Kids Thanksgiving Activities
Kids Thanksgiving activities can be low-cost and simple, and still be a lot of fun.
Plan a Thanksgiving party for your daycare or spread out the activities over Thanksgiving week.
The kids will have a blast because they are learning new things and understanding why we celebrate Thanksgiving.
Get as creative as you want and decorate your space with bales of hay, cornstalks, uncarved pumpkins and gourds, dried Indian corn, a scarecrow, or lighted candy corn in the party room and outside the doorway to greet the guests.
Meal or Snack Ideas
Serve Chex Mix mixed with pretzels and candy corn.
Use turkey shaped cookie cutters for pancakes or sandwiches.
For breakfast, make a cornucopia out of a waffle or pancake and fill with cut up fruit.
Slice apples and drizzle with caramel topping. Much easier for little ones to eat.
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Pumpkin Dip
Ingredients:
4 cups of powdered sugar, 2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, I can (30 oz.) pumpkin pie filling, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1 teaspoon ginger.
Combine sugar and softened cream cheese until it is well blended. Beat in the remaining ingredients. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
*This dip is great with gingersnaps!
Kids Thanksgiving Activities
Growing Corn!
Here's an interesting project. Have the children place some dirt in a Ziploc bag. Then, add some water to make the soil moist. You may have to help with this step as you won't want the soil soaked.
Then, have the kids add a few kernels of unpopped popcorn.
Seal the bags. Have the children use their hands to carefully mix it up.
Tape the bags to a sunny window. You should see signs of growth within a week.
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Hunt for Turkey Feathers
Just like an Easter egg hunt... except you'll use colorful feathers that can be found at any craft store.
Hide the feathers all around the house (and yard, if you desire). Hide plenty so each child will be able to find many.
Cut a brown strip of paper that fits around each child's head and staple. Make sure the sharper edge of the staple is facing out so it is not next to the child's head. Let the children attach the feathers with strong tape.
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Thankful Tree
Of all the kids Thanksgiving activities... this one will help children understand the concept of thankfulness.
Create a large paper tree trunk with branches and tape it to a wall.
Have the children trace around their hands using brown, yellow, orange, and red construction paper. Let them make several hands.
Ask the children what they are thankful or grateful for. Write their answer on their hand print and have them write their name on it also.
Let the kids help you tape the hand prints (leaves) on the tree!
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Find the Turkey!
Acquire a small turkey. You should be able to find one at any dollar store. It doesn't matter what it is made of... ceramic, paper, etc.
Have one child cover their eyes. Hide the “turkey” somewhere in the room you all are in. Then the child may uncover their eyes to search for the turkey.
The other children will provide a clue to help the child find the turkey. If the child is walking in the direction of the turkey, the rest of the children will say "Gobble, Gobble". The closer the child is to the turkey, the louder the "gobbling" can get. If the child walks away from the turkey, the 'gobbling" will be quieter or completely stop.
When the turkey is found, choose another child to look for the turkey and start again.
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Turkey Pokey
Play the Hokey Pokey... turkey style!
You put your right wing in, you take your right wing out,
You put your right wing in and you shake it all about.
You do the Turkey Pokey and you gobble as you shout,
“That’s what it’s all about.”
Continue with left wing, right leg, left leg, head, and finish with your whole self.
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Leaf Wreath
Cut out the center of a white paper plate.
Give the kids a selection of dried fall leaves and some glue.Show the kids how to spread glue on the plate a section at a time and gently press the leaves around the plate.
For younger kids I used double-sided sticky tape already affixed to their plates so all they had to do was press on the leaves.
Either way, the finished wreath will look great in windows or on doors.
Set out some dried fall leaves and some glue.
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