Sunday School Activities - Thanksgiving Craft for Elementary Classes

With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, it is important to teach the children in Sunday school what it means to be thankful. This time of year is a good reminder to be thankful for God and give thanks for all He does for us. Using Psalm 107:1 and this Thanksgiving flower activity, the children can go home for the holiday and share the spirit of thanks.

The Bible Verse

Start Sunday school class by asking what everyone thinks about when they think about Thanksgiving. Possible answers will include pilgrims and Indians, turkey, football, parades, and spending time with family. We definitely associate a lot of different things with this holiday, but it is important for us to remember who we should be thanking!

Next, share Psalm 107:1, "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever." Explain that we can give thanks to God by praying, taking care of what he created, and being nice to everyone. Have the children discuss how God is good and what they want to thank Him for.

The Craft Activity

For this activity, you will need:

A piece of construction paper for each child to use as a base
Pre-cut construction paper stems, leaves, and petals
Glue or glue sticks
Markers or crayons
For a more personalized craft, a Polaroid camera or digital camera with printer

Have the children glue the pieces onto their construction paper to make a flower. If you have a camera with instant printing capabilities, take a picture of each child and cut a circle around their face to use as the flower's center. If this isn't possible, you can use construction paper circles, jewels, or fuzzy balls for the center of the flower.

For each flower petal, have the children write one thing that they are thankful for (or, if they are too young, write it for them or have them draw a picture). Have the children decorate the rest of the paper with their name and pictures of all that God has created.

Wrap Up

Once the children are done with their flowers and the glue is dry, have them share with the rest of the class what they decided to be thankful for on each petal. Before taking them home, have the children spread their flowers on the table or floor so they can see what everyone made. Talk about the beautiful field that God has clothed in such splendor!

Finish off the Sunday school class by giving a Thanksgiving prayer. Thank God for each person in the class and ask him to bless each petal of their flowers.