Students can use teacher-made leaf templates to trace or create their own leaves on green, orange, red, yellow and brown construction paper. On each leaf, the student will write one thing he is thankful for. Use the thankful leaves to create a wreath by gluing them onto a circular ring of cardboard or poster board and attaching the decoration to the classroom door. Alternatively, adhere the leaves to a string to create a thankful garland to adorn the room.
Students can state what they are thankful for in artistic form by creating a collage. The kids can leaf through various old catalogs and magazines to locate pictures of the things they appreciate the most. When being thankful for family members, students do not have to use actual pictures of their families but clippings of people as resembling figures. The kindergarten students can be thankful for food, clothing and toys. Drawing pictures of things not found in print are also acceptable collage additions.
Kindergarten students can extend a thankful statement to a friend or loved one by sending a postcard. The activity requires students to write an appreciation statement on one side of the mailing. Proper address format can be practiced via the thankful postcard activity as well. Students can either send the postcard to its recipient or hand-deliver it. As an activity extension for older students, create a thankful greeting card or letter.
Kindergarten students can create a three-dimensional art project that displays five things they are thankful for. Take the children on a nature walk to collect one pine cone and one acorn for each student, when available. Students can cut five feathers from various colors of construction paper and write on each paper one thing they appreciate. Using fast-drying craft glue, attach two googly eyes to the tip of an acorn and the five feathers on the stem end of the pine cone. Adhere the top of the acorn to the top of the pine cone to create a thankful turkey. When pine cones and acorns are not an option, consider using an inverted paper cup and decorate with a paper beak.