Make a Thanksgiving Coloring Placemat
By ColorWillow
Make a paper table activity for Thanksgiving or a family thank-you meal. A waving turkey, pumpkin, apple and corn sit beside two blank panels. The upper panel is for your own picture; the lower one has lines for a short note or more drawing.
Print the project sheets
Print one landscape page per participant, single-sided. For four places at the table, print four copies. The two blank panels are part of the activity, not missing artwork. Before making the copies, check that a full sheet will fit beside each plate with room to color.
Choose the paper size loaded in your printer. Print at actual size (100%) so the pieces match the measurements in this guide.
Print one test sheet first. Its 50 mm line should measure 5 cm (about 1.97 in). If it is smaller, check for automatic shrinking before printing the rest. Printing help
What you will need
- The landscape A4 or US Letter PDF below and matching printer paper
- Crayons or colored pencils
- A ruler to check the printed scale line
Print the matching sheet
Choose the PDF for your paper and print in landscape at 100% or Actual size. The 50 mm line should measure 5 cm. Keep the whole sheet; this activity needs no cutting.
Color the harvest pictures
Start with the turkey’s broad feathers. Choose a few autumn colors for the pumpkin, apple and corn, or invent your own palette. The corn kernels are smaller than the other shapes.
Add something you appreciate
In the upper panel, draw a person, place or kind action you appreciate. In the lower panel, write a short thank-you note, ask for help with words or draw another picture. Sharing your message is optional.
Set out your finished page
Place the dry sheet beside a plate or use it as a table activity before the meal. Each person can make a different page. For a separate tabletop picture display, follow the linked Thanksgiving collection’s existing activity.
Make room for the drawing and the meal
Let each person finish with a drawing, dictated message or just their chosen colors; neither panel has to be filled. If the place setting covers the picture, move the sheet beside the plate or use it before the meal. Keep it dry: this is an ordinary paper activity, not a waterproof table protector.