Pre Thanksgiving Day Activities: Thanksgiving Coloring Pages Aren't Just For Kids

A popular activity in schools, at home with toddlers, and even in some Sunday school classes, Thanksgiving coloring pages are printed in great numbers during late October and early November.  A simple search of any search engine will provide a multitude of options, and a quick gander of Amazon will lead to other options in Thanksgiving coloring and activity books.  Coloring placemats, as well, are sold.  Turkeys, pilgrims, native Americans:  so many topics, and pictures to color abound.

While these are particularly suited to youngsters, there are means of putting these to use for adults also.  Sure, there are many of the subset of adults who love to color, still, but beyond that, it is possible to use Thanksgiving coloring pages in various holiday crafts in order to accent your table or home during the festivities.

A very simple means of using Thanksgiving coloring pages is in the development of unique placemats. There are many ways you can do this, and beyond my ideas, you can brainstorm and develop your own.

Use laminating sheets over coloring pages, and you have your most simple placemat.  Color the pictures first, and the placemats are decorated!  Color a favorite, print multiple color copies on your printer, and you can easily make a matched set.  For the kids' table, laminate the uncolored pages, and provide crayons for children to use at the "kiddie table", allowing them to color, erase with paper towel or napkin, and re-color as much as they like.  Host a coloring contest in conjunction, with prizes for themes such as "Most Colorful", "Most Creative", "Staying in the Lines," and other things that would be important...have a prize for every child!  You can even let the adults participate. 

Print simple Thanksgiving coloring pages onto cardstock, and do a little re-sizing with your printer to get varied sizes.  Use leaves, pumpkins, turkeys, pilgrims...you decide.  Cut the form out of the cardstock, and use as a template for tracing outlines onto varied surfaces.  Use sidewalk chalk to create a colorful path to the front door.  Trace forms onto a sweatshirt or t-shirt with t-shirt and fabric paints, and create your custom Thanksgiving apparel.  Trace onto a plain white apron, and customize your kitchen wear for the big day!  Use fabric paints, and a plain white or muslin piece of fabric for a tablecloth.  Hem the edges, so it doesn't become frayed.  Lay your pattern pieces on the fabric, outline with the paints, and your own unique creation will grace your Thanksgiving table.  For a stunning effect, use a dark brown piece of material, and metallic fall colored paints.  You can make it as simple or intricate as you like.

Use those same pictures, re-sizing so as to make small templates or stencils for use with your glassware.  Prepare well enough in advance, and you can etch these shapes onto glass candle coverings, glass dishes, or drinking glasses.

Copy your coloring picture onto a clear transparency sheet.  Use an overhead projector to shine the image onto a wall, and trace the picture onto poster board, butcher paper, or fabric.  Color or paint the image yourself, or tack it to a wall for the kids to color on Thanksgiving day.  If you don't have a crafting image projector, some at home options include working with a partner to shine a spotlight onto your transparency while your partner does the tracing.  Move closer to or further from the surface you are projecting on to, in order to get bigger or smaller results.  Or, make it easy on yourself, and see if you can use the overhead in your child's classroom.  Try the library, or a craft store.  Regardless, the oversized Thanksgiving coloring page will make great fun for decorating, or keeping kids entertained...or both.

Use your printer, and perhaps a desktop publishing program to import a coloring page into the program, and you can create business card sized versions to print on cardstock, and cut out, making a set of informative flash cards.  Or, these may be your custom place cards.

Use the same program and use the artwork to create a black and white Thanksgiving greeting card.  Have your kids or grandkids help you to color the artwork, or do so yourself.  Markers, pencils, crayons...you choose the medium!

Ways to put those coloring pages to work in making your Thanksgiving celebration more artistic, more personal, more interesting.  Your imagination is just the beginning!