Feast on Fun! Great Thanksgiving Books and Activities for Kids
by Devon A. Corneal
Thanksgiving is a time of celebration, food, family, and friends. Get your kids excited about the upcoming holiday, or distract them day-of, with some great Thanksgiving reads and crafts.
Check out our list of festive, easy, and delicious activities for everyone from babies to grade schoolers. Pick one, or a few, and then sit back and see what they create!
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Talk Turkey with Your Toddler
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READ: Five Silly Turkeys
Available from:Your toddler will love reading about silly turkeys in this delightful counting book. From turkeys dancing to being chased by a bee, you’re in for a wild ride!
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MAKE: Handprint Turkey
Capture the spirit of the holiday and your child’s hand and footprints forever with this easy Thanksgiving craft.
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Teach Them About the Traditions
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READ: My First Thanksgiving
Available from:Beloved children’s books author Tomie dePaola captures Thanksgiving in a way your little reader is sure to enjoy. It’s a great way to learn about the traditional celebrations associated with the fall holiday.
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MAKE: Fingerpaint Mayflower
Finger-painting and a mini-history lesson unite to help your littlest ones create their own Mayflower.
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Create a Centerpiece
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READ: Thanksgiving Activity Book
Grade school readers can spend a few hours going through the mazes, stickers, recipes, and crafts in this collection of Thanksgiving activities. Hand them this entertaining book the very first time they complain that they’re bored.
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MAKE: Holiday Centerpiece
This book is so full of activities, recipes, crafts, and information, that it’s hard to suggest just one, but why not go nuts and try the table centerpiece! Kids will love having contributed to the holiday décor and you won’t have to go buy flowers.
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Get Active After Dinner
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READ: Judy Moody and Stink: The Wishbone Wish
Available from:Judy Moody and Stink are at it again, and this time they’re determined to win the annual Turkey Trot and the turkey prize that comes with it. But if they don’t win, will the whole family starve?
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MAKE: Your Own Festive Sporting Event
Hold your own family Turkey Trot in the backyard or at a local park to work off some of the pie you just ate. Try a three-legged or sack race with the kids. Hosting your extended family and friends? Have a competitive game of flag football and reward the winning team with hot cocoa or warm cider.
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Build a Happy Hideout
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READ: The Great Thanksgiving Escape
Family gatherings are supposed to be fun, but if you’re a kid, they can sometimes feel like a gauntlet of outstretched hands, pinched cheeks, and rules. You can’t blame a kid for wanting to make a break for the swing set. Which is exactly what Gavin and his cousin Rhonda try to do in fun twist on the usual holiday story.
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MAKE: Blanket Fort
If you can’t run from your relatives, you can hide. Let the kids make a blanket fort in a bedroom, away from the decorations and football games and adults. Let them pretend to be on the Mayflower heading for the New World or huddled in a log cabin trying to survive a New England winter.
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Make a Fall Friend
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READ: Sophie’s Squash
Available from:Sophie has a very special friend named Bernice. Bernice, as it happens, is a butternut squash that Sophie saved from being baked with marshmallows. The wonderfully unique Sophie with her vertical pigtails and the gradually mushy and bumpy Bernice are certain to change your views on friendship — and maybe squash casserole too.
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MAKE: Your Own Pet Squash
If you can’t imagine letting your child carry around a bruised butternut squash this season, let them create their very own (non-perishable) friend.
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Delight in the Dinner Table
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READ: The Night Before Thanksgiving
Available from:It’s almost the big day! And everyone’s helping get the feast ready. You and your child can follow along as the preparations are made, guests are received, and everyone around the table!
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MAKE: Leaf Place Cards
Liven up the dinner table with place cards. Burn off some energy with a nature walk to collect colorful autumn leaves and then head inside to warm up and get creative!
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Give Thanks for the Grub
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READ: Sharing the Bread
Available from:Put the “thanks” back in Thanksgiving with this old-fashioned Thanksgiving story that captures the traditions and warmth of our holiday meal.
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MAKE: Homemade Bread
Nothing says the holidays like warm bread from the oven. With this simple recipe, your kids can bake gorgeous loaves of bread for your family feast.