200 Quick & easy experiments

Crazy chemistry experiments

Electronics & Robotics

Engineering & Building

Motion & Mechanics

Anatomy & Biology

Toy & game design

Math made fun

STEM Activities

750+ Quick & easy craft ideas

Recycled creations

Fun & functional projects

Jewelry & Fashion design

Handmade cards & gifts

Art & Creativity

Fun & Games

Hands-on learning

Sound & Music

Pretend play

Play & Learn

Kitchen science

Fun with food

Sweet & salty snacks

Treats & Dessert

Cooking for kids

Cooking & Baking

Animals & Bugs

Plants & Rocks

Seasons & Weather

Radical rainbows

Outdoor Adventures

Space exploration

Nature & Adventure

Birthday fun

Pi Day

Earth Day

Easter

Holiday & Events

Thanksgiving

fall

craft

gratitude project

Every Thanksgiving holiday, we have a family tradition where each of us writes down what we are thankful for. Typically, we just jot them down on some post-it notes and read them out loud, but this year, we wanted to create a centerpiece of gratitude. This tree is a simple but elegant way to display what we are are thankful for. Going forward, the tree will be a part of our holiday tradition.

a603f5ee64750.jpg

Collect some branches outdoors, or pick up a bundle from a craft store. Using your brush, paint them with white acrylic paint and let them dry.

afd3407347921.jpg

Fill your mason jar with whatever items you would like - we found these sequined balls and thought they would be a great festive addition! Finish the top of your mason jar with yarn or string.

ad34cd0919a59.jpg

Using your scissors, cut out leaf shapes from your paper. Cut small strips of string and glue them to the back of the leaves. Or, punch holes in the leaves and thread the string through the holes. Write down what you are thankful for on each leaf.

a19ed6bd2b70a.jpg

You are now ready to display this tree of gratitude! Use it as a centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table.

white acrylic paint

paint brush

glue

string

scissors

mason jar

branches

construction paper

Summer Break

Tree of Gratitude

Halloween

pumpkin

handmade

My daughter brought home a pumpkin similar to this one from school. We loved the concept. So, as a family, we decided that we would each create a pumpkin of gratitude to explicitly recognize that we have so much to be thankful for. We are truly fortunate. This project is simple, but it turns out beautifully. I hope that we continue making pumpkins of gratitude as a tradition in years to come.Want to explore more kitchen science experiments? Explore the tastier side of learning with <a href="https://www.kiwico.com/us/store/dp/science-of-cooking-bread-butter-project-kit/5463">Science of Cooking: Bread &amp; Butter</a> from the <a href="https://www.kiwico.com/store">KiwiCo Store</a>!

a76f135711bcc.jpg

Cut strips from the orange paper. Also, cut out your pumpkin's leaves and vines.

a636772538aba.jpg

On each strip, write down something that you are grateful for. Make sure that you leave a little room on the ends of the strips without writing.

a7d55be5308ba.jpg

Now you are ready to create the body of your pumpkin. Gather up the strips at one end and spread them evenly around the ends where they are gathered. Tape, glue, or staple them in place.

a9c7a629f4015.jpg

Then, bring the strips around and gather the other ends at one point. Tape, glue, or staple them in place.

a13a6f3882fc8.jpg

We suggest curling your vines with scissors. Then, tape your leaves and vines onto the top of your pumpkin.

a970dac656cdd.jpg

There you have your pumpkin of gratitude. I plan to use ours on our Thanksgiving table setting, but my kids seem to have other plans. My kids noticed that they have a nice springy bounce to them when you push the tops down a bit. They are also fans of throwing and catching their pumpkins in a game of catch. So the pumpkins might not survive until Thanksgiving. I guess we will simply make more!

green paper

marker or pen

Tape

Scissors

Pumpkin of Gratitude

handmade gifts

handmade cards

art project

gift

As Grandparents Day (the first Sunday after Labor Day) approaches, we wanted to share with you a simple but personalized gift idea that will be sure to delight grandma or grandpa: a photo card that contains a picture of your little one on one side and a custom portrait of your little one with his or her grandparent on the other.  After all, is there anything more "grand" than a handmade present from a beloved grandchild?

ad721deadfd61.png

Download your own printable card&nbsp;<a href="http://images.kiwicrate.com/printables/grandparents.pdf">here</a>.

aaae2e009d301.jpg

Look for a photo together that you would like to glue to the front of your Grandparents Day Card. And then draw a picture of you and your grandparents. Then send off the card to Pop-Pop or Nana. So simple and sweet!

card (downloadable and printable)

Glue

Markers

Grandparents Day Card

In our home, we love getting ready for the holidays, which means lots of kid-made decorations and hands-on projects. I created this Gratitude Collage template to help my kids learn how to express themselves around Thanksgiving. The prompts and illustrations were a super helpful way to help younger kids share their gratitude. I'll be framing these blankets up and hanging them in our living room! 

ab35645dc2743.jpg

Download and print our free printable&nbsp;<a href="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/images.kiwicrate.com/printables/Koala_DIY_STEAM_gratitude-collage_printable.pdf">here</a>.

a6c62a89aa5f2.jpg

On the first page of squares, finish the sentence by writing what you're thankful for. Cut out the squares.

a42808a725dbf.jpg

On the second page of squares, use markers or crayons to draw what you're thankful of using the prompt. What foods are you thankful for? What places are you thankful for? Once you're finished, cut out the squares.

aa904d0b79bc7.jpg

Glue or tape your collage squares onto the template base. We alternated the written squares and the drawn squares to create a mixed pattern, but you can create any pattern or layout that works best! How does your family express and share gratitude around the holidays?

printable

pencil

crayons

colored pencils

Gratitude Collage

turkey

Thanksgiving always gives me warm fuzzies. The family gatherings, the irresistible comfort food--it makes me smile just thinking about it. When my oldest son was born, I decided to start an annual tradition that would make this holiday even more memorable. Every year, we paint handprint turkeys onto blank notecards and then add the words "I'm thankful for you!" Inside each card, we write a personalized message to the recipient sharing one reason they are special to us. We are fortunate to have wonderful friends and family and it always feels so good letting them know how much we care.

a0a195a5bbb0e.jpg

Hands-down, the first step is always my son's favorite. He dips his hand into brown paint and smears it around with a paintbrush to make sure that every inch is coated.

a101c961fdb8e.jpg

Then he carefully presses his hand down onto the paper. To help ensure that the handprint transfers well, I gently press down on each of his fingers too. 

ae2d28cb90113.jpg

After the paint has dried, my son glues a googly eye on top of his thumbprint...

af0d02df14cad.jpg

... and an orange beak for the turkey's nose and a red wattle under its chin.

a4a0a46c99eaf.jpg

And for a finishing touch, I carefully add the words, "I'm thankful for you!" to the front. Our homemade cards are complete and ready to be personalized. 

blank note cards

Construction Paper

Wiggle Eye Set

Glue Stick

Thank You Cards

family activity

construction

Inspired by this classroom project I did years ago as a kid, our family got together to make a gratitude chain one evening during dinner! It's a great, kid-friendly project to remind the people around you to be grateful of the little things in life! You can hang your gratitude chain by tying strings around both ends of your chain and taping them to the wall. We also loved the idea of using the garland as tabletop decor. 

a5764fc81b360.jpg

Using scissors, cut the construction paper into strips. We cut ours 2" (5.1 cm)&nbsp;by 11" (27.9 cm). Use as many colors as you like! 

ae7a90283af36.jpg

Using markers, write down what you're thankful for on the strips. Some things our family was thankful for were sunny days at the beach, rainbows, and of course, each other.. Give some strips to your family members for them to write what they are thankful for! 

Bend one strip into a circle, and tape the ends together. Take a second strip, and weave it into the circle to create the next link in the chain. Tape the ends of the second circle. Keep linking your strips until the last one is taped together.

string (optional)

Gratitude Chain

painting

rainbow craft

In preparation for this Thanksgiving, I thought I would try a new project from Meri Cherry to share with my loved ones - mini gratitude boxes! While in past holiday seasons, I've expressed my love and gratitude for my family through baking or cooking, I thought it would be fun to mix things up this year. I loved using a simple watercolor technique to create a vibrant and unique gift.

a90a8e23a9fae.jpg

Trim the watercolor paper into a sheet size that would fit inside the box. Our box was 3.25" by 3.25" (8.3 by 8.3 cm), so we cut our paper down to that size. 

a9ed2738adabc.jpg

Mask the edges of the paper with masking tape.

ae1010c67e2e1.jpg

Paint your paper squares with water colors! Sprinkle some salt on your watercolor paint while it's still wet. When the paint dries, the salt will create an interesting texture to the painting. What will salt do to other kinds of paint? Experiment and see!

a251b4890de6e.jpg

When your painting is dry, peel off the masking tape. The masked areas will create a framed border around your painting.

a344dcc0ecde3.jpg

Wrap up your mini painting; we used twine and twig to create a natural look and feel. Place the final wrapped painting in the box to complete the look. Present your gift to someone you are thankful for!

watercolor paper

paintbrush

masking tape

watercolor paint

salt

sticks 

twine

jewelry boxes (available on Amazon)

Gratitude Box

ornaments

easy craft

quick craft

I will be the first to admit: There are lots of things to be thankful 
for, yet I rarely acknowledge them. I always seem to be sputtering my 
worries or concerns rather than my joy and thankfulness. This craft 
project was exactly what I needed to help me and the kids acknowledge 
all the blessings in our lives.

a6fa53cbcf750.jpg

My son used the leaf-shaped cookie cutter as a stencil and traced as many leaves onto the construction paper as could fit. 

af26c8c938979.jpg

a8feeb409db75.jpg

I talked to my kids about what it means to be thankful and told them a 
few things that I was thankful for. Then I asked them what they were 
thankful for. Let me tell you: It was a great feeling to hear "Mom" and 
"Dad" top their list! We wrote down each thing that we were thankful 
for. (If your kids are too young to write, you could ask them to draw a 
picture of what they're thankful for, then you can jot down the word 
beside it.) 

a0c3cbebcb3a9.jpg

We hole punched the top of each leaf. This might of been the highlight 
for the kids--they love using our vintage hole puncher (circa 1982). 

ab882f5496cfe.jpg

My kids then hung the thankfulness leaves on the tree. We will be using 
this as part of our Thanksgiving centerpiece to reinforce what that day 
is about (and remind myself to be more vocal about the things that I am 
thankful for). 

cookie cutters (leaf shaped)

hole punch

Thanksgiving Tree

indoor project

books

homemade craft

useful craft project

As a teenager, I watched Oprah's show religiously. Years later, I still find myself doing and saying things that I picked up from her episodes. One of my all-time favorite take-aways is this "Thankful Journal". After creating it, the owner takes a few minutes at the end of each day to jot down something great that happened. It's a helpful way to lift spirits and remind us to celebrate even the small things in life. 

a5af06f0d068d.jpg

To start, my son, C, and I looked through old magazines to find pictures and words that we liked. Since he is still young, he tore out pages he wanted to save and I cut out the images for him.  I love to use parenting magazines for these kinds of art projects because I don't need to worry about censoring them beforehand. 

a091e840c3489.jpg

Then C painted a thin layer of Mod Podge onto the front of the notebook so that the magazine clippings would stay in place. 

a9f881635c2a6.jpg

We worked together to arrange the pictures. He was most excited about this photo of gummy bears (his hands-down favorite treat) and I loved the family photo we used. Other additions included a picture of our hometown skyline, a few images of C's beloved toys, and several other favorite foods.

a7175253cb60d.jpg

Then C painted a second thin layer of mod podge on top of the pictures to add a glossy finish. 

ae44e924f1de5.jpg

After waiting 20 minutes for the top coat to dry, our journal was complete. We have been writing daily notes about things we are thankful for ever since. It's a fun way to end each day and I have a strong feeling that this Oprah-inspired project will become a treasured family keepsake.

old magazines

mod podge

sponge (or paintbrush)

blank notebook

Thankful Journal

decorations

A ribbon is added to a wreath each time a family member points out an act of kindness. When the wreath is full, we decide as a family what we will do to celebrate all this kindness. 
This wreath of kindness is held close to my heart. As it became full of ribbon I watched my children carefully pay attention to what they felt kindness was. Kindness to my five-year-old was when her brother shared his cookie and when I made her school lunch. Kindness to my two-year-old was just a kiss from his mama. They were sweet sweet moments as my children pointed out when they felt kindness in their little hearts. 
What a great way to focus on positive behavior.

a4096ead3b818.jpg

We used a wreath that we had, but you can also cut a ring from a piece of cardboard. It will turn out just as colorful and sweet. All those scrap ribbons you have - now have a use too. 

aeec765b647c2.jpg

We sat as a family, cut ribbon and talked about what kinds of things we felt were acts of kindness. 

ad9f8204e85df.jpg

We added all of our ribbon to a jar and kept it close by to easily add ribbons when we were caught being kind!

11 awesome gratitude project projects for kids

Screen-free fun!