Evidence-based curriculum for ages 2-8

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Easy Thanksgiving Craft for Kids: Bead Corn Craft

This fun bead craft for kids can be a great addition to your Thanksgiving celebration! Whether you are looking for a fun, tactile activity or helping your little one work on their counting skills, this quick and easy craft covers it all!

This Thanksgiving craft is great for helping little ones sort, count, and practice their color-recognition skills. Try asking them question as you work on this holiday craft together, such as “What color is this bead?” or “How many yellow beads are there?”

What You’ll Need To Make Your Bead Corn Craft

  • 6 pipe cleaners
  • Pony beads (approximately 100 beads)
  • Scissors
  • Brown paper (optional)

Instructions for Making Your Bead Corn:

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

Pipe cleaners and beads laid out on the table ready for a fun thanksgiving craft.

First, collect all of the materials listed above.

Choose any color pipe cleaners and beads you’d like, but if you want a classic Thanksgiving look, use green pipe cleaners and red, yellow, brown, orange, and white beads.

Step 2: String the Beads

Have your child string the beads onto the pipe cleaner. Repeat six times so you have six beaded pipe cleaners.

In our example, we used 16 beads on each pipe cleaner.

Tip: This can be a great opportunity for your child to practice making patterns and counting beads!

Stringing bead onto rows of pipe cleaners to do a fun Thanksgiving craft.

Step 3: Twist the Pipe cleaners

A fun bead thanksgiving corn on the cob made from pipe cleaners and beads.

Next, you will need to group your six beaded pipe cleaners together and twist them together at the top and bottom to prevent the beads from falling off.

Step 4: Trim the Ends

The pipe cleaners at the bottom part of your bead corn will need the ends trimmed off.

Careful–the tips of the pipe cleaners will be sharp after they are cut!

Note: We suggest adults do this step when working with younger children.

Trimming the end of the pipe cleaners off a bead craft corn on the cob.

Step 5: Bend the Pipe Cleaners

Bending the pipe cleaners up on a bead craft corn on the cob.

Carefully bend the tips of the pipe cleaners you trimmed upward and towards the middle so that the sharp points will not stick out.

Step 6: Wrap in Paper (Optional)

For an additional fun look, you can cut a piece of brown paper to wrap your corn cob in.

Tip: A brown lunch bag or grocery bag can also work great for this.

A finished corn on the cob bead and pipe cleaner fun craft for kids.

Finally, enjoy the fruits of your labor with your bead corn center piece. You can use it as part of your Thanksgiving decorations or give it to someone special with a handwritten note.