Did someone say “Pass the Thanksgiving Activities”?
Hey there, fabulous elementary teachers! As the leaves change colors and the air gets a little crisper, it’s time to sprinkle some Thanksgiving magic into your classroom. I have found you some quick and easy activities that’ll have your students gobbling up the excitement faster than you can say pumpkin pie. Let’s dive right in!
Turkey Trouble on Storyline Online
Grab your popcorn (or maybe some popcorn-shaped turkey snacks) and settle in for a festive storytime with your students. Head over to Storyline Online and watch “Turkey Trouble” together. It’s a delightful tale that’ll have your class giggling and getting into the Thanksgiving spirit. We know that adding a read-aloud, even a video of one, can add lots of fun to any lesson.
After students watch this fun story, have them get creative! Give them paper and crayons and let them create a disguise for turkey. You could even let students work collaboratively. I am sure Turkey will appreciate the help.
Silly Turkeys on Starfall
Who says learning can’t be as fun as a turkey doing the cha-cha? Get your students to channel their inner artists on Starfall as they create their very own silly turkeys. It’s a fantastic way to incorporate creativity into the season, and who knows, you might discover the next Picasso in your classroom!
Artistic Feathers and Handprint Turkeys
Speaking of artists, let creativity soar with an art-filled project. Create a “Soul-ful Turkey” with footprint feathers and “Hand-some Friends” made from handprints. It’s a hands-on (literally!) way to add a touch of Thanksgiving flair to your bulletin boards while letting each student’s unique style shine.
Let students trace their footprint (or around their shoe). They then cut out their footprints and decorate them. This is one of those Thanksgiving activities you can make as simple or as elaborate as you want. Sketch out a large turkey body or find some fun clip art and print a large image. Students then add their feathers.
The handprint turkeys have been a Thanksgiving staple for years (maybe centuries!). Students can trace their hands and then create a very hand-some turkey. Fun Thanksgiving activities don’t get much easier than these!
Butter-Making Bonanza
If your school allows for some hands-on kitchen magic, making butter is an absolute winner. All you need is heavy whipping cream, a small jar (like a baby food jar), a marble in the jar, and a paper towel or cloth to put around the jar. Pair up your students and let them shake their way to deliciousness. It’s a tactile experience that ties into the season and ends with a tasty treat. Just don’t forget the crackers or toast for the grand butter reveal!
PBSKIDS.org Thanksgiving Extravaganza
If you want to add more technology to the Thanksgiving activities, check out PBSKIDS.org. PBSKIDS.org is serving up a Thanksgiving feast of games and videos featuring your students’ favorite characters. From Arthur’s Elwood City Thanksgiving to Maya and Miguel’s Best Thanksgiving Ever, there’s no shortage of holiday cheer. Plus, sneak in a little nutrition lesson with the food games – it’s like Thanksgiving and science rolled into one!
Educational Thanksgiving Activities
Although we want to add fun to our Thanksgiving activities, we also want to make sure we are adding in some great learning activities too. These next two are fun and educational – a win-win!
Feast Graph and Recipe Writing
Turn your classroom into a mini-Thanksgiving kitchen with a feast graph. Have students pick their favorite traditional Thanksgiving dish and create a colorful graph. Bonus: take it up a notch by having them write recipes for their chosen dish. Who knows, you might uncover a future Food Network star! This activity can also be extended if you have students who do not celebrate Thanksgiving. Let these students share one of their families’ traditional recipes. A quick and easy Thanksgiving activity can be turned into a global activity.
Tappletons’ Thanksgiving Adventure
Get cozy with “Thanksgiving at the Tappletons” and then kick off a Venn diagram party. This fun story is a crowd-pleaser with all of the Thanksgiving mishaps. Have your students compare their Thanksgiving traditions to those of the Tappleton family. It’s a thoughtful activity that encourages critical thinking and reflection on what is really important during this holiday season.
Want more fun read-alouds? Check out these blog posts for more ideas: The Best Picture Books for November Elementary Fun and The Best Books for November Elementary Fun, Part 2.
Calm Thanksgiving Activities
Sometimes you need a calm activity. These last two are easy to implement and sure to calm even our wildest little turkey, plus they can boost vocabulary!
Whip up a quick and easy Thanksgiving-themed word search to engage your students. You can find online generators or create your own with holiday-themed words. It’s a sneaky way to reinforce vocabulary while keeping things light and enjoyable.
Play fun fall/Thanksgiving-themed bingo! Everyone loves bingo. Just pull out the cards and chips and you can build vocabulary while playing a game. Do you need a bingo game? You can have this one….it can be found in my Members Only Free Resource Library. Click the image or the button. You will get access to the library where you can grab this game and others.
Thanksgiving Activities Conclusion
So there you have it – a cornucopia of Thanksgiving activities to make your elementary classroom a festive and fun-filled place. May your holiday season be filled with joy, laughter, and a dash of turkey-induced creativity! Gobble gobble! 🦃✨