Why We Created This Free Printable Kids Thanksgiving Activity Pack

We love Thanksgiving here at Dash Into Learning, and we know that many of our readers do, too. That's why we've put together this FREE kids' Thanksgiving activity pack for you to enjoy with your family.

This free printable pack includes coloring pages, a silly fill-in-the-word game, a Thanksgiving cut-and-paste activity, and other fun activities that your kids will love. And best of all, it's completely free!

We hope that you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

How to use the free printable Thanksgiving activity pack

The activity pack can be used in a number of ways. Here are some ideas:

-Use the coloring pages as placemats at your Thanksgiving feast. I recommend laminating, which you can use again.

-While kids are coloring, you can read to them the history of Thanksgiving. Discuss why it was important for the new colonists to engage with their native friends.

-Kids can reflect on what gratitude means while doing the cut-and-paste thankfulness activity. A discussion can be held after they finish to see what each child is thankful for.

-Kids can practice reading while feeding the Thanksgiving feasters.

-Each child can search and find a hidden food piece around the room for the feasters.

-To add a bit more competition to the game, you can hide only one turkey, and the winner is whoever finds the bird.

-A Thanksgiving silly-fill in word game is also included! Mad Lib Thanksgiving style is always filled with laughs plus teaches grammar! Read at Thanksgiving dinner for lots of smiles. 

 We hope you have lots of fun with this activity pack!

Fun Thanksgiving facts

Here are some fun facts about Thanksgiving to get your little ones excited about the holiday:

-The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 and included 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Native Americans.

-Turkey wasn't served at the first Thanksgiving, but it has become the traditional main dish of the holiday meal.

-Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863.

-Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States.

-In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October.

Bonus Thanksgiving Activity Ideas

In addition to the free printables and activities in our Thanksgiving Activity Pack, there are plenty of other bonus activities you can do with your kids to get them into the holiday spirit! Here are a few of our favorites:

- Make a Thanksgiving tree: Have each member of the family write down things they're thankful for on colorful leaves, then glue or tape them to a bare tree branch. As the leaves accumulate, your tree will be a beautiful reminder of all the things you have to be grateful for.

- Decorate pumpkin seeds: This is a fun and easy activity that even the littlest members of the family can enjoy. Simply rinse and dry some pumpkin seeds, then let your kids go to town decorating them with paint, glitter, or whatever else they can dream up. They can use their finished seeds to make a collage on paper for the holiday.

- Have a cranberry relay: This is a great way to burn off some energy while also getting into the festive spirit of cranberry season! Set up two bowls of water at opposite ends of the room, and then give each team member a handful of cranberries. The object of the game is to see who can transfer all their berries from one bowl to the other using only their teeth—no hands allowed!

- Make place cards: Get your kids involved in setting the table by having them make their own place cards. They can use construction paper, markers, crayons, stickers—anything goes! Just make sure each family member has their own special spot.

However you choose to make the day special, we hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Looking for more free learning resources? Be sure to see our freebies page.