Keeping children busy during the Thanksgiving holidays requires creative thinking on your part, especially when you have plenty of things to do.
One way you can keep your children entertained for hours is by having them do crafty activities, which will keep their little fingers busy. Creating edible crafts will also give your children a reward in the end – eating the tasty treats they created!
Marzipan Mini Pumpkins
Used by confectioners to decorate cakes, marzipan is like moldable clay, which your children can mold into any form. However, unlike moldable clay, marzipan is edible that contains sugar and almond meal. Making marzipan is time-consuming and requires a lot of kneading; however, you can purchase boxed, ready-to-use marzipan from the baking aisle of your supermarket.
Your children can create mini pumpkins using marzipan mixed with food coloring to make it more realistic. A 7-oz. box of marzipan can create 15 mini pumpkins. Additional boxes will yield more so that the kids can share with others. Mix one part yellow and two parts red food coloring create the orange pumpkin color. You children will start by kneading the marzipan with the food coloring. Then, they can take a small piece (about an inch) of tinted marzipan to form a small ball by rolling inside their palms.
They will use their little pinkies to create a small indentation in the top of the marzipan balls. Your kids will then dip the toothpick in vegetable oil will prevent sticking to the marzipan. Pressing the wooden pick’s side in gently from the top all the way to the bottom will create the creases. Your children can put a tiny dab of chocolate icing on top to create the pumpkin’s handle. Let your children eat the mini pumpkins right away or wait until the party, if you are hosting.
Edible Cornucopia
A cornucopia is a cone-shaped basket made of twigs and willows. During harvest season or Thanksgiving, a cornucopia is a container for bread, fruits and vegetables. Your children can create an edible, smaller version of a cornucopia. Instead of weaved, cone-shaped baskets, use sugar ice cream cones, which will contain treats like marshmallows, candies and gumdrops. Dipping the cornucopia in melted chocolate morsels, which you’ve prepared for your kids, will cover the lower half of each cone. Have your children place each freshly dipped cone on a pastry liner to allow the melted chocolate to dry. After drying, your kids can add a spoonful each of chocolate and vanilla icing close to the mouth of each cone to hold the treats in place. Finally, have your children add the treats and pour sprinkles on top.
Sweet Scarecrows
Scarecrow heads made of cookies, sugar wafers, corn candies with white frosting, mini chocolate chips, bran cereals and chocolate sprinkles are also edible crafts your kids can do on Thanksgiving.
Choose cookies measuring 2.5 inches in diameter and wafers that are 2.5 inches long. Children can place each cookie on top of a clean, flat surface, and then they can apply the white frosting on top of the cookie. Your children can cut the sugar wafer in half, which they will use as the top of the hat. A dollop of white frosting on the top edge of the cookie will hold half of the wafer, which becomes the hat top, in place.
Placing one whole sugar wafer just below the hat top will produce the brim. For the hair, instruct your children to place pieces of bran cereal around the hat. Pressing a piece of candy corn for the nose, two mini chocolate chips for the eyes and chocolate sprinkles for the mouth will complete the face.
Want more craft ideas for your little ones? Check out Preschool Turkey Thanksgiving Art Projects
