Thanksgiving Tree
Are your kids off of school this week and need something to do? Are you looking for something to keep them occupied and out of the pumpkin pie while they wait for Thanksgiving dinner to hit the table? Then consider this fun project that will keep them busy and reinforce that there is more to this holiday than turkey and mashed potatoes.
Materials
- 3-4 brown paper bags
- Markers or crayons
- construction paper in red, yellow, green and orange
- scissors
- glue or tape (if taping to a painted wall, use painters tape to avoid peeling paint)
Decide where you would like to place your tree. If you don’t have an entirely empty wall, perhaps you can clear a space on your refrigerator or the bottom half of a wall.
Start by cutting open each brown bag and laying them flat on the floor or a table. Place enough bags lengthwise to cover the space you’ve chosen. Using a pencil, begin to trace the shape of a trunk and branches along the paper bags. If you do not have enough width for the branches, simple use scrap piece to finish them off later.
Cut out your tree and, if you’d like, write something meaningful along the trunk. You can use a Bible verse, a quote about thanksgiving or you can simply write your family name. Using tape on the underside of the trunk, begin to tape the trunk and branches to the wall.
Using red, orange, green and yellow construction paper, trace 5-10 copies of each children's hand. Allow your children to use safety scissors to cut out their "leaves". Brainstorm with your children things for which they are thankful and have each child write one thing on each leaf. Tape each leaf on a branch or on the wall as if they are “falling” off of the tree.
This makes a unique activity to keep kids happy during a large family gathering. TIP: Make the base ahead of time for quick start up or do the project with your own children during the week and have guests add their handprints as they await dinner on Thanksgiving day.
Display the tree in a prominent place and, after Thanksgiving dinner, have a small presentation where each child explains what they are thankful for and why.
Tablecloth of Memories
This activity may end up as an heirloom tradition!
Materials
- Cotton Tablecloth or Runner
- Fabric Pens
A week or two before the big feast, set out the tablecloth and the markers and ask each family member to write one of their favorite memories or thoughts from the current year, making sure to write the date next to the memory. Small children can draw pictures or trace their handprints.
After Thanksgiving dinner, store the runner or tablecloth until the same time next year when everyone can, once again, record the highlights of their year.
