I can’t believe Thanksgiving is so close! I have so
many crafts I want to finish with the kids. The good news is I don’t have to finish every craft before our turkey
day feast. I can save our crafts to do on Thanksgiving Day. It’s a great way to
help kids pass the time while waiting for the main event.
We eat later in the evening while some families eat earlier
in the day. Whatever time of day you celebrate your thanks you can avoid
hearing, “I’m bored” with these super easy ideas for “kidtainment.”
Personalize your table – pick up a roll of brown craft paper
at the dollar store. Roll it right over the top of your festive holiday table
cloth and put out some crayons. The kids will love tracing their hands to
create turkeys, practicing their letters and shapes, or just drawing whatever
is in their imagination.
Make a kids only table – set out a small table and chairs to
the side and set up any craft items you may already have on hand: glue, paper,
crayons, markers etc. If you have time
simply print off some Thanksgiving coloring pages to leave out for little ones.
Get a jump on your Christmas crafts – make a countdown chain
out of red, white and green strips of construction paper. Tape or staple the
ends of one strip together to form a ring. Make the next ring by slipping a flat strip
through the ring and joining the ends, staple or tape and repeat. You can also have your kiddos make homemade Christmas cards for their teachers and bus drivers, the postman or neighbors.
Buy crafts ahead of time – this time of year most stores
have their Thanksgiving crafts on clearance.
Pick up some readymade crafts that simply go together with stickers and
leave them out on the table. Everyone can enjoy making something together. Let
kids hang them through the house to keep them busy with decorations while you
cook.
Get outside – put the turkey in the oven and go for a walk,
or play in the back yard. Create an easy scavenger hunt and have the kids look
for things like leaves, small twigs, pine cones and small rocks. Think of
things they can glue to a page and create something when they get back home.
Paint some kindness rocks – these are all the rage right
now. Why not set aside some space to paint a handful of rocks with Thanksgiving
themed words like, thankful, grateful, full, wobble, gobble and the like.
Play with dough – if you have really little ones set up a
small area they can use to “cook” by making Thanksgiving shapes with cookie
cutters. Kids can feel like they are part of the action in the kitchen while
you are peeling potatoes.
Make and take crafts – if you are traveling for Thanksgiving
bring along some simple mess free crafts your kids can do once they arrive. It
will help them settle in and stay busy while they wait.
Happy count down to Thanksgiving all!
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 X (formerly Twitter). Stay up to date with her creative ideas and outings on Pinterest.
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