Easy Turkey Crafts for Kids to Make on Thanksgiving Day

If you're looking for the best Thanksgiving crafts for kids to keep little hands busy while you're preparing the holiday menu, you've come to the right place! Here, we've rounded up easy turkey crafts that are sure to delight, from zany paper bag turkeys with googly eyes to finger-painted "hand turkeys" featuring all the colors of autumn. Whether your kids are old enough to pick up a paintbrush themselves or need a little help to get going, we guarantee you'll find at least a few crafts on our list that fit your exact situation and needs.

We've searched far and wide to make sure our list would be as fun as possible, and found the easiest turkey crafts for preschoolers, the most creative turkey crafts for toddlers, the cutest pine cone turkey crafts, and more. And the best part of the projects we've chosen here is that many work just as beautifully as a simple fall kids' craft as they do a kids' Thanksgiving centerpieces—meaning you can check not one, but two items off your Thanksgiving to-do list. Plus, take our word for it: If you let your kids' handiwork shine right there on your Thanksgiving table for all to see, they'll be far more likely to behave during dinner—and they'll probably beam with pride the whole time too. After dinner, if everyone isn't too sleepy, it may be fun to play some Thanksgiving games.

If you buy the miniature honeycomb balls, this is an easy and fun craft to do with kids.

Get the tutorial at Julep.

Shop Honeycomb Balls

Use them to stir hot chocolate and afterwards the kiddos can use them as puppets.

Get the tutorial at Homemade Charlotte.

Shop Stir Sticks

Kids will have a blast crafting these and using them as puppets.

Get the tutorial at Dream a Little Bigger.

Shop Gloves

All you need to make this colorful turkey craft is a little paint and glue. The tutorial also includes a free printable template.

Get the tutorial at Buggy and Buddy.

SHOP COFFEE FILTERS

This puppet is super simple to make and might inspire your kids to put on a Thanksgiving-themed puppet show for your dinner guests.

Get the tutorial at The Joy of Sharing.

SHOP CRAFT FEATHERS

Make this fun craft with your kids and give them out as favors to your dinner guests (or keep for yourselves, we won't judge).

Get the tutorial at 5 Minutes for Mom.

SHOP CLEAR ORNAMENTS

A craft that helps you craft? We're sold. Your kids can help you make this one—then, you can place it onto their table during Thanksgiving for even more coloring fun.

Get the tutorial at Paging Super Mom.

SHOP CRAYONS

Crafts with googly eyes are just better than crafts without googly eyes. But the real reason we love this one so much is that it works just as well as a kids' table centerpiece.

Get the tutorial at Design Improvised.

SHOP GOOGLY EYES

Bet you've never seen a Thanksgiving craft as original as this one before! Think outside the box with this "unicorn turkey" design—and encourage your kids to think creatively too.

Get the tutorial at Hello, Wonderful.

SHOP CONSTRUCTION PAPER

One look at these Hershey's Kiss turkeys, and you'll be smitten. Now we're just wondering if we really need to relegate this cute activity to the kids' table...

Get the tutorial at Crayons & Cravings.

SHOP COLORED FEATHERS

Whether this mini piñata lives a long life as a decorative centerpiece or a short one as a, well, piñata, your kids are bound to cherish it. Just fill it up with their favorite candies, and prepare to be their favorite hostess.

Get the tutorial at Handmade Charlotte.

SHOP BROWN PAINT

The best crafts are the simplest—and not just because they're easy to clean up. This paper bag turkey will also teach your kids just how much they can do with such a simple item.

Get the tutorial at The Best Ideas for Kids.

SHOP PAPER BAGS

Pine cones, pom-poms, and pretty ribbons, oh my! This craft's impossibly simple, but it has a big payoff. And the end result is cute enough to display proudly on your table this year.

Get the tutorial at Fireflies and Mud Pies.

SHOP RIBBON

After your kids are done crafting these sweet and silly balloons, tie them onto the backs of their chairs at Thanksgiving dinner. We have a feeling they'll be happier to sit tight and enjoy the meal with a turkey floating overhead!

Get the tutorial at Design Improvised.

SHOP YELLOW BALLOONS

These just might be the most adorable turkeys we've ever seen. Clad in brown yarn and orange pipe cleaners, they're a sight to behold—and we promise they're really easy to make too!

Get the tutorial at Growing Up Gabel.

SHOP BROWN POM-POMS

Here's a craft for the nature lovers among you! With just a pinecone plucked from your own backyard, plus a smattering of fall leaves, you're halfway to this adorable makeshift turkey.

Get the tutorial at Easy Peasy and Fun.

SHOP PINECONES

Odds are, you have at least a few paper plates lying around. And if you've got toddlers, you likely have some colored construction paper stashed away too. Why not put those things to work in this sweet craft?

Get the tutorial at Hello, Wonderful.

SHOP PAPER PLATES

There are two wonderful things to know about these turkey crowns: For starters, they're offered as a free printable, and they come with easy-to-follow instructions. But the best part of all is that your kids can wear them all dinner long.

Get the tutorial at Printable Crush.

SHOP CARD STOCK

The best crafts are as zany as they are colorful. This turkey features the biggest googly eyes your little ones will have ever seen—and a hilarious pink wattle to boot.

Get the tutorial at Crayons & Cravings.

SHOP GOOGLY EYES