Thanksgiving Feast with Friends and Family Playdate

Thanksgiving is a time

For reviewing what we treasure,

The people we hold dear,

Who give us so much pleasure.

Without you as my friend,

Life would be a bore;

Having you in my life

Is what I’m thankful for.

By Joanna Fuchs

This group has been such a joy to my family. I would love to celebrate this wonderful holiday of giving thanks with all of our fabulous friends we have made. Bring your family and please come celebrate with us.
 

Turkey will be our main course and supplied by the hostess. Please RSVP with how many people and what side dish you will be bringing to share. Feel free to bring what you are famous for in your family or something you have always wanted to make, but you couldn't because you had to bring what you are famous for! This is a great trial run for a new recipe as well....we'll happily be your guinea pigs!

*And if you do not cook, you can always bring a cooler with ice, some waters or juice boxes, 2 liters of pop or even some rolls!

We'll have crafts for the kids and holiday music to boogie down to.

Keepsake Craft to do with the kids in the group:

Use paint to make this handprint turkey instead of tracing. Add a few details to the turkey and some fall leaves and you have a beautiful work of art to display at Thanksgiving time.

Supplies:
Paint (various colors)
Foam paint brushes for each color
Paper
Markers
Colored paper for leaves
Glue stick

Instructions:

1. Paint your child's hand with different paint colors. I used brown for the "head and body" (thumb and palm). Use different colors for the "feathers."
2. Let the child stamp their handprint on the paper before the paint dries.
3. Repeat with the other hand.
4. Add details such as legs and a beak with markers.
5. Write the child's name at the top of the paper.
6. Cut out leaves from colored paper.
7. Use a glue stick to attach leaves to the paper.
8. Hang and enjoy!

Pinecone Turkey Craft

This fun and easy Thanksgiving craft is the perfect thing for kids to do while waiting for dinner at your Thanksgiving feast with a few inexpensive materials and some pinecones from the back yard. Your guests will have a blast gathering the pinecones and then turning them into these little turkeys to show off to friends.


Materials:
• pinecone turkey craft pattern
• pinecone
• red tissue paper
• yellow tissue paper
• orange tissue paper
• yellow card stock or construction paper
• brown card stock or construction paper
• glue
• scissors
• wiggly eyes

Instructions:

1. Using the pattern as a guide, cut 3 triangles from each color of tissue paper, using the attached pattern, or create your own. When you’re done you should have 9 triangles total.


2. Gather the base (long side) of the triangle together so that it leaves a point on the other end to form a tail “feather.”

3. Put a dot of glue on the gathered end of the tissue paper.


4. Gather the base of another triangle together (use a different color to alternate colors in the tail). Stick the base of this tail feather into the spot of glue you put on the first tissue paper feather, so the gathered ends overlap and are stuck together by the glue.


5. Repeat the process until you have all 9 feathers fanned out in a half circle, all attached together at the base.

6. Spread some glue on the base of the tail feathers where they’re all overlapping, and press the base into the wide end of a pine cone (see photos). Set the body-tail assembly aside to let the glue dry.

7. Using the pattern as a guide, cut out the turkey’s head from brown card stock.

8. Using the pattern as a guide, cut out the turkey’s beak from yellow card stock.

9. Glue two wiggly eyes onto the top of the head to for the turkey’s face.

10. Fold the beak in half, and glue it on the head, below the eyes with a small dot of glue.

11. Tear off a small piece of red tissue paper and use it to make the gobbler by gluing it around the turkey’s beak.

12. Glue the head to the pine cone. Allow to dry.

Amazing Mom’s Tip:
Let your children help you make these ahead of time and insert a name card between the scales on the pine cone. They can be place holders at the dinner table, and the kids can each take one home for a party favor.

Scarecrow Craft Playdate

Join us for a fun-filled fall morning! The playdate will be outside so we can enjoy the gorgeous weather and have fun with our friends!

 The kiddos will color scarecrow coloring pages, make a fun scarecrow to take home and burn off some energy running around the park.

Our hostess will provide everything we need for the craft.

The playdate is limited to 10 kiddos so please be sure to RSVP for the number of children attending.
1 Child= RSVP+0 guests;
2 Children= RSVP+1 guest...

We will have mini deli sandwiches, fresh fruit, sweet tea and lemonade, but please remember to bring your little ones sippy cup!

Also please bring a todder friendly snack to share, and indicate what you're bringing in the comment section of your RSVP so we don't have duplicates.

Scarecrow Necklace for Autumn Playdate


How to make this craft

His job is to scare the birds and fill their hearts with dread. But your job is easier, to choose which to eat first: his arms, legs, or head.

INGREDIENTS
Wrapped round taffy or caramel (head)
2 Tootsie Flavor Roll Twisties (arms)
2 rolls of colorful candies (legs); we used Sprees; Smarties work too
1/2-ounce box of raisins (body)
Low-temperature glue gun
Ruler
Scissors
Small bundle of raffia


DIRECTIONS
1. Keep the wrapping on all of the candies and glue the head, arms, and legs to the raisin box body. Parents may want to supervise use of glue gun...you can use regular glue but it just wont stay together for a long time.


2. Cut five 4-inch pieces of raffia. Tie four pieces into a bunch by knotting the fifth piece around the center of the bundle. Glue the knot to the top of the body at the base of the head as shown. Trim the raffia if you like.


3. Cut a piece of raffia long enough to fit over your child's head. Glue the center of the strand to the back of the box. Tie the ends together, and your edible neckwear is ready.

How to make this craft

There are a lot of steps but my almost 3 year old breezed through it, we talked about the shapes, and each body part as we added them . You will notice that my shapes are way less than perfect, but if they are clearly recognizable you are golden. Time is short for anyone caring for young kids, don’t fret over your shapes being perfect!

Gather your materials. You will need 5 different color pieces of construction paper ( you can use scrap if you want for all but one) we used orange, green, yellow, neutral and light blue , 2 large googly eyes, a marker, scissors and a glue stick.


Start by drawing a scarecrow head and mouth. Cut out.

Next cut out ( or have your child cut out) a triangle hat and rectangle shirt and arms from the green paper.

Cut out many smaller rectangles from the yellow paper for hair.

Cut out a orange triangle for the nose and 3 orange circles for the buttons.


Start gluing. Now you can just let them at it but to me this isn’t a creative project at all, it’s too structured for that, to me this is a shape lesson really. Here is what I do. Show your child the shapes and ask them what they look like. I help up the large rectangle and asked my son if he thought this was the scarecrow’s head, ” no it’s his belly!” Glue it on. Don’t forget to ask what each shape is or label the shape for them.


Next add the head… I suggested this was an arm.  Don’t forget to have fun!

Keep labeling, and adding the shapes to build your scarecrow. Here he is adding the hair.
Add the arms.

If you are doing this with young toddlers don’t forget to label the colors as well! Add your hat!

Add the eyes and nose.

Add your buttons.


Let dry!

Handprint Leaf - Craft for babies to school aged kids!

Fall into Autumn by Creating a Creative Keepsake!

Leaves

by Elsie N. Brady

How silently they tumble down

And come to rest upon the ground

To lay a carpet, rich and rare,

Beneath the trees without a care,

Content to sleep, their work well done,

Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly

Until they nearly reach the sky.

Twisting, turning through the air

Till all the trees stand stark and bare.

Exhausted, drop to earth below

To wait, like children, for the snow.

The weather is changing and the leaves are falling! 

Bring your little ones over to our house for a keepsake craft you

can give as gifts for Thanksgiving or keep for yourself! 

Please bring a tile that will fit your child's hand, bring a big one

if you'd like to do more then 1 hand print. 

*The Dollar Store has some plates with a leaf pattern if you'd prefer to do this on a plate.

This playdate is potluck as usual, please list any allergies in your rsvp as well was what Autumn themed snack you'll be sharing with your friends.

Directions will be sent out the night before the event to all Yes rsvp's. 

We have a small dog and outdoor kitty.

I had my 18 month old do this handprint, it took a couple tries but she finally lost interest in squishing her fingers on the tiles slick surface.  Thankfully I have a box of baby wipes next to me to quickly wipe off the "mistakes" and re-apply the paint to her hands.  Yes, we did take a shower afterwards since she puts her hands in her hair immediately.

We used the washable Crayola tempura paint; Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red.  I painted her hand with the lighter colors first then dabbed on the darker colors.  I wanted the leaf to look as if it was laying down or falling so I had the tile diagonal when I placed her hand down.  As usual I painted my fingers a bit so when I took her hand I didn't take any of her paint off - oddly enough, if my hand isn't painted a little as well I seem to be concerned with getting some on me.  This is weird since I'm covered in paint or glue most of my day anyway but if you ever find yourself hesitating due to not wanting to get paint on yourself - PUT it on yourself and you'll be able to grasp your child's hand and move her fingers however you wish!

After her handprint dried I used the back end of the paint brush to paint on some leave veins.  I let that dry then outlined the hand print in a leaf shape with gold glitter glue.  This is at our Dollar Store almost year round so I use it often!

After its all finished I sprayed it with an enamel to seal it.