Busy Mommy Media » Thanksgiving Arts and Crafts

Corn Painting – Simple Thanksgiving Tablecloth for Kids

Rachel — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:37:47 +0000

Preschoolers can use corn on the cob to create a unique Thanksgiving tablecloth. This easy food art activity for preschoolers requires very few materials and can create a wonderful Thanksgiving tablecloth for the preschool classroom or provide a fun activity at home while the Thanksgiving dinner is being prepared.

What You Need

A plain white paper table cloth
Husked Corn on the Cob
Corn Holders
Paper Plates
Non-toxic paint in a variety of fall colors

What To Do

Step 1: Setup

Purchase a plain white paper table cloth that fits the table in your preschool classroom. Lay the tablecloth flat on the table, making sure that nothing in the area will be damaged by paint spills. Newspaper or an old sheet can be laid beneath the table for added protection.

Fill several paper plates with a variety of colors of non-toxic paint. Autumn colors such as, red, orange, yellow, and brown help create a festive atmosphere.

Insert corn holders in both ends of several pieces of husked corn on the cob to make their easier to hold on to.

Step 2: Paint

Roll the corn on the cob in the paint and then stamp the corn on the table cloth to create a fun pattern. It may be easier to use a paintbrush to coat the corn on the cob before stamping it on the table cloth.

Be creative and use the corn to decorate the paper table cloth any way that you want. Roll the corn on the paper table cloth, drag it across the paper, or stamp it to create shapes or pictures.

Step 3: Make Corn Flowers

Cut the corn on the cob in half and dip the end into the paint. Stamp the end of the corn on the cob on the paper table cloth to create fun flower-like shapes.

Allow the paint to dry for several hours before touching it. When the paint has dried, use markers to draw stems on the flowers or add additional decorations.

Enjoy your festive homemade tablecloth as part of your Thanksgiving feast. The kids in the family will love being able to contribute to the meal and cleanup is a breeze with a disposable tablecloth.

Thanksgiving Indian Headdress Craft

Rachel — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:36:05 +0000

Celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday the fun way by letting preschoolers dress up with this easy craft. Preschoolers will enjoy practicing their small motor skills by making this simple Indian headdress.

Preschoolers can wear this as part of a First Thanksgiving pretend play activity or as part of a simple presentation for parents.

What You Need

Brown Construction Paper
Safety Scissors
Tape
Colored Feathers
Markers and Crayons

What to Do

Adult Preparation – Cut the brown construction paper into two inch strips and tape two of them together to make a head band long enough to go around each preschoolers head.

Preschooler Participation – Have preschoolers decorate their Indian headdress with markers and crayons any way they’d like. When they have finished decorating the headdress, help preschoolers form it into a circle and tape it wherever it fits comfortably around their head. Tape the inside and the outside of the headdress to create stability.

Help preschoolers use tape to attach colored feathers to the inside of the headdress. Tape holds the feathers better than glue but it may be difficult for preschoolers to remove from the tape dispenser. You can avoid a lot of frustration by giving each preschooler a small piece of tape as they are ready for it.

When the feathers have been attached to the headdress, your preschoolers will have a fun prop to use in a pretend play center or to enjoy at home.

Thanksgiving Indian Vest Craft

Rachel — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:32:08 +0000

Add some extra fun to a preschool Thanksgiving theme by making crafts that preschoolers can wear. This simple preschool craft recycles extra grocery bags and gives preschoolers a fun Thanksgiving costume to help them celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. Make a Preschool Indian Headdress to complete this fun costume.

What You Need

Paper Grocery Bags
Finger Paint, Several Colors
Scissors
Paper Plates

What To Do

Adult Preparation – Open up a paper grocery bag and turn it so that the side without a logo if facing you. Cut up the center of the front side up the bag and continue through the top to cut a hole big enough to fit a preschoolers head. Cut small arm holes on either side of the paper bag by carefully punching scissors through the paper and cutting a circle. This will give you a vest that preschoolers can wear.

Preschooler Participation – Fill several paper plates with different colors of finger paints. Finger paint is thick enough that it will easily show up on the dark paper. Let preschoolers finger paint their paper bag vest.

Allow the paint to dry for several hours. When the paint is dry, help each preschooler use safety scissors to cut a fringe around the bottom edge of their vest. Preschoolers can wear their Indian vest with an Indian headdress and lunch sack moccasins as part of a festive Thanksgiving pretend play activity.

Lunch Sack Moccasins – Use yarn to tie paper lunch sacks to preschoolers feet to create matching moccasins to add to their Indian costume. This footwear makes a fun crunching sound as preschoolers walk.

Noodle Necklace – Color large noodles by mixing food coloring and rubbing alcohol. Let preschoolers thread a piece of yarn with the noodles when they are dry to make an easy necklace to add to their costume.

Preschool Art – Popcorn on the Cob

Rachel — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:27:20 +0000

Thanksgiving is a celebration of gratitude and food is a central part of the festivities. Preschoolers will enjoy making this simple preschool craft as part of a preschool Thanksgiving theme.

Use this simple corn craft as part of an exciting preschool bulletin board in your preschool classroom or as a fun Fall family activity.

What You Need

Green Paper
Yellow Paper
Safety Scissors
Popcorn
Glue
Paper Plates

What To Do

Adult Preparation – Fill a paper plate with craft glue. Create a template by turning a piece of construction paper on it’s side and tracing one side of a paper plate vertically on the paper. Position the paper plate to form a point at the top of the template and trace the line down the paper. Cut out the corn husk shape with a flat line across the bottom.

Use the template to create green corn husks and yellow pieces of corn. Each preschooler will need two green pieces and one yellow piece.

Preschooler Participation – Have each preschooler glue the green corn husks to the yellow piece of corn. Talk about how dried corn kernels are heated to make popcorn. Have preschoolers dip the popcorn in the glue and place it on the yellow piece of corn. Let preschoolers fill the yellow corn with pieces of popcorn.

Create a festive Thanksgiving bulletin board with this easy popcorn on the cob craft or as part of a preschool Thanksgiving theme.