Mom Project: Thanksgiving Photo Placemat

Last year at this time I was hugely pregnant and nesting like crazy... so Thanksgiving decorations and preparations were overlooked because the only thing I wanted to do was mop my floor and organize cupboards. I am loving getting a few silly little things ready for the kids who are coming for Thanksgiving this year! Yesterday I shared my Thanksgiving Chair Backer and today I thought I'd share a silly Thanksgiving Photo Placement and template.

Materials Needed: laminating pouch (or contact paper), colored cardstock, white cardstock, placemat template, alphabet stickers, white board markers, double stick tape, photo of your child, ribbon, and Elmer's glue.

Directions:

1. First print out the turkey template onto white cardstock.

2. Then cut out a colored circle to fit the turkey's head.

3. Then cut out your photo to fit inside the circle and tape both onto the turkey placemat template.

4. Grab some ribbon and cut it to go around the edges of the white cardstock.

5. Mount the white cardstock onto another color of cardstock and tape it together to make it more thick and sturdy.

6. Glue the ribbon around the edge of the placemat.

7. Add alphabet stickers to spell the child's name. Your child could easily do this part.

8. Laminate the placement. I love the self-laminating pouches I linked to above.

9. Grab some white board markers and start coloring!

You could also explore other ways to color on laminated placemats if you don't want to use whiteboard markers. Only give these markers to kids ages 3 and up and still make sure they are supervised by an adult when they are coloring! I think the markers can stain clothes if kids are not careful (though there are tricks online to get the stains out). 

We love photo projects at our house because kids love to see themselves! This activity will also promote conversations about colors, letters, and other silly things while the kids keep themselves entertained.

The back is a blank colored page so that kids can also turn over the turkey design and just color whatever then want on the back of the placement. Keep some napkins or a dry cloth close by so that they can wipe off their designs and start all over again!