This time of year is so exciting as the holidays approach us! My favorite part of the holidays is spending it with family; that’s what it is all about! What I love about Thanksgiving is all sitting around the table and eating a delicious meal with the people that I love, my family. While enjoying the food and company with the ones we love we also feel that extra sense of gratitude. Thanksgiving crafts are a great opportunity to talk about what children are grateful for while crafting! This year for Thanksgiving I am having my children make the holiday centerpiece.
Thankful Centerpiece Pumpkin Supplies
- 2 small, white sugar pumpkins and 1 small, orange pumpkin
- Washable Paint
- Stickers/feathers/googley eyes, glue (extras)
- Faux flowers
- Knife for parent use
Simple Thanksgiving Craft that is also a Crowd Pleaser!
While setting this craft up for my children I took the time to talk about what Thanksgiving is all about. I told them what it means to me and what I am grateful for. We discussed how this is a great opportunity to talk about what they are grateful for by painting it on the pumpkin!
Start by having your children decorate their white pumpkins showing what they are grateful for. Your child could paint a portrait of their family, teacher, home, or stuffed animal if that is what they are grateful for. If they are a bit older, they can use a permanent market to write some words on the pumpkin and then decorate it with paint, stickers and feathers.
Pumpkin Floral Arrangement
While their pumpkins are drying, the adult can cut the top off of the small, orange pumpkin. Next, the kids can scoop out the innards of the orange pumpkin. Set out the faux flowers and let the children create a flower arrangement, with the orange pumpkin acting as the vase. This should be done the night before or morning of Thanksgiving so that it doesn’t rot. However, many dollar and craft stores have faux pumpkins with flowers already put together and then you will know it will last longer. The white pumpkins can of course be decorated in advance as you discuss the upcoming holiday.
Now, place the orange pumpkin as the center, focal piece with the white, decorated pumpkins on either side of it. The pumpkins will be a wonderful conversation starter at the table and may even get a few giggles. I love this Thanksgiving craft because it’s homemade (which are always the best) and it’s unique! Children love to be involved and displaying their artwork on the table gives them a great feeling of joy!
For more thanksgiving crafts check out how to make a shape sorting turkey, glitter turkey window decal, or even a thankfulness wreath for your front door! And to learn how to teach your child gratitude and mindfulness, check out our online class, Mindfulness: Raising Self-Aware Children. Gifting an online class to your nanny or friend this holiday season is a gift that will last forever!
About The Author
Jaclyn Capilli has over 10 years experience working with children. After graduating from Curry College with her Bachelor Degree she worked as a paraprofessional in a special need’s classroom. Then while in Graduate school at Cambridge College she nannied for a local family for 3 years. After moving back to the South Shore she worked for Head Start for 5 plus years while nannying for a local family. She is now a mother of two and is working for Boston Baby Nurse & Nanny. She owns Jaclyn Nicole Photography, a photography business in the South Shore. In her free time she likes reading, going for hikes and making memories with her daughters.
