Thanksgiving Craft Ideas for Kids of Many Ages

I like pinecone bird feeders. Gather pinecones, tie either wire, string or twine around them and leave enough to use to hang from a branch.

Tie little red bows on them, they will stand out for the holidays.

Have them spread, shortening or peant butter on pine cones, then roll them in bird seed. Hang them out on trees, the birds love it!

You can always trace hands or have the kids race theirs and make turkeys. The older kids could cut theirs out and the younger kids could color theirs.

Another idea is thankful turkeys like these
http://www.ivillage.com/diy-thanksgiving-crafts/6-b-399661
You have the kids write or draw pictures on feathers of what makes them feel happy of thankful.

My son is five and loved making a thanksgiving hat decorated with (fake) autumn leaves.

Placemats? The little ones can color or just smoosh some crayon marks on them, and maybe put on a few stickers (bigger stickers for littler kids are easiest). Older kids can get more elaborate. If you can find some instant laminating paper (or clear contact paper), you can encase them in protective plastic and use them at the table.

Tracing hands to make turkeys is fun too - little ones just sit still for it and older ones do their own tracing and cutting. It might be easiest if little kids color on a sheet first, then you put their hands on the areas with the most color, then trace and cut. It's hard for them to color on the "fingers" once things are cut out.

Foam shapes are great, and so are sticking on anything like googly eyes, pompoms, feathers, etc. Cut out large turkey shapes and let them glue away.

You can also get wood or foam picture frames, let them stick things on them (foam shapes, stickers or dried macaroni). The foam frames are in many colors and the wooden ones can be spray painted once the macaroni is on and the glue dries. Do the craft, then take the frames into the garage or onto a porch if the weather is mild, lay them on newspaper, and spray. They'll dry while you eat dinner. Before you start, write each kid's name on the back of the frame with a sharpie marker. Then you can take a bunch of photos of the crowd and either print out on regular paper at the time or email to the families after the fact.

Have them make turkey's out of traces of their feet. The 6 year old can do the tracing.

Target (or any craft store probably) had some foam turkeys with foam stickers to decorate it with. My 7 year old daughter still enjoys doing things like that. Most 2 year olds love sticking things.

Oreo Cookie turkeys. Can make & eat if so desired. Just need Oreo
cookies, Candy corn for feathers, malt balls for head, mini Reeses for
body. Attach w/choc frosting, stick in fridge for a few mins to set.

Felt pieces cut out to assemble & make a turkey. Attach w/velcro. Just
need a few colors (brown, orange, red, black).

Pine cone turkeys. Pine cones & construction paper for head & feathers.

Mini clay pots, styrofoam circle cut to fit inside bottom of clay pot, straws
w/fake flower stuck inside top of straw. Then straw pushed into styrofoam (instant centerpiece).

Pilgrim hats (black construction paper cut in shape of pilgrim hat, brown
band to fit around head, piece of yellow construction cut into buckle
(just a rectangle shape w/middle cut out) put on front of hat.

White construction hat, kids color this as chosen, tie piece of yarn to each
side & fits over head like a bonnet.

A vest made out of a paper bag. cut slit up front of bag, 2 arm circles on
each side of bag, let kids color & decorate w/crayons, put on vest. Fringe bottom.

Indian head dress. Just need strips of contruction paper & feathers cut
from construction paper. Cut band of strip to fit around head, then take 2
long strips attached to head ring to fall down back of child. Attach
feathers along the back strips hanging down.

I just made salt dough ornaments with a group of kids. I used the recipie from the mommypoamus blog, but tweaked it. I used 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of salt, and 1/2 cup of cinnimon (actually had about 1/4 cup of cinnimon and used salt to fill that cup to half) and 1 cup of water. Threw it in the kitchen aid while I dug out cookie cutters and it was done. I had staws to poke the ornament holes. Couldn't find my Xmas cookie cutters, but found hearts and dinosaurs. The kids had fun playing with the dough. They made some handprint ornaments, some thumbprints in the shape of a paw for the dog, etc.
the blogger painted hers and used polyurethane to coat it. We didn't. I don't mind if they don't last forever and they smell good. The cinnimon gave it a pretty brown shade-perfect for turkeys.
This was fun AND easy. AND easy clean up. I Always end up with glitter, beads, feathers and glue everywhere if I try and get too elaborite.

One year we did the hand turkey cookies - just make a sugar dough (has to not expand) and trace the kids hands instead of using a cookie cutter. Then decorate with candy and frosting.

If you are looking in to starting something for Christmas, we just made the peppermint ornaments that have been going around Pinterest. They were easy and all of my kids enjoyed making them. The bulk of the work is picking the shape and layering the peppermints. I had to do the rest because it was too hot. But the kids later helped put the ribbons on them and wrap them in bubble wrap.

For an easy no brainer:

Thanksgiving craft kits from party city has a few, michaels, orientation trading co. It doesn't have to be fancy even a few foam art ones will keep them entertained.