Gratitude Nature Crafts
Happy week of Thanksgiving! Whether your kids are home from school for the week or you’re just looking for additional craft ideas, try sharing about gratitude by making a Leaf Turkey (writing down things you’re thankful for), Bird Feeder (giving back to local wildlife), or a Flower Pumpkin (sharing as a hostess gift or table decoration). Make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom so you can download our FREE Fall Nature Scavenger Hunt to do this week as well!
If you haven’t already, pick out some amazing Indigenous nature books that you can incorporate also into your week of gratitude!
Make a Leaf Turkey
Materials: construction paper (brown, orange, red, white), googly eyes, white glue, leaves, permanent marker
Directions:
Go out and collect leaves in a variety of colors.
Cut out the construction paper to be the various parts of the turkey (body, beak, 2 feet, wattle). Glue all of these pieces together and then add the googly eyes; let dry.
Glue the leaves onto the white paper for the turkey’s feathers. Next, glue the turkey’s body onto its leaf feathers.
Bonus: use a permanent marker to write on the leaves all of the people, places, and things that you are thankful for!
Pair this with: “Turkey in Trouble” by Wendi Silvano or “Wild Turkeys” by Rebecca Sabelko
Free turkey printable is available from One Little Project.
Make a Bird Feeder
Materials: twine, scissors, pine cone, bird seed, peanut butter*, knife, plate
Directions:
Cut a small piece of twine or yarn and tie it around one end of the pinecone, making sure it is secure. This will be how you attach it to a tree at the end.
Pour the bird seed onto a plate and set aside.
Use the knife to spread peanut butter all around the pine cone.
Gently roll the peanut butter pinecone around on the bird seed plate until it’s fully covered with seeds.
Go hang up your feeder so animals can enjoy it!
Pair this with: “Bird Count” by Susan Edwards Richmond or “Listen to the Birds” by Donald Kroodsma, Léna Mazilu, & Yoann Guény
*Allergic to peanut butter? Try an alternative like sunflower seed butter, lard, suet, or coconut oil!
Make a Flower Pumpkin
Materials: pumpkin, pressed flowers, mod podge*, paintbrush
Directions:
Wash your pumpkin(s) and completely dry them.
Lay out the flowers on a plate to use for later.
Use the paintbrush to paint small sections of the pumpkin at a time with mod podge.
Add the flowers one at a time, then go back over them by gently patting them down with the paintbrush and a little extra mod podge.
Check out more examples and learn how to press your own flowers from Franz Witte!
Pair this with: “Thank a Farmer” by Maria Gianferrari & Monica Mikai or “Peyton Picks the Perfect Pie” by Jack Bishop.
*Don’t have any mod podge? You can substitute it with white glue, thinned out with some water.
