Thanksgiving is when the autumn leaves have fallen, and there’s a dripping chill in the air, but we feel the warmth of our loved ones around us, and everything gets better. Indulge your kids in exciting Thanksgiving activities for kids while you prepare that special roasted turkey for your family.
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In this article, we have listed some of the best Thanksgiving activities for kids that will make their Thanksgiving holidays fun and memorable! These Thanksgiving-themed activities will help your kids unleash their creative sides with minimal resources and maximum fun.
So, let’s take a look at some fun Thanksgiving activities.
Get ready for a festive season full of creativity and learning with SplashLearn’s festive games! Explore our festive art & creativity games and make this holiday unforgettable.
15 Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Children
1. Colorful Turkey Tags
Turkey Tags is one of the most exciting Thanksgiving games for families to play with kids, where they can paint their tags and put them on their clothes to look like turkeys. The idea is to attach the tags anywhere on their clothes and get all set for a fun game of tag.
Age Range: 3–7 years
Here’s how turkey tags can be made:
Resources:
- Clothespins
- Paints in different colors (one shade for each player)
- Black paper to make googly turkey eyes
- Foam sheets for the beak
- Glue
Instructions:
Take three clothespins for each player and color them in different colors; each player gets to choose a color. Once done, make round eyes with black paper and colored beaks with the foam sheets. Stick them on the pin with glue once the paint has dried and your turkey tags are ready.
2. Turkey Handprints
If you are looking for DIY Thanksgiving ideas for kids, making turkey handprint crafts can be a really fun thing to do!
Age Range: 3–7 years
Here’s how you can make Turkey Handprints with your little ones:
Resources:
- Pencils
- Scissors
- Glue Stick
- Marble Paper
Instructions:
Outline the turkey’s body with a pencil on colored paper or marble paper, and cut through the outlines. Once you have made the turkey beak, paste it on the center of the turkey’s head. Similarly, glue the eyeballs, feet, and snood.
Now, on the colored papers, take your child’s hand outlines as they keep their hands on the colored papers. Cut through the design of the colored hand outlines and glue them to the back of the turkey to get the best Turkey Handprint DIY.
Related Reading: Best Thanksgiving Poems for Kids to Read Aloud
3. Fun Turkey Feathers
If you are waiting for the meal to get done and don’t want the kids loitering around the kitchen, here’s one of the exciting things to do with kids on Thanksgiving. The Turkey Feathers game will get the kids excited and it will be easier to keep them engaged and in one place.
Age Range: 5–8 years
Resources:
- Clothespins
- Paint
- Cardstock
- Glitters (Optional)
- Cardstock
- Printer
- Glue
- Chipboard
Instructions:
Paint the clothespins in different colors, and give six pins to each player. Make as many as required depending on the number of players. Each player will have a cardstock with numbers 1–6 written.
As each player rolls the dice, they have to put a feather (painted cardstock) on the number that comes. If players get the same number twice, they are out of the game. The player with feathers on all numbers gets to be the winner.
4. Popsicle Stick Turkey Craft
The Popsicle Stick Turkey craft will keep the kids involved as they make their popsicle turkeys, and it is a great way to celebrate the spirit of Thanksgiving.
Age Range: 5–8 years
Here’s how you can make Popsicle Stick Turkey:
Resources:
- Popsicle craft sticks (long and short)
- Brown paint
- Googly eyes
- Orange pipe cleaner
- Colored stock paper
- Glue
Instructions:
Keep seven long popsicle sticks side by side, and stick them together by placing a short stick along the seven sticks to hold them together. Now, you can paint the sticks in brown paint. Attach orange pipe cleaners to the back of the Stick Turkey, and fold them to make the feet of the turkey.
Now you can cut leaf-shaped papers from the coloured stocks and stick them at the back of the turkey, so they are visible at the top. Add googly eyes and beaks to the turkey, and your Popsicle Stick Turkey is ready.
5. Sponge-painted Turkey
If you have a lot of kids over at your house on this special day and are looking for Thanksgiving-themed activities for kids, a Sponge-painted Turkey is a great idea.
Age Range: 5–8 years
Resources:
- Sponges
- Washable paint
- Construction/cardstock paper
- Googly eyes
Instructions:
Cut out a turkey shape from cardstock paper. Now, make feathers using white paper and stick them to the turkey. Dip the sponges in paint and dab the feathers with different colors.
Related Reading: Fun & Unique Thanksgiving Crafts For Your Kids
6. Thank You Cards!
Thank You cards are a great way of saying thanks to each other, especially when they are handmade.
Age Range: 5–8 years
Resources:
- Construction paper
- Glitter pens
- Design sparkle
Instructions:
Help your kids unleash their creativity by decorating construction paper cards with different colors and sparkles. Once the card is ready, you can ask them to write thank-you notes with glitter pens.
Related Reading: Best Thanksgiving Wishes for Kids to Wish Family & Friends
7. Tailfeather Shake!
The perfect Thanksgiving activity for kids that will leave everyone laughing their hearts out, Tailfeather Shake is a great game for Thanksgiving.
Age Range: 5–7 years
Resources:
- Tissue box
- Craft feathers
- Pantyhose
Instructions:
Fill an empty tissue box with craft paper, and attach it to pantyhose. Wrap the socks around your child’s waist with the box at the back. The idea is that the kid with the feathers has to jump until they are sure all the feathers fall from the tissue box.
8. DIY Turkey Treats
Delicacies and treats for guests and kids are a must on Thanksgiving Day. Help your little ones make DIY Treat ornaments with sweet treats or breakfast cereals.
Age Range: 5–10 years
Resources:
- Clear holiday ornaments (available at craft stores)
- Scrapbook paper in assorted colors
- Googly eyes
- Colored pen or Sharpie
- Glue
- Treats, such as candy, pretzel bites, and more.
Instructions:
Fill the ornaments with treats. Make turkey eyes and beaks from scrapbook paper and stick them on the holiday ornaments. Cut out some white feathers and color them before sticking them on the container that will hold treats.
9. Cute Turkey Pumpkins
Make your Thanksgiving dinner table look beautiful as your little one helps you decorate it with little Turkey Pumpkins.
Age Range: 5–10 years
Resources:
- Pumpkins (real or fake)
- Construction paper: red, brown, yellow
- Faux fall leaves
- Googly eyeballs
- Glue
- A pair of scissors
Instructions:
Make the turkey face and leaves from construction paper. Choose colors for each leaf to make the pumpkin turkey look colorful. Stick the face on the front and feathers on the other side.
Related Reading: Humorous Thanksgiving Jokes For Kids & Adults To Tell This Turkey Day
10. Make a Gratitude List
A really fun Thanksgiving activity that will keep your kid engaged in the activity for hours while you prepare for the special dinner is by helping them make a gratitude list. The catch is that this list would be in alphabetical order, where they have to list things starting from the letter A to the letter Z to express what they are thankful for.
Age Range: 7–10 years
Resources:
- Paper/Printed paper
- Pen
Instructions:
Write out the alphabet in order with a blank beside each letter for your little one to fill out what they are truly thankful for.
Related Reading: Best Gratitude Activities for Kids
11. Thanksgiving Chain!
Here’s another interesting way to make your kids truly embrace everything in life and stay grateful. Help them make a Thanksgiving Chain as they note one thing each day that they are thankful about for thirty days until Thanksgiving.
Age Range: 7–10 years
Resources:
- Construction paper
- Stapler
- Markers
Instructions:
Ask your kid to write one thing they are grateful for on small strips of construction paper, and create a chain adding each strip to the Thanksgiving Chain.
12. Thanksgiving Photography Activity
Age Range: 7–10 years
If you have a lot of kids at your place, divide them into groups and give each group one camera to click pictures with everyone at the party. The group with the highest number of photos will be the winner!
13. Thanksgiving Napkin Rings
Age Range: 3–7 years
With guests looking forward to the special Thanksgiving dinner, surprise them with cute Thanksgiving napkins that your little one makes. You can download the template and ask your kids to color them.
Once done, wrap it around the dining table napkins and bring a smile to your guests’ faces.
14. Paper Bag Turkeys
We all have paper bags lying around, waiting to be thrown into the trash. This Thanksgiving collect them all and rejuvenate the creative faculties in your little one.
Age Range: 5–7 years
Resources:
- Paper bags
- Craft feathers
- Construction paper
- Glue
- Sharpie
Instructions:
Make the turkey face, beak, and snood from construction paper. Stick it at the bottom of the paper bag where the folds meet. Stick craft feathers on the other side of the bag, and your Paper Bag Turkey is ready.
Kids can put their hands inside the turkey to make a moving mouth gesture and use it as a puppet.
15. Colorman Turkey
If you have toddlers in the house, one of the best activities on Thanksgiving day would be playing Colourman Turkey. This game will help your kid learn about colors while understanding the importance of Thanksgiving.
Age Range: 3–5 years
Resources:
- Cardstock papers
- Scissors
- Glue
- Fruit loops
Instructions:
Make a turkey with different colored feathers cut out of colored stock papers. Now give your kid a bowl of fruit loops, asking them to match the color of the fruit loops to the color of the feathers and place them accordingly.
Your kid will love this appetite game and learn about colors too.
Related Reading: Best Thanksgiving Songs for a Groovy & Melodious Celebration
Make Fun Memories with Your Kids This Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving brings the zeal of joy, good food, the warmth of our loved ones, and wonderful memories to cherish forever. Your little one can enjoy this day to its fullest with these Thanksgiving activities mentioned above and nurture the spirit of this day of thanks. You can visit our website to check out the best blogs for kids.
Explore more learning resources for kids that will help their learning experience and make them smarter.Ready to blend learning with festive fun? Join the celebration with SplashLearn’s array of festival games that are perfect for any season!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to keep the kids entertained on Thanksgiving?
You can keep your kids entertained on Thanksgiving with different Thanksgiving activities that are fun and engaging, such as Bingo, Gratitude Sticks, and so on.
What kind of questions can be included in a Thanksgiving quiz for kids?
On a Thanksgiving quiz for the kids, we can ask them about what they are thankful for, some of the experiences they cherish, and how they remember last year’s Thanksgiving to nurture the spirit of gratitude and remembrance within them.
Why are Thanksgiving activities important?
Kids look forward to Thanksgiving to spend time with their families in merriment and make memories they can hold dear. Hence, it is important that parents come up with interesting Thanksgiving activity ideas for their children to spend quality time with them and help them celebrate Thanksgiving.
How can you teach your kids about the meaning of Thanksgiving?
You can teach your kids about Thanksgiving and its significance by sharing stories about your family and the importance of sharing and being grateful. Helping them in creative Thanksgiving activities can be one of the many things you can do with your kids on Thanksgiving to help them understand the importance of Thanksgiving.
