This craft was not intended to be a Thanksgiving key chain. Matter-a-fact, it started off as a turkey headband. You know, those really cute turkey feathered headbands?
When I realized I didn’t have any 11×17 construction paper to make a band, I was left with turkey feathers.
Just turkey feathers so I had to get creative.
The children and I started a conversation on things we were thankful for. Okay, more or less we really talked about every toy they had and why it made them happy.
Then I asked, “Well what if all the toys in the house disappeared? (Oh no!) What would you be happy about then?”
They really had to think about this one…sigh…we are getting there.
I wrote down everything they said on their feathers. As you can see, they still mentioned a toy. 🙂
I was satisfied with their list and so were they.
Even though we have read a few books, such as:
Just So Thankful (We love the Critter’s!) by Mercer Mayer and The Berenstain Bears, Think of Those in Need…
they just weren’t getting it. But, I kept plugging away.
I made their thankful list into key chains and kept asking them, “What are you thankful for?”
They would look at their key chains and try to remember the words.
It makes me smile because being thankful is such a big concept to grasp. It’s not as easy as 1+1. It doesn’t just have an answer, it’s also has a feeling that comes with it.
I can recall my mom taking me to a homeless shelter to lend a hand in the food line and even donating our items to families who could really use them. When I first met my husband, we would help out under a highway bridge, passing out toiletries, Q-tips and toothbrushes. I truly believe because mom took the time to show me how to be grateful, it opened the door for me to do the same for others. I have since made it my goal to show the children how to be giving and caring for others. Every Thanksgiving, I want to step out-of-the-box to show them how to be thankful in many ways.
After I wrote down their list, I quickly laminated and hole punched the feathers.
Pushed them on a paper clip and used a pipe cleaner for the round chain piece.
Here is our final product:
I also really liked the idea of a key chain because they look at the words and recognizing what they say.
It may be a key chain now, but who knows, perhaps they are receiving a bigger message than that.
From my family to yours, have a blessed Thanksgiving.