With the holidays in full swing and Thanksgiving just around the corner, what would be more appropriate than to teach your children the meaning of being thankful by crafting a “thankful” tree. All you need is a few supplies that you probably already have around the house:
Colored construction paper Safety scissors Glue, tape, or glue dots Pens, colored pencils, washable markers, or crayons A couple of bare tree branches Vase
Instructions:
Gather a few bare branches from your yard or the park. Draw leaf shapes on a variety of sheets of fall leaf colored construction paper Get out some pens, colored pencils, crayons, or washable markers and help your child write things that they are thankful for inside the leaf shapes. Examples include sister, brother, parents, grandparents, a house to live in, food on the table, a good school to go to, etc. Help your child cut out the leaf shapes with safety scissors. Glue the leaf shapes onto the branches at varying levels. Glue dots can be used to cut down on the mess, or adults can hot glue the leaves in place. You can even tape them in place. Put your branches in a vase.
This super simple child’s craft really brings home the message of Thanksgiving when it becomes the centerpiece for the family dinner on Thanksgiving day.