can get busy and chaotic, so I might
forget to ask. Now that we have entered the season of Thanksgiving, I want to
be sure I don’t forget.
Each time I log onto social media I see posts from friends and family participating
in the 30 days of gratitude challenge. They post one thing they are grateful
for each day. I am the only one in my home using social media, so I found a way to get all
of us participating together without having to spend time scrolling. Meet our gratitude turkey! Maybe the
title needs a bit more, but the concept is the same. Once a day we write down
one thing we are thankful for and stuff our turkey with our gratitude. Then on Thanksgiving
Day we will read them aloud and remind ourselves of just how much we have to be
thankful for.
Materials:
- Scissors
- Tape
- Empty facial tissue box
- Paper bag, or brown craft paper
- Card stock in different colors, or use what you have at home
- Googly eyes *optional*
- Glue
- Small pieces of note paper, or index cards
Just a quick note- this craft was created as a no mess
craft. That means no messy clean-up and no drying times. However, if you have
paints and your child enjoys using them let them get messy and enjoy this craft
their own way!
READ MORE: Mood boosters for the whole family
Step 1: Remove the plastic film from the opening of the box.
Step 2: Cut the craft paper, or paper bag to fit the size of
your tissue box (as if you are wrapping a gift). Cover the box and secure with
tape. You can cover the opening on the top of the box and cut an “x” shape to
open it again. Tape the flaps from inside the box.
Step 3: Cut out feathers and a turkey body. If you are
talented enough to draw these shapes free hand, go for it. Otherwise you can
cheat like I did and pull a template from Pinterest. Just cut and trace onto
your card stock or paper and cut out again.
Step 4: Tape the feather shapes to the back of the box.
Step 5: You can cut out a small “gobbler” (that red squiggly
thing every turkey has) and a beak from small scraps of colored paper. Glue those
onto the face of your turkey and the googly eyes if you have them. We seemed to
have used all of ours for our last craft session, so my daughter just drew on some eyes. Tape, or glue, the turkey body to the front of the box.
Viola! You have a turkey box ready to stuff! This little
turkey sits in the middle of our kitchen table. Every night after dinner we go
around the table taking turns sharing what we are thankful for in our day. We
write it down and put it in our box. Sharing my gratitude online is great, but
it’s even sweeter sharing it with the people that matter most in my own home.
What are you thankful for today?
The Whatever Mom is a full-time wife and twin mama living on coffee and wine. She enjoys the pure rush of cleaning the BIG potty between loads of laundry. It is her dream that moms everywhere accept and embrace the Whatever Mom philosophy which can be found here. You can also find her musings and popular shares on Facebook and Twitter. Stay up to date with her creative ideas and outings on Pinterest.
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