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Thanksgiving Kids Activities: 12 Ideas

Thanksgiving Kids Activities: 12 Ideas

By Sarah Mitchell · October 16, 2026

Why Plan Kids Activities

Thanksgiving dinner takes hours to prepare, and bored kids become disruptive kids. Having a rotation of activities ready keeps them engaged while adults cook and socialize.

Crafts (Ages 3-8)

Turkey handprint art — Trace hands on colored paper, cut out, and glue onto a turkey body template.
Gratitude tree — Cut leaf shapes from colored paper. Each person writes what they are thankful for and clips leaves to a branch in a vase.
Paper bag puppets — Brown lunch bags become turkeys, pilgrims, or pumpkins with markers and feathers.

Kitchen Helpers (Ages 5-12)

Butter making — Shake heavy cream in a mason jar until it separates into butter.
Rolls and cookies — Give kids pre-portioned dough to shape with cookie cutters.
Table setting — Let them design place cards and fold napkins creatively.

Active Games (All Ages)

Turkey trot relay — Waddle between cones with a balloon between the knees.
Scavenger hunt — Hide autumn-themed items around the house with clue cards.
Charades — Thanksgiving-themed words: turkey, gravy, football, parade, pie.

Quiet Activities (Ages 3-6)

Coloring station — Print Thanksgiving coloring pages at a kid-height table.
Playdough station — Autumn-colored playdough with cookie cutters.
Movie corner — A Thanksgiving-appropriate movie in a separate room for a calm break.