Hello,

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, so I wanted to make sure I got this issue out in time for you to enjoy some of the activities. Here's a quote to carry with you over the holiday...

"How wonderful it would be if we could help our children and grandchildren to learn thanksgiving at an early age. Thanksgiving opens the doors. It changes a child's personality. A child is resentful, negative—or thankful. Thankful children want to give, they radiate happiness, they draw people."

Little Kid^TM Crafts

• Foam Pinecone Turkey - This is a really easy craft for children of all ages to do, and it's also pretty cute. After all, what would a Thanksgiving with children be without some kind of pinecone turkey? This one is a little bit different than most that you see for the holiday.

• Autumn Votive Candle - This simple votive candle idea makes a nice little gift or a creative way to use some of the leaves you collect during an Autumn nature walk. You could also create a few to sit on your dinner table during your Thanksgiving Dinner to add a little something special to the setting.

• Scrunchy Leaf - This project is a great way to use an unusual item to create a textured leaf. It's also fun for little ones to use something that is normally for the bathtub to create art.

• Salad Spinner Turkeys - A salad spinner is a great way to make spin art and you can take the technique a step further to create Thanksgiving decorations.

• Paper Bag Pumpkin - This simple pumpkin makes a great centerpiece for an Autumn Holiday dinner, or just a really cute Fall decoration. It's also pretty versatile -- make it really simple for younger children or add a lot of embellishments to make it a more interesting project for older kids.

More Challenging Crafts

• Woven Foam Placemat - This simple foam placemat can be used for any holiday or occasion by simply changing the colors. It's easy to make as well. This one is made of foam, but you can also use the same concept to make them out of paper or felt instead.

• Gourd Turkey - At the first Thanksgiving, turkey was actually a side dish, taking second billing to venison. But set this pretty bird center table and it's guaranteed to steal the show.

• Clay Pot Turkey - This little turkey is quite simple to make. The cost is minimal and he makes a great table decoration or hostess gift for Thanksgiving dinner!

• Turkey Place Markers - What better way to welcome your guests to the table than with a flock of these big-footed fowls! They are easy for kids to put together and make great holiday favors, perfect for holding notes, recipe cards, or a favorite photo.

• Beaded Napkin Rings - Make napkin rings for to dress up your for your holiday table. Match the colors to the holiday or make a set for everyday use to match your tableware.

Fun & Games

• Thanksgiving Word Search - This is a challenging word search puzzle based on word that are related to the Thanksgiving holiday. The words in the puzzle can go vertically, horizontally, and diagonally.

• Thanksgiving Maze - Can you help the goofy looking pilgrim make it home to have Thanksgiving dinner with his family? This is a more challenging maze aimed at children who are at least eight years old.

• Frozen Leaves Online Jigsaw Puzzle - An online jigsaw puzzle for fall -- see if you can put all the pieces to this pretty picture in place in the time allowed.

Party Ideas

• Preschool Thanksgiving Party - Whether you're planning a Thanksgiving party for your family or for a preschool full of children, Thanksgiving is usually about gathering together and taking time out to remember all the blessings in our lives. Keeping it entertaining and engaging for younger children comes with it's own set of challenges...

• Thanksgiving Classroom Party Tips - This page has some really interesting and unique ideas for how to pull off a Thanksgiving classroom party.