Thanksgiving is about more than turkey and pumpkin pie — it’s a time to slow down, connect, and reflect on what we’re thankful for. If you’re looking for ways to include your kids in the celebration, I’ve rounded up tons of Thanksgiving activities for kids that are playful, creative, and help kids express gratitude in age-appropriate ways.
Whether you’re planning classroom fun, a family gathering, or cozy at-home moments, you’ll find ideas here for every age and setting.
I’ve divided the ideas into categories so you can find exactly what you’re looking for: craft ideas, printable activities, games, kitchen fun, and gratitude-themed ideas.
In this post:
- Thanksgiving Craft Ideas
- Printable Thanksgiving Activities
- Thanksgiving Games for Kids
- Kid-Friendly Thanksgiving Kitchen Fun
- Gratitude-Themed Thanksgiving Activities
- Outdoor Thanksgiving Activities
- Thanksgiving Nighttime Fun
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• Thanksgiving Craft Ideas
1. Hand Turkey
Here’s a classic Thanksgiving craft! Kids can simply trace their hand, add a beak and legs, and color away! Or you can make hand turkeys with brown, yellow, red, and orange paint.
2. Create a Turkey
Kids can use turkey stickers to design their very own turkey.
Encourage kids to create a scene for the turkey, then stick on the stickers. We like to think of the silliest place you might see a turkey -like driving a bus, grocery shopping, or playing piano. Kids come up with some pretty fun and out there ideas!
3. Autumn Leaf Turkey
This craft uses leaves for the turkey feathers!
Head out on a nice fall walk and collect leaves of various colors. Glue the leaves to paper, add a body, beak, googly eyes, and legs to make a turkey.
4. Thanksgiving Placemats
Have kids decorate oversized pieces of paper using crayons, markers, Thanksgiving stickers, etc. Encourage kids to write and draw things they are thankful for.
You can then use the placemats at your Thanksgiving dinner or take them down to your local senior center for their Thanksgiving celebration. It really brings joy to the elderly residents. Bonus point if you stay and share a meal with residents!
5. Handprint Leaves
Paint handprints in fall colors, then cut them out and turn them into garlands or wreaths.
6. Paint a Pumpkin
Here is a fun fall process art project for kids! All you need is paint, brushes, and any size pumpkin or gourd. Let kids paint them however they would like!
Small pumpkins make great table decorations.
- Check out more fun, process-driven painting ideas for kids!
7. Fall Sensory Bin
This activity is perfect for toddlers!
We fill a bin with safe, easy-to-explore fall treasures like dried corn, pinecones, leaves, mini pumpkins, and scoops. Little ones love digging, pouring, and feeling all the different textures while building fine motor skills and focus.
It’s a simple, calming way for toddlers to experience the colors and sensations of autumn through play.
- Check out all my favorite sensory bin fillers!
8. Leaf Rubbings
This is a simple, classic fall craft that helps kids slow down and notice nature’s details.
Just place a leaf under a sheet of paper and gently rub over it with crayons to reveal its beautiful texture and veins. It’s quick, mess-free, and perfect for all ages — no fancy supplies or prep needed!
Finished creations make great placemats for decorations.
• Printable Thanksgiving Activities for Kids
9. Thanksgiving Coloring Pages
Print turkey and pumpkin coloring sheets for younger kids. Add some fun challenges like “draw what you’re most thankful for” for older children.
Here is an excellent selection of Thanksgiving coloring pages from Homemade Gifts Made Easy!
10. Thanksgiving World Search
Make or print a themed puzzle with words like harvest, family, gratitude, and stuffing. Add specific details about your family, like your kids’ names, if you make your own!
You can try out the free word search generator from Education.com or check out a premade Thanksgiving word search from Puzzles to Print!
11. Thankful Scavenger Hunt
Here’s another activity you can create yourself, or use ready-made clues. Kids can either follow clues to find a prize at the end or search for Thanksgiving-related items. Consider your child’s age when designing your scavenger hunt.
Clues can include “find something soft that makes you cozy” or “something that smells delicious.” Older kids enjoy creating their own scavenger hunts for each other.
Here’s a fun scavenger hunt from Play Party Plan!
12. Thanksgiving Activity Book
Make this Thanksgiving easier and more fun with a single go-to activity book that does everything.
The “Thanksgiving Activity Book for Kids” brings together a variety of puzzles, coloring pages, crosswords, mazes, and word games — all in one place — so you don’t have to hunt down or print a bunch of separate worksheets.
Ideal for setting up at the kids’ table, handing off during dinner prep, or using as quiet time while guests arrive or throughout the month.
• Thanksgiving Games for Kids
13. Turkey Tag
Give each player a clothespin “feather.” Players try to collect feathers from others without losing their own! Perfect for a backyard energy burn before dinner.
14. Pumpkin Roll Race
Line up mini pumpkins and have kids roll them (no hands!) to the finish line. It’s hilarious, slightly chaotic, and great for mixed-age groups.
Mix it up by limiting the body parts kids can use to roll the pumpkins. For example, using only their head or elbows.
15. Pin the Feather on the Turkey
A seasonal twist on a classic. Use a large paper turkey and colorful paper feathers with tape or Velcro dots.
Not feeling crafy? No worries! You can focus on cooking and buy a ready-made turkey for under $7!
16. Thanksgiving Pictionary
Thanksgiving Pictionary is a fun drawing game that is perfect for all ages!
Write Thanksgiving-themed words—like turkey, pie, or parade—on small slips of paper. Players take turns picking one to draw on a whiteboard, large pad, or even a doodle board while everyone else tries to guess!
You can use a timer and teams, or play all together as a family.
17. Thanksgiving Charades
Not looking to draw? No problem! Switch up Pictionary for Charades.
Write the same Thanksgiving-themed. words on slips of paper and have players act them out without words or sounds while others guess!
18. Waddle Relay
Waddle Relay is one of those games that makes everyone crack up every single time.
We stick a balloon between our knees and try to waddle to the finish line without dropping it — which, of course, never goes smoothly! It’s goofy, simple, and always ends with the whole family laughing.
So simple and perfect for a wide range of ages!
• Kid-Friendly Thanksgiving Kitchen Fun
19. Mini Pies
I love that this activity can be as simple or involved as you would like! You can make the filling or buy a premade can of pie filling, such as apple or cherry.
Let kids press pie dough into muffin tins and spoon in filling. They’ll be proud of their “personal pies.”
Kids can also help make the filling and crust if you’ve got the time. Older kids can read and follow the recipe, while younger kids can dump ingredients and mix. I like to follow this simple mini pumpkin pie recipe from Crazy for Crust.
20. Cornbread Muffins
Cornbread is another easy baking idea for kids! Simple, quick, and perfect for little helpers to stir and scoop.
You can follow a cornbread recipe or use a boxed cornbread mix.
21. Thanksgiving Snack Plate
Kids can use Thanksgiving cookie cutters to cut meat, cheese, bread, etc., into fun shapes. Cute, healthy, and snack-time approved!
22. Homemade Butter
Shake heavy cream in a jar until it turns to butter. Just add some salt and you’re done. Kids love seeing the magic happen!
A small baby food jar is the perfect size for small hands.
23. Thanksgiving Trail Mix
Thanksgiving Trail Mix is one of our favorite no-stress “cooking” activities with kids.
Just set out a few bowls — pretzels, popcorn, candy corn, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, or whatever you have on hand — and let everyone mix their own blend. Nothing needs to be exact; there’s no stove or oven involved, and kids love having the freedom to scoop, pour, and taste as they go!
- Gain inspiration or follow this trail mix recipe from I Heart Naptime.
24. Apple Turkeys
Here’s a fun turkey snack that we got from Take and Makes!
Stick toothpicks of grapes, cheese cubes, marshmallows, or candy into apples to make silly edible “turkeys.”
25. Pumpkin Play Dough
Okay, this one isn’t edible, but it is still a fun way to spend time in the kitchen following a recipe with kids!
Make homemade orange play dough with pumpkin spice — it smells incredible.
- Here is my all-time favorite playdough recipe!
26. Sugar Cookie Decorating
Simply bake sugar cookies with Thanksgiving cookie cutters, then let kids decorate with frosting and sprinkles! Mix it up by dying the frosting in several colors.
You can involve kids in making the cookies or have them join in the decorating.
• Gratitude-Themed Thanksgiving Activities
27. Gratitude Journal
Give each child a small notebook to decorate. Encourage them to write or draw one thing they’re thankful for each day in November. Take time every couple of days to share the journals with one another.
Adults can participate too! Share your own responses to model gratitude for your kids.
28. Create A Thankful Wreath
Cut out large leaves from red, brown, and yellow construction paper. Each day, ask family members what they are thankful for and write it on the leaf. You can then tape the leaves to the wall with blue painters’ tape and slowly form a circular wreath.
It’s simple, builds over November, and makes thankfulness the central theme of the season.
29. Acts of Kindness Countdown
Before the beginning of November, make a paper chain where each link lists a small act of kindness — like “help set the table” or “say something kind to a friend.” Have your kids help come up with simple ideas.
Use the paper chain to count down to Thanksgiving.
30. Thankful Jar
Set out slips of paper and a jar — invite everyone to add notes of gratitude throughout the week. Read them aloud on Thanksgiving Day.
31. Thank You Letters
Thank You Letters are one of our favorite Thanksgiving traditions.
We set out paper, crayons, and markers, then everyone writes or draws a note for someone they appreciate—like a teacher, grandparent, or neighbor. Younger kids add pictures or dictate their messages, while older ones write out full letters.
We love delivering them or mailing them after dinner—it’s such a simple, meaningful way to share gratitude.
• Outdoor Thanksgiving Activities
If the weather’s kind, head outside before (or after) the big meal!
32. Leaf Jumping and Racking Contest
Have a tree that drops leaves in your yard? Trick your kids into helping clean up the leaves by turning it into a game!
Let kids build a pile to jump into, or see who can make the biggest one. Depending on your kids’ ages, consider making the contests collaborative or kids vs. adults.
33. Nature Gratitude Walks
Walks are the perfect time to have a conversation with your kids! Find a local nature walk (or head around the block) and take turns saying what you’re thankful for.
34. Turkey Trot Relay Races
Create a mini series of races with silly challenges: flap like a turkey, waddle like a duck, or balance an acorn on a spoon! It’s perfect for families, groups of friends, or classes.
Ask kids to add additional ideas.
• Thanksgiving Nighttime Fun
35. Watch a Thanksgiving Movie
Thanksgiving movies can be a fun and festive way to snuggle up and spend time as a family!
There are more choices than you might think—check out all my favorite Thanksgiving movies for kids.
36. Thanksgiving Bingo
Play a game of Thanksgiving-themed bingo after dinner as a family!
Here’s a fun Bingo board from The Best Ideas for Kids that you can print at home.
37. Tell Jokes and Ask ” Would you rather…” Questions
Thanksgiving jokes and Would You Rather questions are the perfect way to get the whole family laughing!
Check out all my favorites:
38. Read Thanksgiving Books
Thanksgiving books are the perfect way to get into the season while spending a few minutes together as a family before bed. Look for books with themes of gratitude, family, and togetherness.
Here are 35 of my favorite Thanksgiving books for kids of all ages.
39. Thanksgiving Mad Libs
Mad Libs are a simple, hilarious, and creative way to keep kids entertained while practicing parts of speech and storytelling!
Simply fill in the blanks with nouns, verbs, and adjectives to create silly Thanksgiving-themed stories.
We love to keep using a ready-made Mad Libs book.
Final Thoughts on Thanksgiving Activities for Kids
Thanksgiving is an excellent time to help children connect play with gratitude. Whether your child is mixing cornbread batter, painting handprint leaves, or just giggling through a game of Turkey Tag, each playful moment builds memories that last.
Try sprinkling a few of these Thanksgiving activities for kids throughout your month or week — and don’t forget to join in the fun yourself because gratitude grows best when it’s shared.
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