November is the perfect month to take a nature walk with your child. The air is cool and crisp and there are plenty of leaves to play in along the way. Pinecones, acorns and other gifts of nature are all around just waiting to be collected by your excited child. How would you like to turn a walk with your preschooler into a centerpiece or wreath for your Thanksgiving celebration? Grab your jackets and walking shoes and get ready to make a wonderful memory, plus a great project you'll both be proud to display in your home!

The Walk
Take along a brown paper sack or a tote bag to hold the treasures you find. Collect pinecones, leaves, rocks, twigs, acorns, pine needles, tree bark or anything else that looks interesting. To make the walk more fun, make it educational and turn it into a counting activity. Have her count the number of leaves she collects. How many trees does she see? How many squirrels did she see? How many different types of insects did she encounter? Keep an eye open for birds as well. Did she know some of the names of the birds she saw? What color were the birds?

When You Get Home
After you've collected enough for the wreath or centerpiece, head back home! On the way, explain that you are going to use the treasures for making a project he can display for the whole family on Thanksgiving. Now is a good time to tell him the steps of making the project, so he can be prepared and be a great little helper.

At home, cover a table with a layer of newspaper to catch any dirt or other debris that may be in your bag. Have your child sort the items (another preschool skill!) together on the newspaper. Have him put all the pinecones together all the acorns together, and so on. This is not necessary for making the centerpiece, but it will keep him busy! At this point, if you desire, you can place the items on a baking sheet and put in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 30 minutes. This will kill any insects or their eggs that might be hiding. Make sure to allow the items to cool a few minutes before starting your project.

Now comes the fun part! Take your hay wreath and let your child tell you where she wants you to hot glue the items on. (Be careful with children around hot glue guns – they can get very hot!) Cover as much of the wreath as you can, though some of the wreath showing is fine. After everything is glued on, allow it to sit a few minutes so the glue will be completely dry, then cut a piece of your ribbon and add a bow – or several bows – around the wreath. You could also wrap the ribbon loosely around the wreath about four times and secure with glue.

Fresh cranberries glued randomly around the wreath add a wonderful burst of color. Wait until the day before Thanksgiving to add them, as they will go bad if put on too early. A few yellow or maroon mums, freshly picked, are another great addition, but need to be added the day before as well. Nuts, such as pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts, add a great look to your centerpiece. These can be added earlier, when you are making the wreath. The nuts can also be painted in different colors if you would like to add some color – maybe to match your dinnerware?

Display Your Masterpiece!
To use as a centerpiece, simply place it in the middle of your dinner table. A few tall pillar candles set in the middle on a dish adds a wonderful look. A pot of fall-colored mums would also look great surrounded by the nature wreath. To hang on the wall as a wreath, simply use a nail to hold it to the wall, or tie a piece of ribbon around the top to make a hanger.

For the Younger Child
Younger children can join in on the fun as well! To start, cut a whole out of the middle of a paper plate. On a newspaper-covered surface, have her use regular school glue to attach leaves, small pinecones, twigs, acorns and rocks to the plate. Tie a piece of the ribbon into a bow and let her glue it to the top, then glue a piece of yarn to the back for hanging.

Want to see more?

• Fun With Nature: Explore the Great Outdoors
• Indoor Gardening: Bring the Fun Inside
• Winter Fun!
• Talk about it!

About the Author: Donna Smith is an iParenting senior editor.