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Thanksgiving Activities for Kids: 20 Easy Ideas for Home and School

By the Printable Barn team · · 2 min read

A child making an autumn craft with leaves
Photo: RDNE Stock project on Pexels
Quick answerEasy Thanksgiving activities for kids include a gratitude tree, handprint turkeys, leaf rubbings, printable word searches and coloring pages, a kids' table placemat activity, helping in the kitchen with simple tasks, and games like a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt. Most need only paper, crayons and a printer.
⚖️ Please read: Supervise young children with scissors, glue and small craft items (pinecones, beads), and around hot stoves and knives when they help in the kitchen.
Ready to print
Thanksgiving & Harvest Coloring Pages: 19 Printable Pages $2.99
Get it now or try a free page first

Key takeaways

  • Mix crafts, puzzles and helping jobs so every age has something to do.
  • A gratitude activity gives the holiday its meaning for kids.
  • Printables keep the kids' table busy while adults finish cooking.
  • Give kids real jobs: setting the table, making place cards, mixing.
  • Have a quiet activity ready for after the meal.

Kids get restless on Thanksgiving, especially in the hours before dinner. A few planned activities keep them happy and help them feel part of the day.

Gratitude activities

  1. Gratitude tree: paper leaves, each with something they're thankful for, taped to a branch or drawn tree.
  2. Thankful turkey: write one thing on each paper feather.
  3. Gratitude jar: everyone adds a note; read them at dinner.
  4. Thank-you cards for a teacher, mail carrier or grandparent.

Crafts

  1. Handprint turkeys
  2. Leaf rubbings with crayons
  3. Paper plate pilgrim hats or turkeys
  4. Pinecone turkeys with felt feathers
  5. Hand-drawn place cards for every guest
  6. Paper chain countdown to Thanksgiving

Printables and puzzles

  1. Thanksgiving word search
  2. Coloring pages
  3. Word scramble
  4. Kids' table placemat with mazes and drawing prompts
  5. Thanksgiving bingo (play during the parade)

Games and helping

  1. Scavenger hunt: find something orange, something soft, a leaf, a spoon.
  2. Kitchen helper: washing vegetables, mixing, mashing, adding toppings.
  3. Set the table: napkins, place cards and silverware.
  4. Parade bingo: mark balloons and floats as they appear.
  5. After-dinner show: kids perform a skit or a song.

Tips by age

AgeBest activities
3 to 5Coloring, handprint turkeys, stickers, simple scavenger hunt
6 to 8Word searches, bingo, place cards, helping in the kitchen
9 to 12Word scrambles, trivia, running the scavenger hunt, skits
Thanksgiving printables →Activity packs, coloring and games.Family games →Games for all ages.
Disclaimer: Supervise young children with scissors, glue and small craft items (pinecones, beads), and around hot stoves and knives when they help in the kitchen.

Printables that go with this

Every one has a free sample page, so you can print one and try it first.

Thanksgiving & Harvest Coloring Pages: 19 Printable PagesThanksgiving & Harvest Coloring Pages: 19 Printable Pages$2.99 Thanksgiving Word Search Printable: 4 Puzzles (Easy to Hard + Large Print)Thanksgiving Word Search Printable: 4 Puzzles (Easy to Hard + Large Print)$1.99 Thanksgiving Word Scramble Game: 20 Printable Word Puzzles with Answer KeyThanksgiving Word Scramble Game: 20 Printable Word Puzzles with Answer Key$1.99 Thanksgiving Bingo: 40 Printable Cards (Regular + Large Print)Thanksgiving Bingo: 40 Printable Cards (Regular + Large Print)$2.99 Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt: Printable Indoor Hunt for Kids & FamiliesThanksgiving Scavenger Hunt: Printable Indoor Hunt for Kids & Families$1.99

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Frequently asked questions

What can kids do on Thanksgiving Day?

Crafts like handprint turkeys, gratitude activities, printable puzzles and coloring pages, helping set the table or cook, and games like scavenger hunts and parade bingo.

How do I keep kids busy at the kids' table?

Put a placemat activity, crayons and a small puzzle at each seat, and have a game ready for between dinner and dessert.

What is a good Thanksgiving activity for preschoolers?

Handprint turkeys, coloring pages, sticker scenes and a simple color scavenger hunt.

How can I teach kids about gratitude at Thanksgiving?

Try a gratitude tree or jar, have them write thank-you cards, and go around the table sharing one thing each person is thankful for.

About Printable Barn. We make low-cost, instant-download printables (large-print puzzles, bingo, party games, worksheets, planners and Sunday school pages) and free tools like an online bingo caller, a logo maker and a product label maker. Every puzzle is computer-checked, and every product has a free sample page. Questions: hello@printablebarn.com.

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