In my teaching days, we always had the kids make woven paper placemats for Thanksgiving. It is one of my favorite activities for fine motor skills.
This kid's activity reinforces fine motor skills while creating a beautiful pattern. The place mats are easy to make and only require a few things you probably already have. When you are done making these, check out these Free Kindergarten Worksheets for Thanksgiving.
In addition to this fun placemat craft, you can use these Free Printable Thanksgiving Placemats. They are fun for kids of all ages! You will also love our 50 Turkey Thanksgiving Crafts!
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Materials For Woven Placemats
- 9 x 12 Construction paper in Fall colors - Used for the base of the placemat. Make sure to get this size, or the placemat will be too small.
- Scissors - For cutting the strips.
- Tape - For securing the ends.
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Woven Paper Placemats
Decide which color you will use for your mat. We picked orange. Fold the paper in half and make five cuts almost to the end. You can see below how I left the end of the paper attached.
Next, you will cut some strips out of the remaining colors of construction paper. Try to get these strips roughly the same size as the lines you cut on the larger construction paper. It doesn't need to be exact, so you can just eyeball it.
You will want to make sure you don't cut any strips in the same color as your mat will be. We used 9 x 12 construction paper and found that six strips were enough to weave the entire paper.
Demonstrate to the kids how they can weave in an over-under fashion. You will start with the first strip under the paper and then pass it over the second cut and under the third and so forth. When your child is done with one strip, have them rotate the mat and repeat the process on the other side.
When you are done with a strip, make sure you push it to the strip next to it so there will be room for all the strips.
Don't you love the concentration as she weaves the paper over and under? Can you see why this is such a great fine motor activity?
The finished product! You can see that the ends stick up a little bit. I used some tape to stick the ends to the construction paper. If you skip this step, the strips will move about. You can secure the ends using tape on both sides of the mat.
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Fine Motor Activities
Fine motor activities are like little workouts for your child's fingers and hands, helping them build important skills while they play! These activities, like drawing, cutting with scissors, or building with blocks, are fun and beneficial for your kiddo's development. Here are some of our favorites:
- Christmas Pattern Place Mat
- Fine Motor Practice with Scooping and Pouring
- Q-Tips and Straws - Fine Motor Skills Activity
- Fine Motor Number Activity for Preschoolers
- Fine Motor Activity - Fruit Loop Towers
These woven paper placemats were so easy to make and can be customized for any holiday or occasion. They were quick to make and might be fun for kids to create before Thanksgiving dinner.
When I was teaching, we laminated the mats, making them durable and able to be used repeatedly. I don't have access to a laminating machine, but if you do or want to pay to have them laminated, they would last quite a while.
Skills Learned Making Thanksgiving Placemats Craft
Making woven paper placemats helps children develop important fine motor skills as they cut and weave paper strips, strengthening their hand-eye coordination and concentration. As they work on weaving the strips over and under, they're also practicing pattern recognition.
Tips For Paper Placemats
Tip 1: Use 9 x 12 construction paper in fall colors to give your placemats a seasonal touch. Switch up the colors to make this placemat for any season!
Tip 2: Once the weaving is done, tape the ends of the strips to the mat. This prevents them from moving around.
Tip 3: If you’re on the hunt for fun activities to do with kids, check out Green Kid Crafts. It’s a monthly craft subscription that sparks creativity and helps kids develop a love for the environment!
Thanksgiving Activities
Woven Paper Placemats
Materials
- 9 x 12 Construction paper in Fall colors
- Scissors
- Scotch tape
Instructions
- Fold the paper in half and make five cuts, stopping just before reaching the end.
- Cut strips from the remaining colors of construction paper. Ensure these strips are roughly the same size as the lines you cut on the larger piece of construction paper.
- You should avoid cutting any strips in the same color as your mat. We used 9 x 12 construction paper and found that six strips were sufficient to weave the entire mat.
- Begin with the first strip under the paper, then pass it over the second cut and under the third, continuing this pattern.
- Once your child has finished with one strip, have them rotate the mat and repeat the process on the other side.
- After finishing a strip, ensure you push it next to the one beside it to create space for all the strips.
- Use tape to stick the ends to the construction paper so the strips don't move around.
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