Thanksgiving Craft Ideas for Kids

The Halloween candy is still in strategic piles around the house, the squirrels have not devoured the jack-o'-lanterns just yet, but the calendar knows it's November and Thanksgiving is around the corner.

Soon, kids will be getting riled up about Thanksgiving. Or they won't, and you'll be looking for crafts and ideas to keep them busy while you're busy cooking a ridiculous number of side dishes for the big holiday feast.

Bookmark these sites for when that day comes. I've traversed the web to find some of the more distinctive yet easy crafts and fun things for kids to make and do in celebration of Thanksgiving.

Kaboose -- Got an old coffee can? Add some felt and a glue gun, and your kids can follow these easy instructions to make a turkey centerpiece. There's also how-tos on leaf prints (loves those), and construction-paper turkeys. The difficulty rating on all the crafts: easy. That's good.

Family Fun --  As usual, there are more than a few craft ideas and directions on this chock-full site. The turkey bread basket is kind of different. You'll also find some recipes kids can help with, like this Pumpkin Tureen Fondue, which calls for baking cheeses and toasted bread crumbs in a hollowed-out pumpkin.

Handprint turkeys -- A favorite, and it couldn't be easier to make. Keep the construction paper, glue, and googly eyes selection well stocked. I found some easy directions on thebestkidsbooksite.com, which has lots of craft ideas along with Thanksgiving book recommendations.

Thanksgiving treats to eat -- Family Fun also has some holiday-themed snacks and side dishes to tempt the kids with fun-looking and healthy treats, like the fruit gobbler. 

Getting the kids involved in the holiday prep is what makes it a holiday. As this Real Simple reader suggests, it can be as simple as kids making placemats for all the guests and writing why they are thankful for each of them.