Edible Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids

PARENTS
Cut apples into 1/4- to 1/2-in. slices. Use an apple corer or a knife to remove seeds. Cut “mouth” wedges from the peel-covered ends.

KIDS
Use a butter knife to swoop on nut butter or chocolate-hazelnut spread “hair.” For facial features, use regular and mini chocolate chips, fruit slices, dried fruit, cereal, and nuts. These can simply be placed on top or “glued” on with nut butter.

Tip: Brush lemon juice onto apple slices before decorating to prevent browning.

PARENTS
Use a mandoline to slice potatoes, yams, and beets as thin as possible, about 1/16-in. thick, cutting both crosswise and lengthwise. (No need to peel first!) Coat two large baking sheets with nonstick spray.

KIDS
Soak slices in cold, salted water. (Soak beets in their own bowl.) Let sit for 30 minutes. Dry slices with paper towels. Preheat oven to 375°F. Working on a cutting board, press leaf-shaped cookie cutters into the veggie slices. Arrange leaves on baking sheets so they don’t overlap. Coat the slices with nonstick spray, and sprinkle with salt.

PARENTS
Bake chips for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Return to oven and bake for 4 minutes more; check for doneness every minute after. Chips are done when the centers no longer look wet (beets will take the longest!). Transfer chips to paper towels and let cool.

Tip: Place a wooden block or a small cutting board on top of the cookie cutter so that when your child presses down it’s easier to cut out the shape.

PARENTS
Cut paper cups down as shown, leaving a thumb-like shape for the turkey’s head. Slice hard vegetables, like carrots and bell peppers.

KIDS
Cut beaks and wattles out of cardstock, then glue to the cups. Use a marker to draw eyes, or glue on paper eyes. Fill the cups with hummus or dip and add veggie “tail feathers.”

Tip: For big kids who like to be neat, have them use a toothpick to apply glue to the face shapes.

PARENTS
Melt 3 Tbs. butter in a large saucepan. Add a 10-oz. bag of marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove from heat.

KIDS
Add 6 cups crisp rice cereal and stir. Let mixture rest until cool enough to handle. For drumsticks, mold a small handful of cereal around a pretzel stick, as shown. For apples, add red food coloring to the melted marshmallow mixture first. Then form cereal into small balls and push half of a pretzel stick into the top of each. Cut leaves out of green sour-belt candy.

PARENTS
(Optional) Melt chocolate to dip drumsticks in.

Tip: Butter or oil your hands before shaping the cereal mixture so it doesn’t stick!
 

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The kids will be thrilled when they get to dig into this popcorn centerpiece. (Keep in mind: popcorn is a choking hazard for kids 4 and younger.)

What you'll need

• White paper
• Scissors
• Grocery bag
• Turkey-roasting bag
• Popcorn, regular and caramel
• 2 brown lunch bags
• Large resealable plastic bags
• Hot-glue gun

Make it: 

1. To make the frills, cut a sheet of standard printer paper in half lengthwise. Fold each half in half, lengthwise. Make small cuts with scissors on folded edges to create loops.
2. For the turkey body, round the corners of a large paper grocery bag. (If you can't find a large plain brown bag, carefully turn a printed bag inside out.) Fill the roasting bag with popcorn and put inside sack. Fold the opening of the grocery bag in and tuck the bottom edge under, using hot glue to secure the edge closed.
3. To make the drumsticks, put your fist in each of the corners of a small paper bag and use your other hand to mold and round the edges. Fill a resealable plastic bag 2/3 of the way to the top with caramel corn and place in paper bag. Gather the opening of the bag and twist tightly. Hot-glue the beginning of the length of frill and wrap it around the twisted part of the lunch bag; hot-glue the end of the frill to hold in place. Repeat to make a second drumstick.
4. Use hot glue to attach drumsticks to sides of turkey body.
5. Cut plus sign on the top of the turkey and the legs, through both bags, to enjoy the popped treat.

This festive veggie holder is made from paper cups and craft paper.

What you'll need

• 9-oz. black paper cup
• 3-oz. paper cup
• Scissors
• Craft glue
• 4 in. black paper circle
• 1"x 2" yellow paper rectangle with center removed
• Veggie dip and sticks

Make it

1. Poke a hole in the bottom of the black paper cup and cut at least 4 slits to the edge of the cup's bottom; push bottom flaps inward toward the cup's inside wall.
2. Cut a 1" vertical slit into the top edge of the 3-oz. paper cup and overlap the cut edges to make the opening a little tighter. Put glue around the inside rim of the bottom of the black cup, and push the 3 oz. cup (right side up) into the hole.
3. Glue the mouth of the black cup to the center of the black paper circle; let dry. Glue the buckle to the front of the hat.
4. Fill the 3-oz. cup a quarter of the way full with veggie dip, and stick sliced vegetables inside the cup.

Mold these yummy cereal treats into a corn shape for an after-turkey surprise.

What you'll need

• 4 tbs. butter
• 4 cups mini marshmallows
• 6 cups Kix cereal
• Ribbon or raffia
• Popsicle sticks

Make it

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and marshmallows over low heat, stirring frequently. When the mixture is fully melted, stir in the cereal until completely coated.
2. Scoop out large handfuls of the coated cereal and shape into corn cobs.
3. Tie a ribbon or piece of raffia around the end of the Popsicle stick, and insert the opposite end into the treat. Let cool and harden before serving.

From Thanksgiving hats to fun activities that teach little ones how to give thanks, browse more of our favorites holiday crafts for kids:

• 12 Crafty Thanksgiving Activities for Kids
• Cute Thanksgiving Hat Crafts
• Simple Thanksgiving Kid Crafts
• Thanksgiving for Kids: Dinner Table Crafts