During our study of American history, we’ve had fun with lots of crafts, including a few Mayflower crafts when the kids were little and we discussed the first settlers.  

When it comes to teaching kids about the early history of America, it is impossible to do it without mentioning the people who were living here long before the settlers came.  The month of November is especially popular for teachers and parents to search for Native American Crafts for Kids. 

Before going any further, I want to stress that these are crafts for children.  That being said, crafts are a wonderful tool to help children become more familiar with other cultures and be excited to learn about them.  

While it may be tempting to choose a few crafts at random and use them at Thanksgiving time or as a general craft, this does a disservice to both the kids and the cultures being represented.  

Different Native American tribes had different cultures, and it is important for children to understand this. For one, not all of them lived in teepees.  (A stereotype so often depicted when early grades do Thanksgiving crafts.)    

Before crafting, take time to discuss the similarities and differences between tribes, and choose activities that best represent the group you are studying. 

Native Americans for Kids & Teachers  is a website that is written in simple language that is easy for even the youngest learners to understand.  It does a nice job of giving a brief overview of many of the different cultures of the people native to the Americas.  Kids can discover the types of homes that were used, some of the traditions, and get a glimpse of how life was different for each group.  

You may also want to check out this list of Native American Books for Kids.    While many children’s books seem to stereotype different cultures, the books in this selection help depict a portion of their rich history and show some of their many contributions to American history.    

Native American Crafts for Kids

Model of a Wigwam —  Wigwams (or birchbark houses) were used by several groups of Native Americans, including the Wampanoag tribesmen that were part of the First Thanksgiving.   This miniature version would be fun to make after discussing the process used to build these homes.  

Corn Husk Dolls  —  These simple dolls were made by a number of tribes.   They even showed settlers how to make the dolls, and not waste any part of the corn plant.  

Rainstick —   Kids will love decorating and using their rainstick to make music while exploring the various sounds created by the different materials placed inside the tubes.

Paper Plate Dream Catcher  —  Traditionally grandparents from the Ojibwa (Chippewa) would weave dream catchers to hang over a sleeping baby.  For older children you can find instructions for weaving these out of grapevines, in a more traditional manner.  This paper plate version is simplified.  

Beaded Indian Corn — These adorable ears of corn are easy to put together and would make a nice Thanksgiving craft.   Not only are they cute, but they are colorful and very inexpensive to make.

Woven Basket — Woven baskets were used by most Native Americans and were made with natural materials they found near where they lived.  Creating a woven basket takes a lot of patience and skill.  Using a paper plate as a base makes creating this colorful and simplified version of a woven basket easy enough for kids to do on their own.   

Faux Leather  Mini Teepee — This simple craft would be an excellent way to start discussing how different tribes lived in different homes and had different cultures.  

Craft Stick Bow and Arrows —  Tweens will have fun making their very own miniature bow that can actually shoot!   With a few simple arrows made with Q-Tips, they’ll be able to shoot mini targets and test out their accuracy.

Pueblo Pottery —  Start by looking at pictures of some of the beautiful pottery the Pueblo are known for.  Then give children the opportunity to try making their own small bowls.  

Native American Crafts for Preschoolers

Crafts that deal with fancy headdresses, like making headbands with feathers to wear or “handprint Indians” where you turn the fingers into a feather headband, can be considered culturally insensitive. 

In many tribes the feathers on a headdress were sacred.  They were worn by warriors and chiefs, and were a sign of bravery and honor.  

Skip crafts that have kids dressing up or leave them to think that all Native people wore feathers.  

The folowing are a few preschooler Native American crafts that will still get young kids excited to learn about American Indians.  

Lego Stamped Indian Corn  —   Corn originated in the Americas.  Native Americans taught early settlers how to plant and grow the crop, making this colorful craft a fun one for little ones studying the first Thanksgiving.  Toddlers and preschoolers will have fun with this unusual painting technique.  

Paper Plate Teepee  —   Many of the Plains People used teepees (or tipis) as they were able to take them down and move with them.  While building a life-size teepee may be impossible to do with your child, it is fun to research how they were built.  Afterwards, young learners can turn a paper plate into a quick and easy teepee.  The craft may even inspire them to want to learn more.  

Cardboard Tube Canoe  —  With a bit of tape and imagination, toddlers and preschoolers can turn a simple cardboard tube into a mini canoe.  Then you can talk about the work that was involved in making a real canoe.  

Cherokee Rattle  —  Music and chanting are central to many Cherokee ceremonies.   Preschoolers will have fun creating their very own instrument with materials you already have at home.  

You may also like these posts:

• Thankful Turkey Preschool Craft
• Tin Can Lanterns (Early American History Craft)
• Make a Quill & Homemade Ink 

The post Native American Crafts for Kids first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

These simple Mayflower crafts are a fun way to introduce the history of Thanksgiving to young children. 

They would be a fun addition to the usual Thanksgiving craft activities kids often do in November.  

Are you looking for fun ways to teach young kids about the first Thanksgiving?

These Thanksgiving crafts for preschool and kindergarten go perfectly with lots of favorite picture books. 

Older kids will have fun with this wigwam craft.   You may also want to check out these Native American crafts for kids. 

Below are a few of our favorite Thanksgiving books.  Affiliate links have been used.  See my full disclosure for details. 

•  One is a Feast for a Mouse
• The First Thanksgiving 
• The Story of the Pilgrims

Mayflower Crafts

Preschool Mayflower Craft — Preschoolers will have fun sailing their paper ship through the construction paper waves in this simple Mayflower ship craft that is perfect for introducing the Pilgrims’ voyage.  

Paper Plate Mayflower — This fun paper plate craft takes it one step further.  Kids will learn about the inside of the ship with the free printable that is included.  

Movable Paper Plate Craft — Young crafters will have a blast playing with this Thanksgiving craft.  

K-Cup Mayflower —  After you enjoy that cup of coffee, recycle those K-Cups into miniature ships with this simple craft. 

Recycled Mayflower Craft —  Discover how your child can create their own ships and test out their ability to float with this craft and science activity. 

Milk Carton Mayflower — Kids will have fun building their very own ships in this recycled craft idea.  

Mayflower & Pilgrims — With the free printable coloring sheet of Pilgrims, this paper plate Thanksgiving craft turns out super cute.  

Hand Print Ship — Who can resist an adorable hand print craft?  This one is so much fun for toddlers and preschoolers.  

Preschoolers and kindergartners will enjoy these simple Mayflower crafts.  

You may also like:

• Candy Jar Turkey Craft
• Hand & Footprint Turkey
• Preschool Turkey Craft

The post Mayflower Crafts first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

The cooler temperatures of fall makes it the perfect time for crafting with your children.   When it comes to Thanksgiving Crafts for the Kids, colorful turkeys are always popular.

This cute turkey candy jar craft is sure to be a hit with your child this fall.

Plus, it is a great way to use up some of that Halloween candy.

We have enjoyed several turkey crafts over the years.  This one is my son’s very favorite.

Turkey Candy Jar Craft

Materials Needed:

• • Small Jar with Lid
  • Construction Paper
  • Scissors
  • Wiggly Eyes
  • Hot Glue
  • Small, Colorful Candies

For this simple craft you will need a clean, empty glass jar.  A baby food jar or small jelly jar is perfect.

Start by having your child cut out the turkey’s feathers.    To make the feathers extra  fancy, we used scrapbook scissors.   For younger children you can draw the feathers for them to cut out, or give them a sample feather shape to cut around.

Your child can can pick any colors they’d like to use.  They will need 5-6 feathers.

Once the feathers are cut out, open the jar and add your candies.  (This was my son’s favorite part.)

We found that M&M’s were perfect because of their fall colors, but you could use any small candies your child likes.

After you put the candies in the jar, screw the lid back on the jar.

Then use the hot glue gun to add the feathers to one side of the jar.

Next, glue the wiggly eyes onto the front of the container.

To make a beak, have your child cut out a small yellow diamond shape and fold it in half.  They can also make a red wattle for their turkey.

Glue these on to complete the turkey’s face.

This cute turkey candy jar craft is sure to make your child smile.  This little turkey craft would also make a nice homemade gift for a grandparent or teacher this fall.

Get more fun ideas like this delivered to your email by subscribing to our newsletter.

• Paper Cup Turkey 
• Mayflower Craft
• How to Make a Paper Wigwam 

The post Kids Turkey Candy Jar Craft first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

It wasn’t until he had to use the restroom that I realized my mistake.

He couldn’t undo the fastener.

Mom fail.

You see, my son just doesn’t have those fine motor skills yet.

Fine motor skills are something lots of kids need help with.  This week we did a simple Thanksgiving craft to help strengthen those fine motor skills.

This preschool Turkey craft is perfect for working on fine motor skills.

Turkey Craft

Materials Needed:

• Paper Plate
• Craft Glue
• Paintbrush
• Pen or Pencil
• Variety of Dried Beans, Pasta, or Colored Rice

A variety of dried beans, split peas, pasta, and even rice (we used rainbow rice) will give your child plenty of choices and colors to craft with.    A paper plate makes a nice palette to display all the dried beans, etc.

Keep in mind that spills can happen.   You will want to wait to sweep the floor until after craft time.

If you really want to keep the mess down, have children sit on a plastic tablecloth on the floor for this Thanksgiving craft.  You can easily pick up the cloth afterwards and shake the mess into the trash.

Use a pen or pencil to trace each child’s hand on the center of a paper plate.  Paper plates are stronger than regular paper, which tends to be too flimsy for the weight of all the dried beans once the craft dries.

Use paintbrushes to apply craft glue inside the hand print.  You will need a thick layer to keep beans in place.

Have your child choose from the dried beans and pasta to decorate their hand print turkey.

Picking up each bean and placing it onto the hand print is great for building those fine motor skills.    Those fine motor skills are important when it comes to hand writing, buttoning clothes, and turning pages in a book.

Once your child is finished decorating their turkey, they can add a googly eye and use markers to add a beak, waddle, and legs.

Be sure to let it dry completely before hanging it up to display.

I have been trying to incorporate more fine motor skills activities, like this preschool turkey craft, into our day.  After all, I won’t always be there to help unfasten those stubborn buttons on a pair of blue jeans.

Other posts you might like:

• Paper Cup Turkey
• Thanksgiving Sensory Play Small World 
• Wigwam Craft for Kids 

Updated post.  Originally published November 17, 2015.  

The post A Turkey Craft That Improves Fine Motor Skills first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Kids love science!  Kids love crafts!   This week we combined the two for a fun turkey craft!

It all started with a bit of candy science….

This Halloween the kids got lots of little packets of Gobstoppers (mini jaw breakers), and since I think they are a choking hazard at the moment, we decided to use them for science.  (Check out our dissolving candy experiment to see what else we’ve done with them.)

We’ve had fun with coffee filter science in the past, and it just seemed natural that we try it again, this time with a candy twist!

To start with, I cut the seams on our cone-shaped coffee filters.  (You could easily use normal coffee filters; we somehow picked up the wrong box and have just been crafting with them.)

Once they filters were opened up and just one layer, we spread them out on a cookie sheet and placed our Gobstoppers on top.  We also added one box of Nerds, just for fun.

Next, the kids took turns spritzing the filters with water from the spray bottle.

We checked the filters periodically to see how the colors were running.  The kids had fun rolling the little candies on the wet filters, spreading the colors out some.

We spritzed the filters one more time when they started to dry out, moving the candies to make more colorful dots.

Then we let the coffee filters dry completely.

My youngest noticed right away that our filters looked a bit like the tail of a turkey…and so our turkey craft idea was born!

I cut out simple turkey body shapes, wattles, legs, and beaks for the kids to glue on their turkeys.

They had fun picking out just the right google eyes from our collection.

Such a fun and unique way to display our candy science experiment — a cute turkey craft!

The post Candy Science Turkey Craft first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Or maybe you’re looking for a cute craft you can do together to help decorate your home.

Look no further.  Here are 10 simple turkey crafts for kids that your child will love.  

Turkey Crafts

Paper Cup Turkey  — This simple turkey craft is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.  It makes a cute centerpiece, or make several to use as place settings.  

Tear Turkey  — Kids can work on fine motor skills while tearing paper in this idea from Teaching Tiny Tots.

Preschooler Turkey with Beans  — Your child will be working on fine motor skills while creating this colorful turkey. 

Collage Paper Plate Turkey  — Your child can show off their own unique personality with this simple craft.

Pine Cone Turkey  — Pine cones are always fun to use when making turkeys.  I love this one from Squigly’s Playhouse.

Turkey Hat  — Little ones will love this silly hat idea from Crafts-N-Things for Children.

Handprint Turkey  — If you love handprint crafts, then you won’t want to miss this one that is perfect for Thanksgiving.  I still hang up the ones my kids made years ago — love those little hand and footprints!

Candy Science Turkey —  Use science to create a colorful turkey.

Family Hand Print Turkey — Use everyone’s handprint to make this turkey from Family Corner.

Paper Plate and Tissue Paper Turkey  — Here is a colorful idea from Happy Home Fairy.

These turkey crafts for kids are sure to get your home ready for the holiday.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

You’ll also like:

• Mayflower Craft
• 20 Leaf Activities Using Real Leaves
• ABCs & 123s:  40+ Hands On Learning Ideas 

The post 10 Turkey Crafts first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.