12 Family Thanksgiving Activities

Thanksgiving is a time for families to gather, share delicious food, and create lasting memories. But while the adults are busy in the kitchen preparing the feast, it’s important to keep the kids entertained! Here are some fun and creative Thanksgiving-themed activities that will keep the little ones engaged, all while celebrating the spirit of gratitude and fall fun.

1. Turkey Hunt

What you’ll need:

1. Small paper turkeys (you can cut them out or print them from an online template)
2. Stickers or pens to decorate the turkeys

How to play:

Before the guests arrive, hide the paper turkeys around the house or yard. Give the kids a set amount of time to search for them. Whoever finds the most turkeys wins a prize! For extra fun, you can include clues or riddles that lead them to their next turkey.

2. Turkey Craft: Handprint Turkeys

What you’ll need:

1. Construction paper (brown, orange, yellow, red)
2. Markers, crayons, and glue
3. Scissors

How to make it:

Trace each child’s hand on brown construction paper to create the turkey body. Then, have them cut out and decorate feathers using colorful paper. They can write what they’re thankful for on the feathers or add fun details like googly eyes. Display their handprint turkeys on the wall or around the dinner table. This is a fun way to get kids to express gratitude while doing a hands-on craft!

3. Thanksgiving Bingo

What you’ll need:

1. Printable Thanksgiving Bingo cards (or you can create your own with Thanksgiving symbols like pumpkins, turkeys, pies, etc.)
2. Buttons or coins to mark the cards

How to play:

Hand out the bingo cards to the kids and give them buttons or coins to mark the squares. Call out Thanksgiving-themed words or images like “cornucopia,” “cranberry sauce,” or “pilgrim hat,” and let the kids try to complete a line. The first one to get a Bingo wins a small prize!

4. Pin the Feather on the Turkey

What you’ll need:

1. A large poster or drawing of a turkey
2. Feathers (cut out from construction paper)
3. Blindfold

How to play:

This game is a fun Thanksgiving twist on the classic “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.” Blindfold the kids one at a time, spin them lightly, and have them try to attach the feather to the turkey’s body. The child who gets closest to the correct spot wins!

5. Thanksgiving Word Search

What you’ll need:

1. Printable Thanksgiving word search puzzles (or create your own)

How to play:

Give each child a Thanksgiving-themed word search and a pencil. The words can include everything from “pumpkin pie” to “thankful.” It’s a quiet and fun way to keep kids entertained, especially while waiting for dinner to be served.

6. Fall Leaf Stamps

What you’ll need:

1. Real or fake fall leaves
2. Paint or ink pads
3. White paper

How to make it:

Have the kids dip leaves into paint or use an ink pad to stamp them onto paper. They can create a beautiful fall scene by layering the leaf prints, or simply make a collection of stamps. This is a perfect activity for capturing the essence of the season in a fun and artistic way!

7. Thanksgiving Pictionary

What you’ll need:

1. Large paper or a whiteboard
2. Markers

How to play:

Create Thanksgiving-themed prompts like “pumpkin,” “turkey,” or “cornucopia.” Split the kids into teams, and have one child draw a prompt while the other teammates try to guess what it is. This game will keep them laughing and engaged while promoting teamwork.

8. Gratitude Jar

What you’ll need:

1. A jar or container
2. Small pieces of paper
3. Pens or markers

How to do it:

Encourage the kids to write down something they are thankful for on small slips of paper and drop them into the jar. At the end of the day, gather the family and read some of the thankful notes aloud. It’s a heartwarming way to remind everyone of the joys of the season.

9. Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt

What you’ll need:

1. A list of Thanksgiving-related items (turkey, pumpkin, acorn, etc.)
2. A basket or bag to collect items

How to play:

Set up a scavenger hunt around the house or yard. Give the kids a list of items to find, such as a small plastic turkey, a mini pumpkin, or a fall-colored leaf. The first team to find all the items wins a prize! This activity gets the kids moving and helps them engage with their surroundings.

10. Thanksgiving Cookie Decorating

What you’ll need:

1. Sugar cookies in Thanksgiving shapes (turkey, pumpkin, leaf, etc.)
2. Icing, sprinkles, and other decorations

How to make it:

Bake some simple sugar cookies ahead of time in Thanksgiving-themed shapes. Set up a decorating station with icing, sprinkles, and candy to allow the kids to decorate their own cookies. Once done, they can either enjoy their creations or take them home as party favors!

11. “Thankful for You” Card Making

What you’ll need:

1. Blank cards or construction paper
2. Markers, stickers, and crayons

How to make it:

Encourage the kids to create personalized Thanksgiving cards for their family members. They can write something they’re thankful for about each person or draw pictures. This is a great way to help kids reflect on gratitude while crafting!

12. Thanksgiving Charades

What you’ll need:

1. A set of Thanksgiving-themed charades prompts (turkey, pumpkin, pilgrim, etc.)

How to play:

Divide the kids into teams and have them act out Thanksgiving-related words or phrases without speaking, while the others try to guess what they are. This activity is guaranteed to bring lots of laughs and energy to the party!

These Thanksgiving-themed activities are a great way to keep kids entertained while waiting for the big feast. From crafts to games, there’s something for every age group to enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving and may your day be filled with fun, laughter, and lots of gratitude!