Thanksgiving Day Crafts for Elementary Art Classes
Thanksgiving Day isn't just about family and food. Thanksgiving Day has roots in American history that opens doors for elementary art classes to use crafts to provide interactive ways to teach students about history, Thanksgiving Day, and how it drew the Pilgrims and the Native Americans together for the benefit of both. Does this Spark an idea?
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Pilgrim Mural
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After teaching the students about the historical roots of Thanksgiving Day, have the class lay out a large piece of butcher or banner paper and plan out a mural representing Thanksgiving Day with the Pilgrims and Native Americans. Have the students research what that meal entailed, from setting to food and clothing and appearance of both the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. With a combination of drawings, illustrations and text, using markers or paint, have students create the mural to hang on the wall of the classroom.
Place Mats
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Taking an aspect of the Thanksgiving Day story, plan a place mat using a sheet of card stock. Find illustrations from books or online to fit the your plan. Use copies of the illustrations for your Thanksgiving Day place mat. Add texture with ribbon, yarn, paint or markers. Laminate the result.
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Centerpiece
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Divide the students into groups of two or three. Have them create a Thanksgiving Day centerpiece. For example, students can start with a natural weave basket. They can add real or artificial vegetables, including pumpkins, corn and squash. On textured baize paper, have them print out or copy the original Thanksgiving Day proclamation. Leave several inches on top and bottom to roll the edges like a scroll. Tuck this into the basket to complete the Thanksgiving Day centerpiece. Pilgrim figurines can also be added.
Thanksgiving Plate
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Find or draw a turkey looking forward. If using an illustration, copy and cut out to fit the center of a white paper plate. Glue the turkey onto the plate or draw the turkey in the center. Make sure the turkey fills most of the middle portion of the plate. Cut the paper plate around the turkey into strips for "feathers" wide enough to write on, leaving a portion at the top behind the turkey's head uncut. Write messages of appreciation or reasons for giving thanks on the turkey's "feathers." Decorate the feathers with crayons for a textured appearance. To hang the Thanksgiving turkey plate, punch a hole in the plate behind the turkey's head. Thread with yarn, tie, and hang on the classroom wall.
Appreciation Bouquet
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Have students create appreciation Thanksgiving bouquets. Provide an assortment of construction paper colors, drawing utensils, scissors, markers, craft sticks, tape, glue, and a Styrofoam base for each student. Have students create flowers of different colors from the construction paper, which they then cut out. They can layer the effect by using several different colors they glue together. On the finished flowers, have students write things they appreciate about life, school, family, and the Thanksgiving holiday. Color craft sticks green or brown for stems and tape or glue to the back of the flowers. Arrange the craft sticks in the Styrofoam base for a distinctive appreciation bouquet.
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References
- Photo Credit autumn harvest image by William Berry from Fotolia.com
