25 Fun Thanksgiving Activities For Kids Of All Ages
Originally published in 2017 and updated in 2026
Fun Thanksgiving activities for kids the whole family will enjoy. You’ll love all the easy crafts, gratitude activities, and free printables.
Thanksgiving is coming, which means it’s time for fun Thanksgiving activities for kids! WOO!
To save you time, I’ve put together the ultimate list of fun Thanksgiving activities for kids, organized by category so you can jump straight to what you need.
In a Hurry? Jump to a section:
- Gratitude Activities
- Turkey Crafts
- Pumpkin Activities
- Thanksgiving Decorations
- Thanksgiving Printables
- Free Gratitude Worksheets
- FAQ
When my boys were small, I loved celebrating the holiday with easy Thanksgiving activities.
Some years we kept it simple and went for a walk to gather leaves and berries for the table.
Other years I got a little more ambitious and pulled out the craft supplies.
Now that I have a granddaughter, I’m just as excited to start these traditions all over again with her.
Over 40 years of teaching and parenting, I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter what you do together.
What matters is that you do it together. All of these activities create memories that stick, and that’s what this holiday is really about.
Start Here
- If you want a family activity: Natural Collage Banner, Thanksgiving Tablecloth, Thankful Jar
- If you have preschoolers: Handprint Turkey, Pumpkin Fizzy Art, Fist Bump Pumpkins
- If you have older kids: Claypot Turkey, Upcycled Book Pumpkin, Turkey Leaf Lanterns
- If you need to keep kids busy: Thanksgiving Bookmarks, Thanksgiving Joke Teller, Thanksgiving I Spy
A quick key to the badges below: 🖨️ Free Printable ⏱️ Quick (under 30 minutes) ✂️ Easy Craft 🍽️ Food Activity 🧸 Preschool-Friendly ❤️ Family Activity 🎀 Decoration 🏫 School-Friendly 🎨 Art Project ⭐ Sharon-Tested
Gratitude Activities
Gratitude is at the heart of Thanksgiving, and these activities offer kids an easy, hands-on way to reflect on what matters most to them.
Garland of Thanks
✂️ Easy Craft 🧸 Preschool-Friendly 🎀 Decoration
This stamped leaf garland turns gratitude into a decoration you can hang up and admire all week. The leaves fill up fast with a whole family’s worth of thanks.
I can picture stringing this one along the mantle with my granddaughter, adding a new leaf every time she thinks of something else.
→ Get the instructions for the Garland of Thanks
Tree of Thanks
✂️ Easy Craft 🎀 Decoration 🏫 School-Friendly ❤️ Family Activity
Create a tree of thanks with handwritten leaves on your wall. It works as both an activity and a wall decoration, which I love.
This would make a fantastic classroom project.
→ Get the instructions for the Tree of Thanks.
Thankful Jar
✂️ Easy Craft, ❤️ Family Activity
This is an easy craft, and one I’ve done with small groups of kids. It’s then used to record your family’s blessings. Children will start looking for the good things in their lives, so they can add them to the jar.
→ Get the instructions for making and using the Thankful Jar.
Related: 7 Family Acts of Kindness For Thanksgiving
Turkey Crafts
Gobble gobble. What would Thanksgiving be without turkey? These Thanksgiving crafts for kids are some of our family’s favorites, plus one just-for-fun edible option. First up are the turkey crafts.
Handprint Turkey
✂️ Easy Craft 🧸 Preschool-Friendly ⏱️ Quick
A classic for a reason. A folded handprint becomes an adorable turkey card. There is even a sweet Thanksgiving poem to write inside for someone you love.
→ Get the instructions for a Handprint Turkey Card.
Paper Bag Turkey Puppet
✂️ Easy Craft ⏱️ Quick 🏫 School-Friendly ❤️ Family Activity
Bring out the paper bags and a few craft supplies to make a paper-bag turkey. I have made paper bag puppets with all age groups from the preschool storytime group to older elementary. It’s always a favorite.
→ Get the instructions for the Paper Bag Turkey Puppet
Turkey Treat Bags
✂️ Easy Craft 🏫 School-Friendly
These turkey treat bags are adorable and perfect for a school party. Kids will love making them as gifts and party favors.
→ Get the instructions for the turkey treat bags.
How to Draw a Turkey
🏫 School-Friendly ⏱️ Quick 🎨 Art Project
Step-by-step instructions make this an easy win, even for kids who tell you they “can’t draw.” A nice quiet activity when everyone needs a break from the kitchen chaos.
→ Get the instructions and learn how to draw a Turkey.
Pinecone Turkey
✂️ Easy Craft 🎀 Decoration
Gathered pinecones plus a few craft feathers make an adorable natural turkey decoration. This craft is better suited to older kids as it uses hot glue.
→ Get the instructions for the Pinecone Turkey.
Thanksgiving Fruit Turkey
🍽️ Food Activity ⭐Sharon-Tested 🎀 Decoration ❤️Family Activity
This one’s a fun edible twist. A Thanksgiving fruit turkey has a pear body and fruit-skewer feathers. It’s healthy, colorful, and a great kid-friendly activity.
→ Get the instructions for the Thanksgiving fruit turkey
Pumpkin Activities
Pumpkins are everywhere at this time of year, so try a few pumpkin activities alongside your turkey crafts. Here are some easy ways to keep the fun going.
Pumpkin Fizzy Art
✂️ Easy Craft 🧸 Preschool-Friendly 🎨 Art Project
Baking soda and vinegar meet pumpkin-shaped art in this fun little science experiment. It’s messy in the best way, so put down some newspaper first.
→ Get the instructions for the Pumpkin Fizzy Art.
Pumpkin Scissor Skills Craft
✂️ Easy Craft 🧸 Preschool Friendly 🏫 School-Friendly
A simple cutting activity that sneaks in some fine motor practice while the kids think they’re just making a pumpkin. Great for preschoolers still working on scissor control. It is also an easy mess-free school craft.
→ Learn how to make the Pumpkin Scissor Skills Craft.
Fist Print Pumpkins
🎨 Art Project 🧸 Preschool Friendly ⏱️ Quick
Paint, a fist, and a piece of paper are really all you need here. It doesn’t get much easier or more toddler-friendly than this one.
→ Get the instructions for the Fist Print Pumpkins.
Thanksgiving Decorations
Kids love to lend a helping hand when it comes to decorating the house. Here are a few of our favorite Thanksgiving decorations for kids to make, including two of my own tried-and-true designs. Start with these easy ideas for the table and home.
Clay Pot Turkey
⭐ Sharon-Tested 🎀 Decoration
I’ve made this one, and it’s still one of my favorite Thanksgiving decorations. A terracotta pot becomes a turkey’s body, with craft-stick feathers fanning out behind it. It is a good craft for older kids.
→ Get the instructions for the Clay Pot Turkey.
Upcycled Book Pumpkin
🎀 Decoration
An old book gets folded into a surprisingly realistic pumpkin shape. It looks far more impressive than the effort it actually takes, and it’s a nice way to give a worn book a second life.
→ Get the instructions for the Upcycled Book Pumpkin.
Beaded Napkin Rings
✂️ Easy Craft 🎀 Decoration ⏱️ Quick
Let your kids make these festive napkin rings made from beads and wire. It’s a lovely way to get them involved in decorating the table. Preschoolers can do this too, but need supervision to make sure they don’t put the beads in their mouths.
→ Get the instructions for the Beaded Napkin Rings.
Cardboard Tube Napkin Rings
✂️ Easy Craft 🎀 Decoration ⏱️ Quick
Another take on napkin rings, this time using cardboard tubes and whatever craft supplies you have on hand. A great recycling craft.
→ Get the instructions for the Cardboard Tube Napkin Rings.
Turkey Leaf Lanterns
✂️ Easy Craft 🎀 Decoration ❤️ Family Activity
Fallen leaves and a jar come together to make a sweet little lantern with a turkey face. This makes a lovely family activity, and they look lovely lining a windowsill.
→ Get the instructions for the Turkey Leaf Lanterns.
Nature Collage Banner
✂️ Easy Craft 🎀 Decoration ❤️ Family Activity
Go outside as a family to gather leaves, twigs, and berries, then use the natural materials to form letters. These get made into a banner for the house. Such a creative way to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.
→ Get the instructions for the Nature Collage Banner.
Thanksgiving Tablecloth Memento
🎀 Decoration 🎨 Art Project ❤️ Family Activity
Have your kids and guests sign or draw on a plain tablecloth. Bring it out each year, and add more artwork. You’ll end up with a keepsake full of memories from Thanksgivings past.
→ Get the instructions for making the Thanksgiving Tablecloth Memento.
Clay Pot Pumpkin Pie
✂️ Easy Craft 🎀 Decoration ⭐ Sharon-Tested
One of my own favorite designs, and older kids especially enjoy this one. A clay pot becomes a cute pumpkin pie, complete with decorations.
→ Get the instructions for making the Clay Pot Pumpkin Pie.
Free Thanksgiving Printables
Free printables make things super easy. Just print, and you’re ready to go. If you want the quickest option, start here.
Thanksgiving Bookmarks
🖨️ Free Printable 🏫 School-Friendly ⭐ Sharon-Tested
One of my own designs, and it couldn’t be easier. Print, cut out, color, and fold, and you’ve got a bookmark. This makes an easy school craft and is a fun activity for the kids’ table.
→ Get the free printable Thanksgiving Bookmark.
Thanksgiving I-Spy
🖨️ Free Printable 🏫 School-Friendly
This one is a lifesaver for keeping little ones amused while you finish up dinner prep. It is also a fun Thanksgiving activity for school. Search and find the items together, or hand out sheets and let them work independently.
→ Get the printable for Thanksgiving I Spy.
Thanksgiving Cootie Catcher
🖨️ Free Printable 🏫 School-Friendly
Remember cootie catchers? This one’s been given a Thanksgiving twist to help kids practice thankfulness while they play a game. The gratitude prompts used will help them remember all kinds of good things in their lives. This would work well in a classroom or Sunday school.
→ Get the printable for the Thanksgiving Cootie Catcher.
Thanksgiving Joke Teller
🖨️ Free Printable 🏫 School-Friendly
Another cootie catcher, but made with Thanksgiving jokes instead. You can look forward to some giggles at the kids’ table this year.
→ Get the printable for the Thanksgiving Joke Teller.
Thanksgiving Bingo
🖨️ Free Printable ❤️ Family Activity 🏫 School-Friendly
Print off a set of cards, and you’ve got an instant activity for the family, from toddlers to grandparents. A lovely way to bring everyone together before or after the meal. This is also a good classroom activity.
→ Get the printable for Thanksgiving Bingo from Pre-K Pages.
Exclusive Bonus: Family Gratitude Sheets
As a bonus, I’ve created two gratitude printables for you to use with your family this year.
“I’m So Grateful” is a simple one-page sheet where kids fill in who, what, and why they’re grateful, plus a space to draw a picture of what they’re thankful for. There are specific prompts to help.
“I am thankful for” is more open-ended and leaves the boxes blank for kids to fill in as they wish. They can write or draw what they are thankful for.
- Download and print the sheets.
- Ask every family member to fill one out, then sign it. (Be prepared to act as scribe for younger children still developing their writing skills.)
- You could paste the finished sheets into a journal if you want to keep an ongoing record year to year.
- They could also be used as a classroom activity.
FAQ
Most activities work for ages 3–10, while younger toddlers may need extra help with scissors or glue.
The trick is to have something ready to hand to go. A few of the printables above work brilliantly here, especially the Thanksgiving I Spy and Thanksgiving Bookmark, since kids can work through them on their own at the table while you finish up.
Anything printable works well here, since you can set out a stack and let kids pick what they fancy. The Thanksgiving Cootie Catcher and Thanksgiving Joke Teller are always a hit, since kids can play with them together and the jokes tend to get repeated all through dinner. Thanksgiving I Spy and Thanksgiving Bookmark also work well here.
In 40 years of teaching, I’ve found gratitude sticks best when it’s specific rather than general. Activities like the Thankful Jar or the Tree of Thanks ask kids to name one particular person or moment, which gets them thinking more concretely. The free gratitude printables have prompts to help.
Of course, you don’t have to save these Thanksgiving activities for the big day itself. Why not spread them out over the weeks leading up to your turkey dinner?
This post is part of my Thanksgiving Activities collection. You’ll find all my Holiday & Seasonal Activities here, or head over to the Kids Activities resource hub for hundreds of fun ideas all in one place.