Thanksgiving Unplugged: Teachers Suggest Low-Tech Holiday Crafts

I loved Thanksgiving as a kid, but it had little to do with turkey or getting together with my family. It was all about getting off of school.

This holiday season, thousands of children will stay home on a weekday because of Thanksgiving, turn on their Xboxes or Playstations and stay “connected” until it’s time for turkey.

But if you’re looking for a refreshing recess from being plugged in this week, there are plenty of Thanksgiving craft ideas that will keep your whole family engaged and working together.  

 kindergarten teacher Megan Smith taught her students how to create a turkey with a paper plate and construction paper, but there are lots of other ways to make a turkey with household crafts.

Patch spoke with Maryland’s Outstanding Young Educator of the Year, Steven Lamkin, to hear some clever Thanksgiving craft ideas. Here are some of his favorite recommendations.

• Have everyone trace their own foot on construction paper, (that makes the turkey’s body). 
• Then, trace your hands to make the feathers on different colored paper. This one is super easy for little kids.

Create a pinecone turkey

• Take a pinecone, add some tissue paper in various colors to spread throughout the cone. 
• Create a "face" for the turkey by cutting out some brown tissue paper in the shape of a peanut, (but larger of course).
• Then, add some googely eyes from a craft store to the front of the pinecone while making a triangle beak for the front. Before you know it, you’ll have a turkey in no time.

• This one is a bit more involved and may be too difficult for anyone younger than second grade. Paint a Solo cup brown or simply put brown tissue paper around it. Add googely eyes once again, cut out a triangle for the turkey’s beak and then add feathers to the back.
• Finally, put a small bell on a single pipe cleaner, insert it through the top of the cup and you’ll have a “turkey bell.”

Related Topics: Megan Smith, Ridgeway Elementary, Thanksgiving 2011, Thanksgiving Crafts,crafts for children, good thanksgiving crafts, and kindergarten crafts 

What's more fun? Video games or old-fashioned crafting?