Thanksgiving Creativity

It's that time of the year again... school has finally settled to routine, the leaves have begun to change, the mornings welcome a warm mug even more and the holiday rush begins! Families begin to gather, catch up with one another and create new memories that will last a lifetime. With that being said, here is a quick and simple way to not only create a memory, but a keepsake of your little ones this Thanksgiving season.

You will need the following items per child:
1 sheet of brown construction paper
1 sheet of red construction paper (tissue paper can be substituted)
1 sheet of yellow construction paper (tissue paper can be substituted)
1 sheet of orange construction paper (tissue paper can be substituted)
1 drawing marker (black works best to show up on paper)
1 pair of googley eyes

Glue, paste, glue stick or tape (this can be adapted for the age of the child)

Step 1. Trace the child's hand outline on the brown construction paper.

Step 2. Draw "feathers" on the red, yellow, and orange paper. You can draw the feathers by making an elongated, rounded diamond or you can simply trace the child's hand outline again on each color of paper.

Step 3. Cut out the traced hand on the brown paper.

Step 4. Cut out the feathers on the remaining colors.
Note: If you are making the feathers by tracing the child's hand outline, cut out only the child's finger outline (leaving the palm) from the paper.

Step 5. Snip along the edges of the "feathers" to make them fringed.

Step 6. Snip along the finger outlines on the brown hand to make those "feathers" fringed as well.

Step 7. Place the brown turkey down with the palm down and fingers aimed away from the child.

Step 8. Layer and glue the colored "feathers" with the other "feathers" until you feel it is complete.

Step 9. Glue the googley eyes on the middle of the palm portion of the turkey hand.

Step 10. Cut a wattle (small heart) from the leftover red paper. Glue heart upside down beneath eyes.

Step 11. Cut a beak (small triangle) from the leftover orange paper. Glue beak on top of wattle, to turkey's face.

Let it dry, and now you have a keepsake of your child's hand from this Thanksgiving season. Date the back, and if your child can, have them autograph their work. Bring it out next year after they create a new turkey hand and compare them to see how much your child has grown in the year.