Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to engage your preschoolers in fun and educational activities. Here are 20 Thanksgiving-themed activities that will keep your little ones entertained and excited for the holiday season!
1. Turkey Handprint Art: Have children trace their hand on a piece of construction paper, and then use paint or markers to turn their handprint into a colorful turkey.
2. Cornucopia Collage: Provide magazines for kids to cut out pictures of fruits and vegetables. They can then glue the images onto a paper cornucopia shape, creating a bountiful harvest display.
3. Thankful Tree: Cut out leaves from construction paper and have children write or draw something they’re thankful for on each leaf. Attach the leaves to a poster board tree or real branches displayed in a vase.
4. Pilgrim Hat Craft: Help kids create their own pilgrim hats using black and white construction paper, glue, and ribbon.
5. Turkey Feather Math: Use colored feathers as manipulatives for counting, sorting, or simple addition problems.
6. “I Am Thankful” Book: Encourage children to illustrate their own Thanksgiving book with drawings of things they are thankful for.
7. Mayflower Ship Building: Provide materials like popsicle sticks, tape, and tissue paper for children to build miniature replica Mayflower ships.
8. Pumpkin Pie Play Dough: Whip up a batch of homemade pumpkin-scented play dough and let your preschoolers enjoy sensory play while practicing fine motor skills.
9. Thanksgiving Storytelling: Help kids create their own Thanksgiving story with felt characters and props related to the first Thanksgiving.
10. Native American Headband Craft: Have preschoolers design their own Native American headbands with construction paper, feathers, beads, and markers.
11. Turkey Letter Hunt: Hide foam or magnetic letters around the room and have children search for them, identifying each letter they find.
12. Pilgrim and Native American Dress-Up: Provide materials such as clothing, hats, and accessories for children to dress up as Pilgrims or Native Americans.
13. Thanksgiving Sensory Bin: Fill a large bin with dried corn, popcorn kernels, acorns, leaves, and small toys. Children will enjoy exploring different textures while practicing their fine motor skills.
14. Turkey Bowling: Set up mini bowling pins shaped like turkeys or pilgrims and let kids practice their gross motor skills by knocking them down.
15. Thanksgiving Memory Game: Create a deck of Thanksgiving-themed cards and play a memory matching game with your preschoolers.
16. Turkey Puppet Show: Make turkey puppets from paper bags, construction paper, googly eyes, and feathers. Encourage kids to put on a Thanksgiving-themed puppet show.
17. Indian Corn Painting: Let your preschoolers get creative with painting Indian corn using watercolors or finger paints.
18. Gratitude Scavenger Hunt: Organize a scavenger hunt that encourages children to find items representing things they’re grateful for.
19. Pilgrim Chore Relay Race: Teach kids about the chores Pilgrims had to do by setting up relay races involving sweeping, folding clothes, or stacking firewood.
20. Thanksgiving Texture Collage: Collect various textured materials such as felt, tissue paper, burlap, and lace. Have kids create a one-of-a-kind collage with these textures to resemble a Thanksgiving feast.
With these 20 Thanksgiving preschool activities in your arsenal, you’ll have no problem keeping the little ones entertained throughout the holiday season while they learn essential skills!
