Celebrate the season of gratitude with these easy Thanksgiving activities for kids! Enjoy fun crafts, sensory play, and learning ideas perfect for home, homeschool, or classroom.
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Thanksgiving is the perfect time to slow down, get creative, and make memories with your kids! 🍁 Whether you’re looking for a meaningful classroom project, a quiet homeschool activity, or a fun way to keep little hands busy while the turkey cooks, this list has you covered.
These Thanksgiving activities for kids mix fun and learning—encouraging gratitude, creativity, and a little holiday magic. From sensory play to crafts, fine motor fun, and DIY games, you’ll find easy ideas that help children celebrate the season while learning what Thanksgiving is all about.
Favorite Thanksgiving Books for Kids
Here are three fun Thanksgiving books that kids will love reading this season — each one brings a little humor, gratitude, and holiday cheer to story time!
- Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving – Join Pete as he takes the stage in his school’s Thanksgiving play, discovering the meaning of the holiday in his cool, laid-back way.
- Turkey Trouble – Turkey is in trouble—it’s almost Thanksgiving and he’s the main course! Follow his hilarious disguises as he tries to avoid becoming dinner.
- The Crayons Give Thanks – The lovable crayons are back to share all the colorful things they’re thankful for in this sweet, simple story of gratitude perfect for little readers.
Thanksgiving Activities for Kids
This Turkey Craft with Glove is a cute and creative Thanksgiving activity that doubles as a treat bag! Kids can fill clear gloves with colorful snacks or candy to make festive turkey feathers, then use the free template to add an adorable turkey face. It’s a perfect Thanksgiving craft for classrooms, parties, or family fun at home!
This Thanksgiving Color by Number Printable Set is a fun and free way for kids to celebrate the season while practicing number recognition and fine motor skills! With cute Thanksgiving-themed pictures like turkeys, pies, and pumpkins, these no-prep coloring pages are perfect for classrooms, homeschool, or at home fun!
This Pumpkin Pie Craft for Kids is a sweet way to celebrate Thanksgiving! Kids can “slice up” their own pretend pie. It’s an easy, hands-on activity that looks adorable on display and makes craft time really fun.
For a fun Thanksgiving this year, this Thanksgiving No Cook Dough Sensory Play from Little Bins for Little Hands is perfect for an indoor afternoon, a pie baking session, Thanksgiving morning, or whenever, to keep all the kids happy!
Here’s a fun turkey craft that also allows for lots of fine motor practice– a golf tee turkey! This Fine Motor Turkey Craft for Thanksgiving from Buggy and Buddy is perfect for preschoolers and makes a cute centerpiece for the Thanksgiving table.
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GAMES TOO!
This little Gratitude Game with Pick-up Sticks from Teach Beside Me is an easy activity for this Fall for the Thanksgiving season, and it’s loads of fun!
Looking for a simple activity to entertain the kids during Thanksgiving? All you’ll need is a bag of M&M’s, crayons, or colored pencils, and this adorable M&M Turkey Template from Toddler Approved.
Make this Turkey Hat Thanksgiving Headband from Mom Dot this year as you are gathering up Thanksgiving craft ideas. It’s easy and done with construction paper. It’s a great art project for most kids, as well as a great way to work on fine motor skills.
Looking for a lovely art project for the kids to make to celebrate Thanksgiving? This beautiful Black Glue Turkey Art Project from I Heart Crafty Things is a great art project for kids to enjoy at home or at school.
Kids will love making this Handmade Turkey Puzzle from KC Edventures using nature items! This creative idea is a fun thing for kids to do on Thanksgiving Day and can also be used as a kid-friendly way to decorate the Thanksgiving table.
Learning!
This set of Thanksgiving Coloring Pages and Algorithm Activity from JDaniel4’s Mom features a Mayflower page, a cornucopia page, and an “I am Thankful for Thanksgiving” table page. Help your kids have fun this holiday season and learn about algorithms at the same time!
Learn how to make a fun and simple nature craft for kids! These Gratitude Stones from Fireflies and Mudpies can be used to cultivate an attitude of gratitude from an early age around Thanksgiving time or anytime.
Explore a creative way to encourage your preschooler to express gratitude towards others with your photos during the holiday with this adorable Magnetic Thankful Tree from The Educators Spin on It.
Be Thankful!
Have your kiddos show what they are grateful for this year while also decorating for Thanksgiving with this adorable Garland of Thanks from Mama, Papa, Bubba.
Who knew there was such a thing as turkey confetti! But it makes for awesome turkey sensory play and slime making. Check out this fun Totally Turkey Thanksgiving Slime Recipe with Fun Confetti from Little Bins for Little Hands.
Make this colorful Pinecone Indian Corn Craft for Thanksgiving from Buggy and Buddy. These are so perfect for kids of all ages. They also make great centerpieces!
Thanksgiving time is so much fun for the family, but it is also a great teaching time. This simple Thanksgiving Then and Now activity from Teach Beside Me will help kids learn and compare the present with the past.
This super fun homemade Thanksgiving Explosion Slime recipe from Mom Dot will bring sensory play and fun to the fall season this year.
Thanksgiving Ideas for More Fun!
- Gratitude Journal Activities: Free Printable Set
- Thanksgiving Bingo Free Printable Game
- Mayflower Voyage Map Craft
- Thanksgiving Activity Placemats – Free Printables