any fresh, green thanksgiving craft ideas?

[insomniamama]

Hey there--does anyone have any fresh, green craft ideas for (first graders) that relate to thanksgiving? I'm looking for something Waldorf-inspired, nature-centric, evocative of "thanks" and "community."

I'm helping set up a feast at my son's school and we just realized we have a good hour and a half of time for something fun. Any other ideas would be appreciated, even if it's not a craft.

Thanks!

[wombatclay]

DD1's religious ed class (UU) made a "helping hand" tree this past weekend... the kiddos traced their hands on colored paper as the leaves, the teachers wrote whatever "helping" idea the kids wanted on the leaves (it's a kindy group), and then they attached the hands to a cardboard "tree". Some of the leaves had ideas for helping in the future, others had examples of how the kiddos were already helping others. Maybe adapt that a bit for the older kids?

You could also make wreaths... small grapevine wreaths cost about 50 cents at the craft store and each child could decorate a wreath for their home thanksgiving table? Or buy/make a larger wreath that the children could work on together and then gift to a homeless shelter/soup kitchen/community center where a thanksgiving meal is planned?

[SuzyLee]

I remember tracing our hands and then making them into turkeys. Of course we are vegetarian now and every craft idea I can think of centers around turkeys! ahhh!

I like the cornocoia idea- either buy one from a craft store and have them each cut out something on construction paper and write on it, and fill up the cornocopia, or have them each make one witha piece of paper to take home.

[swampgreeneyes]

Originally Posted by SuzyLee

I remember tracing our hands and then making them into turkeys. Of course we are vegetarian now and every craft idea I can think of centers around turkeys! ahhh!

This is still a fun project, we make turkeys with my family, and my parents & sister are vegan, and we just use the turkey motif as a beautiful and natural symbol of fall! The does not need to be any implication of eating the turkeys! Deer, turkeys, and other animals can be easier to see in the colored or barren foliage of a forest, so maybe make a big tree (paint it or it cut out of paper) and have the kids decorate various animals in and around the tree, and maybe write thankful or inspirational messages from the children about our naturally bountiful season?: