Thanksgiving is a special time of enjoying family, friends and giving thanks for many blessings. In keeping with the spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving, here are some easy and fun holiday activities for families and children using things probably already around the house. These creative ideas will keep the celebration simple and meaningful.
Cranberries in a Jar Idea
Fill a canning jar or other glass container with fresh cranberries. Guess how many cranberries are in there. When it is time to count, take the opportunity to practice estimation. Take out a half a cup of cranberries and use that information to determine if the first guess was a good one or if it is possible to make a more accurate prediction. Then count to find out who came closest.
Graph Paper Indian Corn Craft
Using graph paper, cut out corn shapes. Use crayons or colored pencils to color in the squares and make Indian corn. Use light brown paper to make shucks and connect them together into a cluster and hang.
Thanksgiving Dinner ABC
Make a list of what to eat for Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, etc.). Then put the words in ABC order and draw a little picture of each item.
Thank You Note Project
Write a thank you note to someone who has blessed you in some way this year. Illustrate the card with either a Thanksgiving theme or a picture to match the reason for the thank you.
Thanksgiving Bingo Game
Make a list of Thanksgiving words such as turkey, cranberry, Pilgrims, Mayflower, pumpkin, etc. Have each child fill in a bingo sheet drawn on a plain piece of paper, putting the words wherever they choose. Then play bingo using candy corn for the cover pieces.
Turkey Feather Thanks
Cut out a turkey body from construction paper and hang on the wall or door. Each day write something for which you are thankful on a feather cut out of construction paper and add it to the turkey.
Thankful Art Collage
Make a collage of things for which you are thankful. Use magazines, newspapers, catalogs, stickers or your own drawings in the collage.
Creative Sticker Story Writing
Use Thanksgiving stickers for some of the words in a Thanksgiving story you write. For example, if you use the word “pilgrim” instead of writing the word, put a pilgrim sticker there.
Thanksgiving Story Sequence Chart
Read a favorite Thanksgiving story or select a new one. After reading the story, take a large sheet of paper and divide it into four sections by drawing a vertical line and a horizontal line. In the four sections, retell the highlights of the story by writing a sentence and drawing a picture. This is also a great way to practice sequence (first, next, next, last).
Enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday should be focused on meaningful activities with family and friends. By using simple crafts and projects, children can enjoy doing special things that don't cost a lot of money or take a lot of prep time. For other Thanksgiving ideas, see Create Meaningful Family Thanksgiving Traditions, Thanksgiving Ideas, Projects and Writing Prompts and Classic Thanksgiving Picture Books.
Sallie Schaaf Borrink - Sallie Borrink is a professional writer with extensive experience with business clients, the consumer market, and online destinations.
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