Looking for a Thanksgiving craft to do with your kids this week? Whether or not you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner, making place cards for the holiday meal is a great activity for kids of all ages.
Not only do children love painting and decorating, but they get to design a special setting for the special people in their lives. It’s a great way for kids to participate in the holiday preparation.
The best thing about the template is that it’s completely customizable.
Using this free printable, you can have your toddler making fingerprint turkeys or your older children painting more elaborate turkeys.
Thanksgiving Place Cards that Kids Can Make
With this thanksgiving place card template, you can be as creative as you like: you could have your kids use finger prints for the turkey feathers or they could glue on skittles or feathers in the shape of a turkey. You could even skip the turkey design altogether and have your child practice writing their letters.
The possibilities are truly endless, as the place card template has lots of open space for creativity.
There are even dotted lines for you or your child to cut out the place settings 🙂
Thanksgiving Place Cards Materials
- Free Thanksgiving place card printable – see above
- Card stock
- Kids paints
- Scissors
- Sharpie
- Any other decorating materials (stickers, crayons, markers for decorating the back or inside)
Instructions for Thanksgiving Place Cards
First, I printed the template on card stock. There are four per page, and remember that it’s always good to have a few extra. My toddler smeared paint across quite a few of them before we even started 🙂
Next, I had my toddler paint the turkeys on. You can have your child make finger prints or use q-tips. I love using q-tips (rather than paintbrushes) for toddler painting. It’s more controlled, easy for kids to use, and quick to clean up!
After they dried, I drew on the eyes, beak, and feet with a sharpie. Then you (or your child) can cut them out. The dotted lines make it easy 🙂
After folding, the thanksgiving place cards that the kids made are ready!
If you have a little one and are doing fingerprints rather than painting or q-tips, your place cards might look more like this (see picture below)… a little sloppier but still adorable 🙂
For extension ideas, you can also have your child decorate the inside or back of the place card – through coloring, through choosing stickers for each person, or through writing a note.
These are adorable. What a fun craft for little ones. We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here in the UK but I guess this idea could be adapted for any event, maybe finger print robins for the Christmas table, or chicks at Easter. Thanks for stopping by at Handmade Monday to share 🙂
Thanks so much Julie! I love the idea of doing chicks for Easter. Have a great week:)
Such a cute craft! I also love the q-tip paintbrush suggestion. 🙂 #MMBC x
Thanks so much! Yes the q-tips are sometimes easier for the little ones:)
Great idea to get the kids involved in the Thanksgiving prep and to keep them out of the busy kitchen! Visiting from Cooking and Crafting with JJ.
Thanks Victoria! Yes and it’s a cute keepsake for family:)
So cute!! It was years since my son made a turkey hand print…. good memories.
Thanks Carrie! 🙂
How cute!
Thanks Lydia:)
These are so sweet and really simple to make. My little girl would have so much fun making these. #TriumphantTales
Thanks Sam! 🙂
Hi. Just popping back from #fortheloveofBLOG 😊 I still really love this idea. It’s very sweet x
I am always looking out for new craft ideas to do with the children, so I will definitely be giving this a go#triamphanttales@_karendennis
Thanks Karen! This is a simple one:)
Love this idea and what a great project to do with the grandkids. They always love making things.
Brilliant. TOTALLY pinning this to use to occupy my young Thanksgiving dinner guests. Also, so people will know where to sit. 😉 #WelcomeHomeWednesdays
Yay! Glad you like it 🙂 Have a great week!
Love these! Thank you. Shared. #fortheloveofBLOG
Thanks so much!! 🙂
These are too cute!! 🙂
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Thanks Jess – will do 🙂
Great idea- love the fingerprints! #fortheloveofBLOG
Thanks Jenny 🙂
What a wonderful idea – I have always loved receiving handmade cards from my nephews and nieces x #SharingtheBlogLove
Thanks Maria! I totally agree:)
These are sweet! Thanks for sharing them with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Thanks Jann! Glad you like them:)
What a lovely idea! #BigPinkLink
Thanks Cheryl!
So cute! We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Portugal and I still think my kids will love to make these. Thank you for sharing at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned!
Awww thanks Teresa! Have a lovely week!
so sweet! I love always enjoyed having my children help with the preparing for guests as we get close to the Thanksgiving weekend. We had a houseful of people for many years and it was always a highlight of our year.
Thanks so much for sharing this week at our Hearts & Home Blog Hop! Thanksgiving Blessings to you and your family.
Thanks Linda! Aww your Thanksgivings sound so special. We hope to do the same! Happy Thanksgiving to you too.
What a great way to keep kids busy during Thanksgiving preparations! Thanks for sharing at The Blogger’s Pit Stop! Roseann from http://www.thisautoimmunelife.com
Thanks Roseann – they are easy and fun to make:)
These are darling! And what a nice way to involve the children in the thanksgiving preparation!
Thanks Vicky! We enjoyed making them:)
Oh my gosh, I did this but on stationery when I was in grade school! (When dinosaurs roamed the Earth) So cute and thanks for the memories! Found you through DIY Daddy.
Hahah!! So funny:) have a great week!
Personal touches make holidays so much more special, and these are just so adorable. Thanks so much for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!
Totally agree! Have a lovely week:)
Love this idea! Thanks for contributing to the To Grandma’s House We Go Link party this week! Be sure to follow us and we’d love to see you next week!
Thanks so much! Have a great week!
This is adorable. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome Miriam! Glad you like them:)
Sweet! These place cards are adorable. Great craft for the kids to make while dinner is being prepared. I’m Pinning this one. Thanks for sharing on Sunday’s Best.
Thanks Rhonda! Have a wonderful week:)
These are utterly adorable! It’s so nice to get the children helping & creating when you talk about being thankful. Thanks for linking up to the#bigpinklink this week.
Thanks Louise! I agree wholeheartedly 🙂
This is such a perfect idea to do with little ones. Really cute and personal. Nicely done.
Thanks Leanna! Our family members loved getting them too:)
These are really lovely! I wish we had Thanksgiving here in the UK! Thanks for joining in at #TriumphantTales. Be sure to come back Tuesday! X
Thanks Jaki! When I lived in Ireland, I tried to host American thanksgiving… couldn’t find pumpkin anywhere and wasn’t sure how to cook a turkey. It was a mess but has made for a good laugh years later!
What a gorgeous idea. We are in the UK so don’t celebrate Thanksgiving but this would be a lovely idea for the Christmas table! Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
Thanks Lisa! Have a great week:)
These are so cute and I love that kids can make them
Thanks Amber! They were a fun memento for family members too:)
Aww, these are so sweet for the kiddos to make and someone to receive. I would truly be touched if that was at my place. Shared.
Awww thanks so much Florence:)
Oh, these are just so cute!! What a lovely little keepsake also! I bet the kiddies will have so much fun making these!
Thank you so much for sharing your fun project with us over at Waste Not Wednesday!
Thanks so much Sam:) yes my family loves keepsakes!
These are super cute!
Stopping by from #Alittlebitofeverything link up.
xoxo
Thanks Regina:)
These are so cute and a great idea. We’ve got lots of family coming over for Christmas dinner this year, my girls would love to make these. Thank you for joining us at #sharingthebloglove
Aww sounds perfect, Laura! Have a great week:)
These are so cute, I love the bright colours! A great way to get kids involved #fortheloveofBLOG
Thanks so much:)
What a cute little craft idea! So easy for little ones, and I love the personalisation – I think people would be so touched by these! Thanks for joining us at #SharingtheBlogLove
Thanks Katy! Have a great week:)
These are fun ideas and happy your share on Oh My Heartsie Girls WW last week. Now they will be featured this week. Hope you will join us and linkup again.
Have a great week!
Thanks SO much for the feature, Karren:)
Such gorgeous cards. We must start on ours at home or before I know it it will be christmas on my doorstep and I wont be prepared at all. Your post has now pointed me in the right direction!
Thank you so much for linking up to #KCACOLS hope you come back next week.
Mainy
I know what you mean about time flying! 🙂 have a great week!
Oh that’s so cute and a wonderful project to do with with your kids! Thank you for the inspiring post.
You’re welcome, Rebecca. Adults love the keepsake:)
These are adorable – such bright colours #kcacols
Thanks Ann!
We do something similar with handprints. It’s really easy. #kcacols
Yes – we love simple crafts:)
Awww love these. So cute and fab. Love crafts that involve a personal touch from the kiddies too.
Thanks for linking up to #KCACOLS
Thanks Cassie:)