If you're looking for a fun and easy way to make a Native American Headband or Thanksgiving hat then look no further! Today we have an easy and simple thanksgiving craft to help you celebrate Native American culture and the Thanksgiving season. It's a simple colorful and fun Native American headband you can make at home with the kids or create in the classroom setting. So what are you waiting for? Let's get crafting!
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💖 Why You'll Love This Craft
- Cultural Learning: This craft offers a fun and educational way to learn about Native American traditions while crafting a colorful headband.
- Great for Role-Playing: Once completed, kids can wear their headbands and use them for imaginative play, exploring history and storytelling.
- Perfect for Thanksgiving: This craft ties beautifully into Thanksgiving activities, adding an extra layer of cultural understanding to the holiday.
🎨 Supplies Needed
- Foam craft sheets in brown, yellow, red, orange, and green
- Elastic string
- Needle or small hole punch
- Foam glue or Glue Dots
- Faux feathers in yellow, red, orange, and green
🖌️ How to Make a Native American Feather Headband
I'll now show you how to make this simple and fun Thanksgiving craft with kids.
- Step 1: Cut brown foam into strips 2 inches wide by 8 inches long.
- Step 2: Poke a small hole in each side of the strip. Cut a length of string about 10 inches long and poke through one side of the headband. Tie into a knot. Poke the elastic through the other side but do not tie.
- Step 3: Cut the red, green, yellow, and orange foam into small squares. Decorate the headband using the squares. Allow to dry.
- Step 4: Flip the headband and attach the feathers to the back of the headband. Allow to dry. Place the headband on the child and gently tighten the elastic using the loose end. Remove the headband and tie the loose end in a knot. Cut any excess elastic.
- Step 5: The kids can now wear their Thanksgiving hats as you teach them all about gratitude, sharing and giving. You may want to read some thanksgiving stories or do more fun thanksgiving art projects. Why not check out our Pilgrim and Native American popsicle sticks activity. Enjoy!
💡 Pro Tip: Turn the crafting session into a fun game by timing each step, motivating children to focus and improve their dexterity while enjoying the process.
🧑🎨 Expert Tips
- Precision Cutting Practice: Encourage children to cut out the headband and feather shapes themselves, using safety scissors. This activity enhances their hand strength and control.
- Tracing Templates: Have kids trace the provided templates onto colored paper before cutting. This step improves their ability to follow lines and shapes accurately.
- Sequential Assembly: Guide children to assemble the craft in a specific order—starting with the headband base, then adding feathers and decorative elements. Following a sequence boosts cognitive planning and coordination.
- Glue Application: Using glue sticks or small brushes to apply adhesive to small parts like feathers and decorations helps refine fine motor precision.
- Aligning Components: Encourage careful placement of each piece, such as aligning feathers symmetrically. This practice enhances spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination.
- Drawing Details: Allow kids to draw patterns or symbols on the headband with markers, promoting control over writing instruments.
Thanksgiving and the Native American Headband
Every November we celebrate Thanksgiving. We say "Thank you" to the people who helped us survive in the new world, and to God. We also eat lots of food!
But why do we celebrate? What is the history behind Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving was first celebrated in 1621. Pilgrims who were seeking religious freedom came to America from England. They crossed the ocean in a ship called The Mayflower.
The Pilgrims first landed in what is now Massachusetts and named their new home Plymouth after where they came from, England, which is called "Plymouth" today.
The Pilgrims met Native American Indians and brought them food. The Indians taught the Pilgrims how to grow corn and where to get water.
The Pilgrims celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time that year in November with a feast together. They invited their Native American friends, who also shared some of their food with the Pilgrims.
During the time that the Pilgrims were in America, they had a headband with turkey feathers on their head and a belt around their waist with seashells on it. Native American Indians gave them these things to one another when they helped each other.
We celebrate Thanksgiving today because we are thankful for all of the wonderful things we have. We also celebrate it to remember the picture of friendship between the Pilgrims and Native Americans, which still continues today.
🖌️ Autumn Crafts For Kids
Did you make this craft? Leave a review and comment below! Alternatively, bookmark it in your browser or save to Pinterest.
Native American Headband Thanksgiving Craft
Materials
- Foam Craft Sheets Brown, Yellow, Red, Orange, Green
- Elastic String
- Needle or Small Hole Punch
- Foam glue or Glue Dots
- Faux Feathers Yellow, Red, Orange, Green
Instructions
- Cut brown foam into strips 2 inches wide by 8 inches long.
- Poke a small hole in each side of the strip.
- Cut a length of string about 10 inches long and poke through one side of the headband. Tie into a knot.
- Poke the elastic through the other side but do not tie.
- Cut the red, green, yellow, and orange foam into small squares.
- Decorate the headband using the squares. Allow to dry.
- Flip the headband and attach the feathers to the back of the headband. Allow to dry.
- Place the headband on the child and gently tighten the elastic using the loose end.
- Remove the headband and tie the loose end in a knot. Cut any excess elastic.
- The kids can now wear their Thanksgiving hats as you teach them all about gratitude, sharing and giving.
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