Cornucopias are usually a prominent fixture on the Thanksgiving table, serving as an important reminder to give thanks. Children may need a little help to learn the deeper meaning of gratitude and the reasons behind thankfulness. As educators, we have the opportunity to engage our learners in fun activities that also teach them important lessons. These 20 inventive activities are designed to inspire children to reflect on all the blessings in their lives and can be used year-round to promote gratitude.
1. Paint a Cornucopia Still Life
Still-life painting is a form of art with a long history. Make sure to provide a model of a cornucopia for students to refer to while they paint and encourage them to be creative and incorporate a variety of colors into their work.
Learn More: Education.com
2. Candy Cornucopia
This candy cornucopia is one that kids will love! Instead of the traditional fruit and vegetables, you will create a much sweeter version using chocolate, sugar cones, and candy. Place the cones on their side to resemble a cornucopia before inviting kids to dig in!
Learn More: Sippy Cup Mom
3. Dried Beans Cornucopia
Creating crafts with dried beans is a great way to strengthen fine motor skills. You will need a paper plate, glue stick, dried beans, and a marker. Students will decorate their cornucopia by pasting dried beans. Be sure to encourage them to include dried beans of many different colors that resemble fruits and vegetables.
Learn More: The Kids Activities
4. Felt Cornucopia
I love this super-easy felt cornucopia for little ones! First, print and cut out the craft templates before tracing out their outline. Next, cut out the felt objects, add stuffing and sew them closed. Watch your children enjoy putting it all together!
Learn More: The Good Mama
5. Construct a Cornucopia
This activity requires young children to develop their gross motor skills by cutting, tracing, and gluing. They will cut out all the pieces and put together their very own Thanksgiving cornucopias. Encourage children to share what they are thankful for as they share their cornucopias with classmates.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
6. Cornucopia Coloring Page
This coloring page is a simple craft that invites students to be creative while enjoying a brain break in their day. You can include this with center activities or let children color just for fun. Use these to decorate your classroom or learning space to remind students to be thankful.
Learn More: ThoughtCo.
7. Cornucopia Food Craft
Students will be reminded of healthy eating as they complete this cornucopia craft. They will first cut out or draw their favorite fruits and vegetables. Then, they will paste them into the picture of a horn. By the end of the activity, students will have their own personalized cornucopia.
Learn More: Education.com
8. Cornucopia Wreath
Wreaths are an important part of the holiday season. Why not have your children or students make their own? You will need a paper plate, scissors, and glue. This resource includes a printable cornucopia template and vegetables for children to cut out.
Learn More: KGM Crafts
9. Cornucopia Place Setting
This is the perfect cornucopia Thanksgiving craft! To start, trace a circle on brown foam. Next, draw the horn and cut it out. Finally, paste autumn-colored pony beads to look like pumpkins, corn, apples, and grapes. Encourage children to give thanks as they write down the names of their loved ones.
Learn More: KGM Crafts
10. Cornucopia Handprint Craft
Personally, I love crafts that include little kids’ hands and feet. It is such a wonderful keepsake since children grow up so fast. Print out this beautiful template and let the hand printing begin!
Learn More: Etsy
11. Horn of Plenty Word Search
Word search activities are an awesome way to introduce vocabulary words. In this autumn-themed word search, students will find words in the puzzle, such as the bonfire, deciduous, and migration. I recommend discussing the words with students first to ensure they understand how to use them in sentences.
Learn More: Big Activities
12. Cornucopia Weaving
This cornucopia weaving activity makes for a unique and interesting Thanksgiving craft. You can make your own by cutting out the horn of the cornucopia and making slits before using colored cardstock or construction paper to weave it through.
Learn More: Pinterest
13. Cornucopia WebQuest
Students will discover the significance of the cornucopia symbol by completing this fun Webquest. They will read through the article and write 5-10 interesting facts that they have learned. Why not invite students to share their learning with the class to enhance their collective learning?
Learn More: Wonderopolis
14. Printable Horn of Plenty Craft
This activity comes with a free printable template for easy crafting. You can print in color or black and white depending on the goal of your activity. You can also laminate the pieces and add Velcro stickers to make them more interactive and durable.
Learn More: Mrs. Merry
15. A Cornucopia of Beginning Sounds
This activity pack is aimed at reviewing beginning sounds with starting readers. Students will work to complete sound puzzles, match pictures with sounds, and play a spinner game all designed to develop their phonics skills. This activity fits perfectly with the theme of Thanksgiving or the fall season.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
16. Cornucopia Writing Prompt
Students will use this writing prompt to reflect upon what they are thankful for. Encourage them to think about the people in their lives and everything they may have taken for granted. I would recommend making journal writing a part of your daily routine to reinforce developing self-expression skills.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
17. Cornucopia Jigsaw Puzzle
Puzzles are one of my favorite hands-on activities for all grade levels. This cornucopia jigsaw puzzle is perfect for a holiday party to celebrate the fall season. Students can work together as a team and race to finish in a limited amount of time!
Learn More: Cafe Press
18. Cornucopia Craft Collage
For this activity, provide the class with magazines and printed online images of fruits and veggies for them to cut out. Have kids paste it on their collage to make their own unique cornucopia collage.
Learn More: Activity Village
19. Cornucopia Thankful Book
This cornucopia book, focused on gratitude, is a great way to introduce young children to writing. They will use the graphic organizer to write what they are thankful for and state their reasons before drawing pictures to illustrate their writing.
Learn More: Pinterest
20. Cornucopia Math Craft Bundle
This festive cornucopia craft will require math practice. It includes 16 differentiation options of math activities for various levels of ability, covering addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It makes for a fun way to reinforce numeracy skills while having plenty of fun!
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers