Looking for an easy craft for your family that you can send to family and friends to let them know you are thinking of them? Or an easy way to to introduce gratitude to your children? Look no further! This is an easy way to include your kids in decorations for your Thanksgiving. It is also a wonderful way to teach them how to take a few minutes to think about another person and express gratitude for them. You can easily send these in cards or turn them into cards for friends and family you may be unable to visit with this year.
I made these with my 3 year old daughter while my 8 month old crawled all around us. The pictures included are the actual result of what we made, you will notice that they are by no means perfect. That isn’t the point. This is about gratitude, not perfection. Let them be what they are! Celebrate the things in life you are grateful for and the people who bring you joy. It is a great day for simple crafts and taking a moment to practice gratitude.
Materials needed:
- Construction Paper
- Scissors
- Markers
- Glue
- (Googly eyes-optional)
Directions:
Step 1: Trace a hand print on a piece of construction paper. Cut it out.
Step 2: Cut out feet, beak, waddle and glue them to your hand print to make it look like a turkey. Use the thumb to make the face and the fingers will be the feathers
. 
Step 3: Write the person’s name in the middle of the hand print. Write reasons you are thankful for that person, things that you love about them, or other things you may want to share with them
.
Step 4: Include them in cards or turn these into cards to mail to family and friends that will not be with you for the holiday.
Pro Tips:
- If you are doing this with small children, have all materials ready to go. Have the waddle, beak, and feet cut out with glue and scissors nearby. Attention spans may be fleeting, especially for littles.
- For children who cannot write yet, interviewing them and writing responses is a fun way to go. You can also have them draw a picture on the feathers instead.
- Let it be what it is! This is not about perfection. This is about gratitude. When I was doing this with my own 3 year old, we were talking about gratitude and she just started listing things she was grateful for so I wrote those down on the feathers instead of them being for a specific person. Take a moment to recognize what you are grateful for, slow down and enjoy the moment.
