Thanksgiving is a wonderful time for families to come together and engage in different activities. Crafts are a great way for children to practice fine motor skills, while having fun. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we’ve put together a list of crafts that are not only enjoyable but also beneficial for children!
Paper Plate Turkeys
Paper plate turkeys are a fun way to use materials you probably already have around the house! This includes paper plates, crayons or markers, and scissors.
Benefits:
Fine Motor Skills
This craft involves tasks such as gluing feathers, drawing a turkey face, and attaching googly eyes. These actions require precision and control of small muscle groups, which are essential for fine motor development!
Hand-Eye Coordination
Applying feathers, attaching googly eyes, and drawing details on the paper plate all enhance hand-eye coordination. Children need to visually guide their hands to complete these tasks accurately.
Creativity
The craft allows children to express their creativity by choosing feather colors, designing their turkey’s face, and adding personal touches.
Directions:
1. Let your child glue feathers onto the back of the paper plate, creating colorful turkey tail feathers
2. Use a marker to draw a face on the front of the plate
3. Attach googly eyes
4. To make the turkey’s legs, twist a pipe cleaner and attach it to the bottom of the plate
5. Your child can personalize the turkey with markers
Leaf Collage
Collage art is an easy and fun art experience for kids of different ages and abilities. This craft allows kids to choose their leaves, and get creative with the colors, shapes, and ideas they choose to display in their leaf collage!
Benefits:
Fine Motor Skills
Collecting leaves, tearing them, and gluing them onto paper require controlled hand movements. These actions help children develop their fine motor skills
Observation Skills
Examining leaves for their shapes, colors, and textures encourages children to observe and differentiate details, enhancing their cognitive development
Nature Connection
Going on a leaf-collecting nature walk promotes an appreciation for the outdoors and can be a valuable sensory experience
Directions:
Directions
1. Go for a nature walk with your child and collect leaves of different shapes and colors
2. Spread out the leaves and discuss their various features with your child
3. Provide construction paper and glue, and encourage your child to create a leaf collage on the paper
4. Assist with cutting or tearing the leaves if needed
Nature Connection
Hand Traced Turkey Art
To make a hand traced turkey, all you need is construction paper, scissors, and markers or crayons. You can use craft googly eyes, feathers, and glue for added fun.
Benefits:
Fine Motor Skills
Tracing and cutting out the hand shapes help children improve their hand strength and precision. Coloring and decorating the turkey feathers require controlled movements and the use of fine motor muscles, which can be particularly beneficial for practicing fine motor skills.
Directions:
1. Gather the necessary materials: colored construction paper, markers, scissors, glue, and googly eyes
2. Have the child choose the color for the turkey body and trace both of their hands on various colored paper for the feathers
3. Assist the child in cutting out the hand shapes and the turkey body
4. Help the child glue the hand shapes around the turkey body to create the turkey’s feathers
5. Add a beak, eyes, and any other decorations to the turkey’s face using markers or googly eyes
6. Encourage the child to personalize their turkey with additional designs or accessories
7. This craft provides a wonderful opportunity for fine motor skill development and creative expression while celebrating Thanksgiving
Beaded Napkin Rings
Kids will love to help decorate for your party guests! Beaded napkin rings are also a creative way for kids to practice fine motor skills. You will even be able to use these napkin rings on Thanksgiving!
You’ll need piper cleaners, scissors, and craft beads. With adult supervision guide the child to create patterns with the beads for a festive napkin ring!
Benefits:
Fine Motor Skills
Threading beads onto a pipe cleaner is an excellent exercise for refining fine motor skills. The action of pinching, grasping, and twisting objects enhances dexterity
Hand-Eye Coordination
Picking up and accurately placing beads on the pipe cleaner helps children improve their hand-eye coordination. Guide the child to create patterns with different color beads
Pattern Recognition
Encouraging children to create colorful bead patterns enhances their ability to recognize and reproduce patterns, a crucial aspect of cognitive development.
Directions:
1. Cut the pipe cleaners into smaller, manageable pieces
2. Show your child how to thread the beads onto the pipe cleaner to create a colorful pattern
3. Once the pipe cleaner is filled with beads, twist the ends together to make a napkin ring
Get Crafty This Thanksgiving!
Engaging in these Thanksgiving crafts with your child can be a rewarding experience for both of you. Not only do these activities provide a platform for creative expression, but they also offer an opportunity to work on fine motor skills in a fun and relaxed setting.
Remember, every child is unique, and it’s essential to be patient and offer support tailored to their specific needs and abilities. With encouragement and a little creativity, you can create beautiful Thanksgiving crafts that will leave lasting memories and help your child develop essential motor skills. Enjoy this special holiday season with your little ones!
