20 Festive Thanksgiving Activities for Kids to Keep the Little Ones Entertained

These Thanksgiving activities for kids can be set up before the feast to help pass the time while the kiddos wait to fix their plates. Other activities can be played after dinner and it’s totally up to you what plans you make. Take a look at some of our favorite activities for kids to discover the right things that will work for your family. Happy Turkey Day!

Classic Turkey Handprint

You likely did this craft when you were a child! All you need is some construction paper and paint. Have kids trace their hands, cut out the shape, and then paint their hands. Then, children should press their painted hand onto the paper to create a unique turkey print.

Paper Plate Turkey Craft

Googly eyes, construction paper, a cheap sponge, a glue stick, and a little paint are all it takes to bring this turkey craft to life. Cut a sponge into thirds and then squeeze out some red, orange, and yellow paint. Give kids a paper plate and let them use the sponges to paint it with the colors of the season. While the paint dries, tell kids to create a turkey face using the eyes and cutting shapes from construction paper. Combine for a cute turkey craft!

Toilet Paper Roll Turkey Craft

Googly eyes, construction paper, a toilet paper roll, and a glue stick are all you will need to facilitate this craft. Have kids trace their hands on various colors of construction paper. You can cut out their hands for them or if you have safety scissors, the kids can do it. The hand shapes become a turkey’s plumage as they are glued to the roll.

I Am Thankful Pumpkin Craft

Safety scissors (or you can cut the paper), construction paper in orange and green, a glue stick, and markers are all your little ones will need to create these cute pumpkins. Ask children to write something they are thankful for on each piece of paper then allow them to assemble their paper pumpkins.

Fruit Turkey Craft

This is one of the Thanksgiving activities for kids that you can do in a number of ways. The main thing you will need is an apple or pear for each child. Give them their piece of fruit, and some toothpicks to create feathers for their turkey. Grapes, olives, raisins, marshmallows, etc. are all appropriate here.

Handprint Wreath

Construction paper, a glue stick, craft paint, and a pair of safety scissors are all that is needed to create fall-themed handprint wreaths. You can use a paper plate with the center cut out to make a perfect circle. If you’ve got some ribbon around, you can use that too but don’t sweat it if you don’t.

Free Themed Coloring Pages You Can Print

Crayola has free, printable, Turkey Day coloring pages for kids. Print out several and let kids choose what they want to color. To find the free coloring pages, click here.

Paper Pie Slices

You can use a paper plate and cut it into slices or just cut triangles from construction paper. Ask the kids to decorate their favorite pie. Provide glue sticks, construction paper, safety scissors, and little cotton balls. Then they can judge how their Thanksgiving slices look.

Beaded Corn on the Cob

You will need point beads and pipe cleaners for this holiday craft. Take three or more pipe cleaners (they can be any color but brown and green are the best) and then, twist them together to create a knot that will not allow the beads to fall off. Ask kids to string the beads onto the pipe cleaners until they have something that resembles an ear of corn. Then, twist the other end of the pipe cleaners together and you’ve got a beaded ear of corn.

Turkey Party Hats

Scissors, glue, construction paper, feathers, a hole punch, and yarn are all that is needed to create these festive turkey party hats. Depending on the kids’ ages, you might need to cut and glue together a cone out of brown construction paper for them. Have them apply their beaks, gobblers, eyes, and feathers. Then, hole punch the cone and string yarn through so that the kids can fasten the hats to their heads.

Thanksgiving Bingo

Giggles Galore offers free, printable bingo cards that are Thanksgiving-themed. A round of bingo is one of the best Thanksgiving activities for kids, but the whole family can also get in on the fun with this one. To find the printable cards, click here.

Paper Turkey Puppets

Here’s another classic Thanksgiving activity for kids. Have the children decorate paper bags like turkeys that they can then use as puppets. The kiddos will have so much fun finding their inner turkey voice!

Edible Turkey Crafts

One of the best Thanksgiving activities for kids to do after the feast is to make edible, sweet turkeys. You can use a variety of candies for this craft so don’t feel you need stroopwafel! You can use oreo cookies and candy corn or Reese’s peanut butter cups and M&M’s. Just grab some store-bought frosting to act as the glue to hold your kids’ creations together.

Turkey Day Scavenger Hunt

My Bored Toddler offers a free, printable, scavenger hunt game. You can print it by clicking here. As you know, scavenger hunts can be played in a variety of ways so get creative by hiding objects like little pumpkins or ears of corn for kids to find.

Turkey Tag

This one is a two-parter. First, have kids color clothespins with markers to make them look like little turkeys. Encourage them to use bright colors and to really get creative with them. Next, it’s time for Turkey tag. Attach a clothespin to the back of the shirts of the players. The object is for kids to get as many clothespins off of the other players as possible. The one with the most at the end of the game is the winner.

Thanksgiving Pictionary

Pictionary is fun for the whole family! You can make it Thanksgiving-themed, by writing Turkey Day-inspired words on pieces of paper for the kids to draw. Think of words like pilgrims, pumpkin pie, feast, etc. You can go as big or small with it as you like. Consider decorating the bucket the words are drawn from.

Turkey Waddle Race

This is a goofy race game that is a ton of fun for kids. Expect to hear tons of laughs. It’s a race that kids use balloons between their legs and try to get to the finish line first. Holding the balloon in between the legs makes everyone look like they’re waddling like a turkey.

Thanksgiving Jokes

We have compiled a list of dozens of Thanksgiving jokes to tell kids to keep them entertained. Making the kids laugh is fun enough but if you’ve got kids who are old enough to read, it can be even more fun. Write jokes down on slips of paper and put them in a hat for kids to draw. They each can take turns telling the group their joke! You can find our jokes by clicking here.

Pin the Feather on the Turkey

This Thanksgiving activity for kids is a variation of the classic pin the tail on the donkey game. Instead of a donkey, a turkey is the one that needs pinning. Kids take turns pinning construction paper shaped like feathers on the turkey.

Would You Rather: Thanksgiving Addition

Would you rather is a game that kids love! You can play it this year for Thanksgiving by making the questions themed. Write out questions and put them in a hat for kids to draw. Think of questions like “Would you rather be covered in mashed potatoes or gravy?” Would you rather eat a raw onion or a raw clove of garlic?” “Would you rather go to school wearing a pumping stem on your head or turkey feathers on your but?”

There you go! We hope you found these Thanksgiving activities for kids useful. Keeping the little ones entertained on Thanksgiving is the name of the game. Any one of these activities will delight children. If you’d like even more Thanksgiving fun, keep reading for the best Thanksgiving jokes for kids.

Discover the Very Best Thanksgiving Jokes for Kids Below:

Turkey Thanksgiving Jokes for Kids

• Why did the turkey cross the road? He wanted people to think he was a chicken.
• Why do turkeys love rainy days? They love fowl weather.
• What’s a turkey’s favorite Thanksgiving food? Nothing, it’s really stuffed.

More Turkey Thanksgiving Jokes

• Which side of the turkey has the most feathers? The outside.
• Why do turkeys gobble? Because they never learned table manners.
• What instrument does a turkey play? The drumstick.

Even More Silly Turkey Thanksgiving Jokes for Kids

• What do you call a running turkey? Fast food.
• What did the turkey say to the computer? Google, google.
• What kind of key can’t open doors? A tur-key.

Still More Turkey Thanksgiving Jokes for Kids

• What’s the best song to play while cooking a turkey? “All About the Baste.”
• What do you call a turkey the day after Thanksgiving? Lucky.
• What sound does a turkey’s phone make? Wing-wing-wing-wing.

We Can’t Get Enough of These Turkey Thanksgiving Jokes

• What’s a turkey’s favorite dessert? Apple gobbler.
• What was the turkey thankful for on Thanksgiving? Vegetarians.
• What did the little turkey say to the big turkey? “Go peck on someone your own size.”

Yes, There’s More!

• What do turkeys like to do on sunny days? Have peck-nics.
• Why is it hard to stop telling Thanksgiving jokes? You can’t just quit cold turkey.
• Why did the cranberries turn red? Because they saw the turkey dressing.

We’ve Got Even More Turkey Thanksgiving Jokes to Share

• What sound does a limping turkey make? Wobble-wobble.
• What do you get if you cross a turkey with a ghost? A poultry-geist.
• What did the turkey say to the hunter on Thanksgiving? Quack.

We’re Still Talking Turkey with These Thanksgiving Jokes

• What’s the best way to stuff a turkey? Serve it pizza and ice cream.
• Did you hear about the turkey fight? He got the stuffing knocked out of him.
• If leaves come from trees, where do turkeys come from? Poultries.

Turkey Jokes Are Clearly Where It’s At

• Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building? Of course, buildings can’t jump.
• What do turkeys say on Thanksgiving? Moo.
• Did you hear about the turkey prom? It was a Butterball.

Really Fun Turkey Thanksgiving Jokes

• What do you get when you cross a turkey with a banjo? A turkey that can pluck itself.
• How do turkeys cross the ocean? On a gravy boat.
• Did you hear the one about the rude turkey? It was a jerk-y.

Charming Turkey Thanksgiving Jokes for Kids

• Why was the turkey expelled from the game? It committed a fowl.
• Why didn’t the chef season the turkey? There wasn’t enough thyme.
• What do you call rain on Turkey Day? Fowl Weather

Keep It Rolling with Turkey Thanksgiving Jokes

• How did the turkey get home for Thanksgiving? It took the gravy train.
• What did the turkey say to the mashed potatoes? It’s gravy from here on out.
• How many cooks do you need to stuff a turkey? Just one but sometimes they don’t fit.

Knock-Knock Thanksgiving Jokes

• Knock knock. Who’s there? Arthur. Arthur who? Arthur any leftovers?
• Knock knock. Who’s there? Annie. Annie who? Annie body want some pumpkin pie?
• Knock knock. Who’s there? Gwen. Gwen who? Gwen is Thanksgiving Dinner? I’m hungry.

RELATED: 120+ Kids Knock Knock Jokes That Will Keep Them Giggling

More Knock-Knock Thanksgiving Jokes for Kids

• Knock knock. Who’s there? Dewey. Dewey who? Dewey have to sit at the kids’ table this year?
• Knock knock. Who’s there? Mustache. Mustache who? I mustache you to carve the turkey.
• Knock knock. Who’s there? Noah. Noah who? Noah good pumpkin pie recipe?
• Knock knock. Who’s there? Anita. Anita who? Anita bigger pair of pants because I ate too much.

Food Thanksgiving Jokes for Kids

• Why was the Thanksgiving soup so expensive? Because it had 24 carrots.
• What do you get if you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter? Pumpkin Pi.
• What is a pumpkin’s favorite sport? Squash.

More Food-Inspired Thanksgiving Jokes

• How did the salt and pepper welcome their guests? “Seasoning’s Greetings!”
• What did the sweet potato say when it was asked if it was hungry? “Yes, I yam.”
• What veggies would you like with your Thanksgiving dinner? Beets me.

More Food Thanksgiving Jokes

• What happens when you’re too harsh on cranberries and make them sad? They turn into blueberries.
• Why don’t side dishes tell jokes? They’re too corny.
• Why is corn so popular on Thanksgiving? Because it’s a-maize-ing.

Even More Delightful Food Thanksgiving Jokes for Kids

• How do little pumpkins cross the road? With a crossing gourd.
• Why did the farmer steamroll his potato field? He was craving mashed potatoes.

Miscellaneous Thanksgiving Jokes for Kids

• What do you wear to Thanksgiving dinner? A har-vest.
• What smells the best at Thanksgiving dinner? Your nose.
• What did the hipster say the day after Thanksgiving? I liked the leftovers before they were cool.

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More Random Thanksgiving Jokes

• What do you call Thanksgiving if you’re selfish? Thanks-taking.
• What comes at the beginning of a Thanksgiving parade? The letter “P.”
• What should you expect at the end of Thanksgiving? The letter “G.”
• Did you hear about the scarecrow who won first prize? It was outstanding in its field.

Wow! Aren’t these Thanksgiving jokes for kids delightful?