35+ Easy Thanksgiving Crafts and Activities for Kids

Easy Thanksgiving crafts and activities for kids! Find turkey crafts, free printables, games and fun Thanksgiving ideas for preschool, kindergarten and early elementary grades.

Thanksgiving Crafts and Activities for Kids

Looking for fun and easy Thanksgiving crafts and activities for kids? You’re in the right place!

I’ve gathered all of our favorite Thanksgiving crafts, printable activities, games and learning ideas into one big collection to make planning for November a little easier.

From adorable turkey crafts and pumpkin pie projects to Thanksgiving bingo, scavenger hunts, coloring pages and gratitude activities, there’s something here for kids of all ages.

These Thanksgiving activities are especially great for preschool, kindergarten and early elementary children and can easily be used at home, in the classroom, at daycare or as part of a homeschool Thanksgiving theme.

Best of all, everything you’ll find below was created right here at This Tiny Blue House.

Easy Thanksgiving Crafts and Activities for Kids

Whether you need a quick Thanksgiving classroom craft, something fun for the kids’ table or a screen-free activity to keep little hands busy during November, these are some of our favorite ways to celebrate Thanksgiving with kids.

Many of these activities also work on important early learning skills like cutting, coloring, letter recognition, counting, visual discrimination and fine motor development.

So, grab your cardstock, crayons, scissors and glue sticks and pick a few favorites to try this Thanksgiving!

Turkey Crafts for Kids

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without a few adorable turkeys!

These easy turkey crafts for kids are perfect for preschool and kindergarten classrooms, Thanksgiving craft sessions at home and November bulletin board displays.

Turkey Name Craft

Our Turkey Name Craft combines Thanksgiving crafting with early literacy practice.

Kids color, cut and assemble their own adorable turkey before adding the letters of their name to its colorful feathers. It’s especially fun for preschool and kindergarten and makes an adorable Thanksgiving bulletin board display.

📚 Book pairing: Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano – Turkey has a clever plan to avoid becoming Thanksgiving dinner by disguising himself as all kinds of other animals.

Turkey Handprint Craft

Little hands become the star of this sweet Turkey Handprint Craft.

Kids use their handprint to create a colorful Thanksgiving turkey, making this an especially cute Thanksgiving keepsake for preschoolers and kindergarteners.

📚 Book pairing: How to Catch a Turkey by Adam Wallace – A silly turkey is running loose at school just before the Thanksgiving play and catching him turns into quite the adventure.

Paper Plate Turkey Craft

Put those inexpensive paper plates to good use with our Paper Plate Turkey Craft.

Kids use a paper plate, paint and simple craft supplies to make their own colorful Thanksgiving turkey. It’s easy enough for young children and looks adorable displayed on a classroom bulletin board.

📚 Book pairing: 10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston – A silly rhyming counting book filled with goofy turkeys that’s especially fun for younger children.

Paper Bag Turkey Craft

Our Paper Bag Turkey Craft turns an ordinary brown lunch bag into a colorful turkey puppet.

Kids get plenty of cutting, folding and gluing practice while creating a turkey they can actually use for pretend play when they’re finished.

📚 Book pairing: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey! by Lucille Colandro – The familiar old lady is back with a funny Thanksgiving twist kids will get a kick out of.

Wood Slice Turkey Craft

Try something a little different this Thanksgiving with our Wood Slice Turkey Craft.

Wood slices, colorful feathers and simple craft supplies come together to make cute little turkeys that are perfect for a November craft session at home or school.

📚 Book pairing: A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman – A clever turkey realizes the people of Squawk Valley have a sneaky plan for Thanksgiving dinner and decides to outsmart them.

Thanksgiving Thankful Turkey Craft

Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to talk to young children about gratitude, and our Thanksgiving Thankful Turkey Craft makes it easy.

Kids color and assemble their turkey before writing something they’re thankful for on each feather.

This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving classroom activities because it combines crafting, writing and a meaningful conversation about gratitude.

📚 Book pairing: The Thankful Book by Todd Parr – A bright, kid-friendly book that helps children recognize all the big and little things they can be thankful for.

Pumpkin Crafts for Thanksgiving

Pumpkins aren’t just for Halloween! They’re also a perfect fit for Thanksgiving and harvest-themed crafting throughout October and November.

These easy pumpkin crafts are especially fun for preschool and kindergarten classrooms learning about pumpkins, farms, the fall harvest and Thanksgiving.

Paper Plate Pumpkin Craft

Our Paper Plate Pumpkin Craft is one of my favorite easy pumpkin crafts for preschool and kindergarten.

Kids cover a small paper plate with torn orange paper before adding a stem, curly green vines and their own hand-drawn pumpkin face. Because every child can decorate their pumpkin differently, this is an especially cute craft to turn into a fall or Thanksgiving classroom bulletin board.

📚 Book pairing: Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White – After Rebecca Estelle discovers that pumpkins aren’t quite as terrible as she thought, she finds some wonderfully creative ways to use an enormous pumpkin harvest.

Paper Bag Pumpkin Craft

Turn an ordinary lunch bag into a cute pumpkin with our Paper Bag Pumpkin Craft.

Kids use construction paper and our printable template to create their own friendly pumpkin character. Skip the jack-o’-lantern face and this one works beautifully for a pumpkin, farm, harvest or Thanksgiving theme.

📚 Book pairing: It’s Pumpkin Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff – Mouse decorates pumpkins with all sorts of silly expressions in this short and playful pumpkin story that’s especially fun for preschoolers.

Pumpkin Name Craft

Combine a seasonal pumpkin theme with name recognition using our Pumpkin Name Craft.

Kids create their own pumpkin while practicing the letters in their name, making this a fun addition to preschool and kindergarten literacy centers during the fall and Thanksgiving season.

📚 Book pairing: Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White – A wonderful harvest story about Rebecca Estelle and the enormous crop of pumpkins she unexpectedly grows.

Pumpkin Wagon Name Craft

Our Pumpkin Wagon Name Craft is another fun way to combine a harvest theme with early literacy.

Kids fill their wagon with pumpkins containing the letters of their name, giving them hands-on practice with letter recognition, name spelling and sequencing.

📚 Book pairing: The Biggest Pumpkin Surprise Ever by Steven Kroll – Two little mice unknowingly care for the same pumpkin and eventually work together when it grows into an enormous one.

Pumpkin Pie Name Craft

Name practice gets a delicious Thanksgiving makeover with our Pumpkin Pie Name Craft.

Kids color a slice of pumpkin pie and add whipped cream dollops containing the letters of their name. It’s a fun Thanksgiving name recognition activity for preschool and kindergarten and looks adorable displayed in the classroom during November.

📚 Book pairing: How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara – A classroom pumpkin-counting experiment turns into a clever lesson about math, observation and why you shouldn’t judge something by its size.

Pumpkin Pie Paper Plate Craft

No Thanksgiving feast is complete without pie!

Our Pumpkin Pie Paper Plate Craft lets kids create their own pretend slice of this classic Thanksgiving dessert using a paper plate and simple craft supplies.

This is an easy Thanksgiving craft for preschoolers and kindergarteners and would be especially fun to make while talking about favorite Thanksgiving foods and family traditions.

📚 Book pairing: The Perfect Thanksgiving by Eileen Spinelli – Two families celebrate Thanksgiving in very different ways in this sweet story about family and the things that really matter.

More Harvest Crafts for Thanksgiving

Pumpkins aren’t the only way to bring a harvest theme into your Thanksgiving crafting!

Corn, acorns and scarecrows all work beautifully during November and help give kids a broader look at the fall harvest season.

Paper Bag Corn Craft

Celebrate the fall harvest with our adorable Paper Bag Corn Craft.

Using a brown paper bag, construction paper and our printable template, children create a cute ear of corn that doubles as a puppet.

It’s a great fine motor Thanksgiving craft for preschool and kindergarten and works especially well alongside lessons about farms, crops and the foods we eat at Thanksgiving.

📚 Book pairing: The Popcorn Book by Tomie dePaola – This kid-friendly classic mixes the history and science of corn and popcorn with plenty of interesting facts.

Paper Bag Acorn Craft

Our Paper Bag Acorn Craft is another simple harvest-themed activity that works beautifully during November.

Kids transform an ordinary lunch bag into a cute acorn character using basic craft supplies and our printable template. Once they’re finished, they can use their acorn as a puppet for imaginative play.

📚 Book pairing: Because of an Acorn by Lola M. Schaefer and Adam Schaefer – Beautiful illustrations show children how one tiny acorn can eventually influence an entire forest ecosystem.

Torn Paper Acorn Craft

Tearing paper is such a simple way to work on fine motor skills.

Our Torn Paper Acorn Craft gives kids plenty of tearing and gluing practice as they fill an acorn template with small pieces of colorful paper.

It’s low prep, inexpensive and especially well suited to preschool and kindergarten classrooms during a fall harvest or Thanksgiving theme.

📚 Book pairing: Little Acorn by Melanie Joyce – Follow a tiny acorn as it grows into a mighty oak tree in this sweet introduction to the life cycle of an oak.

Paper Bag Scarecrow Craft

Celebrate the fall harvest with this cheerful Paper Bag Scarecrow Craft.

Kids use a brown lunch bag and simple craft supplies to create their own scarecrow puppet. It’s a fun choice for Thanksgiving classroom crafting and pairs especially well with lessons about farms and the fall harvest.

📚 Book pairing: The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry – This beautifully illustrated story about an unexpected friendship has a lovely message about kindness and helping others.

Printable Thanksgiving Activities and Games

Crafting isn’t the only way to have some screen-free fun during Thanksgiving.

I’ve also created a growing collection of free printable Thanksgiving activities for kids that are perfect for classrooms, homeschool, Thanksgiving parties, family gatherings and the kids’ table.

Print a few favorites or combine several to make your own Thanksgiving activity pack.

Thanksgiving Bingo

Our Thanksgiving Bingo is one of my favorite activities for a Thanksgiving family gathering.

The printable game features colorful Thanksgiving-themed pictures, making it easy for younger children to play along too.

Use small erasers, pom-poms or other little manipulatives as bingo markers and play a few rounds before or after Thanksgiving dinner.

📚 Book pairing: Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland – A simple and sweet story that helps young children think about all the people and things they’re thankful for.

Printable Thanksgiving Placemats

Keep little hands busy while everyone waits for Thanksgiving dinner with our Printable Thanksgiving Placemats.

These festive activity placemats are perfect for the Thanksgiving kids’ table and give children a fun, screen-free way to stay entertained during your holiday celebration.

Print a copy for each child, set out some crayons or colored pencils and you’ve got an easy Thanksgiving activity that requires virtually no prep.

Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt

Get kids moving with our Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt.

Children search for seasonal items like an acorn, pumpkin, turkey, corn, leaves, pumpkin pie and other Thanksgiving-themed objects while checking them off their printable list.

It’s a great way to add a little movement and screen-free fun to your Thanksgiving celebration.

📚 Book pairing: We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger – Three friends head out in search of colorful autumn leaves in this fun fall adventure that’s perfect before a seasonal scavenger hunt.

Thanksgiving Cootie Catcher

Remember making paper fortune tellers as a kid?

Our printable Thanksgiving Cootie Catcher brings that classic activity back with a festive holiday twist.

Kids color, cut and fold their own cootie catcher before using the Thanksgiving jokes inside for some screen-free holiday fun.

📚 Book pairing: The Great Thanksgiving Escape by Mark Fearing – Two cousins hatch a plan to escape the boring parts of Thanksgiving dinner in this funny holiday adventure.

Thanksgiving Coloring Pages

Sometimes the simplest activities are the biggest hit.

Our Thanksgiving Coloring Pages are an easy no-prep activity for morning work, early finishers or the Thanksgiving kids’ table.

Set out crayons, markers or colored pencils and let kids get creative while everyone waits for Thanksgiving dinner.

📚 Book pairing: I Am Thankful by Sheri Wall – A sweet rhyming story that celebrates gratitude, family traditions, kindness and giving during Thanksgiving.

Turkey Color By Number

Sneak a little learning into your Thanksgiving celebration with our Turkey Color By Number.

Kids practice number recognition, color recognition and fine motor skills while coloring a festive Thanksgiving turkey.

It’s an easy activity to add to November morning work, early finisher bins or a Thanksgiving busy binder.

📚 Book pairing: 10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston – Pair the number practice with this silly turkey counting book for even more Thanksgiving-themed math fun.

Thanksgiving I Spy

Our Thanksgiving I Spy is loaded with Thanksgiving-themed pictures for kids to find and count.

It’s a fun way to work on visual tracking, counting, sorting and visual discrimination while keeping kids happily busy without a screen.

📚 Book pairing: The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing – This Thanksgiving spin on the classic Christmas poem follows a family as they prepare for their holiday celebration.

Thanksgiving Word Search

Older elementary kids who enjoy puzzles will love our Thanksgiving Word Search.

The printable puzzle contains 25 Thanksgiving vocabulary words hidden throughout the grid, making it a great choice for early finishers, Thanksgiving classroom activities or quiet time at home.

📚 Book pairing: Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet – The fascinating true story of Tony Sarg and the giant balloons that became an iconic part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Printable Pilgrim Hat Template

Our Printable Pilgrim Hat Template is a simple cut-and-paste Thanksgiving craft for kids.

Children can color, cut and assemble their hat and even turn their finished project into a paper crown to wear during Thanksgiving activities.

📚 Book pairing: The Story of the Pilgrims by Katharine Ross – A picture-book introduction to the traditional story of the Pilgrims written for young readers.

Thanksgiving Activities for the Classroom or Home

One of the things I love most about these Thanksgiving crafts and activities for kids is how easy they are to adapt to different settings.

Teachers can use the crafts for November bulletin boards, morning work, literacy centers, early finisher activities or Thanksgiving classroom celebrations.

At home, you can print a few of the games and coloring activities to create your own Thanksgiving busy pack. They’re especially handy when you’re preparing Thanksgiving dinner and need something fun to keep little hands busy.

You can even set out a stack of printables with crayons and pencils at the kids’ table for an easy screen-free Thanksgiving activity station.

More Fall Fun for Kids

Not quite ready to move on to Christmas?

We have lots more screen-free fall fun for kids!

Visit our Fall Crafts for Kids collection for even more easy autumn projects featuring pumpkins, apples, leaves, acorns, woodland animals and plenty of colorful fall fun.

You can also check out our Fall Name Crafts if you’re looking for seasonal activities that combine crafting with name recognition and early literacy practice.

Save These Thanksgiving Crafts and Activities for Later

I hope you found a few Thanksgiving crafts and activities for kids that you’re excited to try!

Whether you’re making colorful turkey crafts with preschoolers, planning Thanksgiving activities for your kindergarten classroom or printing a few games to keep kids busy during Thanksgiving dinner, these ideas are an easy way to add a little extra screen-free fun to the holiday.

We’re always adding new crafts, printable activities and learning games to This Tiny Blue House, so be sure to check back often.

And, don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest and Facebook where we’re always sharing our newest screen-free crafts and activities for kids.

Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃