Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year, full of Turkey, family, and kids! What will we put on the Thanksgiving table? What can the kids work on as we prepare this enormous meal? How can we show our kids how to give and understand thanks? Need some ideas? Good news! I can help with a thanksgiving activity for kids right here. Check out this activity list you can do with supplies around the house, fun-filled with games, crafts, and teaching ways to be thankful.
RELATED: Love autumn? Here is a list of 50+ fall activities for kids!
Why You Should Include Thanksgiving Activities for Kids
Thanksgiving activities for kids are an amazing way to introduce them to Thanksgiving. What it’s about, why it’s important, and how to be thankful! But that’s not all…it also creates a great learning opportunity while your little one has fun.
You can use Thanksgiving activities for kids to connect to their creativity and develop their fine motor skills. Not to mention, they make a great Breakfast Invitation while you’re busy preparing for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Games and Activities
- Feed the Turkey – (Busy Toddler) Thanksgiving activities for kids can be super simple. Grab a plastic bottle, stick on some googly eyes, then give your kid a funnel and a tray of pompoms. See if they can scoop and pour the pompoms into the bottle!
- Fine Motor Turkey Craft – (Buggy and Buddy) Grab a styrofoam sphere and paint it brown. Cut a turkey shape out of card, add some googly eyes and stick it the front of the styrofoam. Your child can then spend time sticking in colored golf tees to make the feathers!
- Handmade Turkey Puzzle – (Edventures with Kids) I love using puzzles as Thanksgiving activities for kids. This one’s really simple and uses the gifts of nature. Get two rocks for the body of the turkey and acorn heads to make the feathers. Put the shapes together and paint them with your kid!
- Paint Chip Confetti Turkey – (Happy Toddler Playtime) Draw out a turkey and stick it somewhere your child can reach. Get some different color paint chips from the hardware store so they can spend time decorating their very own turkey.
- Pattern Block Turkey – (Buggy and Buddy) Make the body of turkey and stick it on a piece of paper. Next, cut colored paper into different shapes e.g., triangles, rectangles, etc. See if your child can make the turkey tail by matching up the shapes!
- Retell Turkey Trouble – (Days with Grey) A favorite book and gross motor activity to go along with it.
- Sight Word Turkeys – (Days with Grey) A festive way for Kindergartners to review sight words.
- Sticky Pumpkin – (Days with Grey) Using anything sticky makes a great Thanksgiving activity for kids. Draw a pumpkin on some special sticky paper and tack it to the wall. Cut up some fall color tissue paper and let your little ones stick away!
- Thanksgiving Bowling Game – (The Seasoned Mom) All you need for this one are some brown plastic cups, some googly eyes and colored craft paper to make turkey cups! Place them upside down so your child can try and hit them with a ball.
- Thanksgiving Yoga – (Kids Yoga Stories) Check out these simple yoga poses for kids that connect to gratitude with movement.
- Thanksgiving Yoga Plus Pumpkins – (Pink Oatmeal) Into the yoga scene? Use things like large pumpkins to try out some fun yoga poses during your Thanksgiving activities for kids!
- Turkey Count and Trot – (Days with Grey) You can create quick Thanksgiving activities for kids. Get some cheap turkey plastic toys then draw a road map. Place some stickers along it and watch your child move the turkey along the path.
- Turkey Feathers Fine Motor – (Fun Learning for Kids) Adding turkeys into your thanksgiving activities for kids is a must. All you need for this one is a box and some feathers. Grab the cardboard box, make a turkey body and stick it on the front. Then, poke holes in the box so your child can stick feathers through the holes!
- Turkey Sticker Sort – (Busy Toddler) Make a turkey out of paper and add different colors to create the tail. See if your child can stick the correct color stickers on the right colored part of the tail.
Arts and Crafts for Thanksgiving Celebrations
- Coffee Filter Turkey Art – (Buggy and Buddy) Why not put a few coffee filters toward thanksgiving activities for kids? Make the body and face of a turkey then have your child paint the filter using any colors they want for the tail.
- Felt Button Turkey – (Babies to Bookworms) Thanksgiving activities for kids that use felt are always a win because they’re great for kid’s senses. Cut out a turkey shape and feathers using different colored felt and watch them create their turkey.
- Fingerprint Turkey – (Sixth Bloom) I love this one for sensory play. Draw out the turkey and invite your child to dip their fingers in paint to print out the tail!
- Handprint Turkey – (A Dab of Glue Will Do) Such a simple and cheap thanksgiving activity for kids, this one is a classic for every age. Paint an old cardboard tube brown, then stick on some eyes and a beak. Draw around your child’s hand on different colored paper (see if they can help!) then cut them out and stick them on for the feathers.
- Paper Bag Turkey Craft – (Days with Grey) all you need for these Thanksgiving activities for kids is a paper bag and some large cut out shapes using colored card to make a turkey. Perfect for toddlers!
- Thanksgiving Place Cards – (Mommy’s Bundle) Make some turkey place cards using colored paper for all the family. See if your child can practice writing their name on theirs.
- Thanksgiving Turkey Craft with Buttons – (Crafts By Ria) Using buttons is a great way to improve those fine motor skills. Cut out a turkey body and use a large piece of card for the tail. Watch your child have lots of fun while they stick on multi-colored buttons.
- Turkey Bags – (A Dab of Glue Will Do) Everyone loves puppets! Get a brown paper bag and help your child stick on colors and googly eyes to make it into a turkey. Then they can put the bag over their hand and have fun with the turkey puppet!
- Turkey Haircut – (Busy Toddler) These thanksgiving activities for kids are incredible for scissor cutting skills because it’s so fun! Make a turkey together using a paper plate and feathers for the tail. Then watch your little one snip those feathers and give it a haircut!
- Turkey Headband – (I Heart Crafty Things) This thanksgiving activity is great for all ages and provides hours of fun. Use a strip of brown card and cut it down to fit your child’s head. Use colored paper, googly eyes, and even balloons to create the turkey!
Teaching Ways to be Thankful
- Garland of Thanks – (Mama Pappa Bubba) Creative display for the family to show thanks.
- Gratitude Box – (Merri Cherry) Reggio inspired gratitude box for kids to paint.
- Gratitude Pumpkin – (Coffee and Carpool) This thanksgiving activity is so simple, yet looks so good! Choose a pumpkin with your kids then each day write on the pumpkin something they feel thankful for.
- Kind Kids Challenge – (The Imagination Tree) Make a book of kindness activities (like opening the door for someone) and watch you little one tick each activity off the list.
- Thankful Jar – (Bug and Buddy) A nice way for the entire family to express gratitude.
- Thankful Table – (Art Bar Blog) Love this way to give thanks and show appreciation to family members at Thanksgiving.
- Thankful Tree – (Fab Working Mom Life) Only five supplies needed to make this fun paper craft and have the kids be reminded of what they’re thankful for.
- Thankful Turkey – (Busy Toddler) Make the body of the turkey and cut out large shapes for the feathers. Ask your child each morning what they are thankful for and add the feather to the turkey – it makes a great Breakfast invitation!
- Thankful Turkey Box – (I Heart Crafty Things) a creative way to encourage being grateful.
RELATED: You will also enjoy this roundup for what to put at the kid’s table!
Craving a calmer morning?
Breakfast Invitations are simple learning games that begin the day with play.
Thanksgiving Activities for Kids Are Simple and Great Fun
There are thanksgiving activities for all ages, so choose one that suits you and your little ones. Remember, it doesn’t have to be expensive! Use whatever you have in the house and watch the fun unfold.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when there is a turkey to stuff and potatoes to mash? Kids not interested in helping around the kitchen will need a few activities to be entertained as you cook. Set up this Thanksgiving activity table for children of all ages to enjoy.
Classic games such as giant tic tac toe, Thanksgiving crosswords, and heading outside for a game of pumpkin balance are super fun activities for Thanksgiving.
Keep a few simple activities up your sleeve for the entire family to enjoy. Nature sensory hunt is an easy idea that helps entertain toddlers, preschoolers, and big kids as food gets prepped in the kitchen.
Days with Grey is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.
