Thanksgiving 2026 is on Thursday, November 26. The meal is the main event, but kids need something to do before, during and after dinner. Here are 18 easy Thanksgiving activities for kids that keep them busy and still feel thankful.
Before dinner
- Gratitude turkey: each guest writes one thank-you on a paper feather and adds it to the turkey.
- Handprint turkey place cards: trace hands on card, color the fingers as feathers, write a name on the body.
- Leaf rubbing: crayons and paper over fallen leaves.
- Kids set the table: napkin folding and laying out place cards.
- Thankful jar: everyone drops in a note all day, then read them at dessert.
- Help in the kitchen: washing vegetables, mashing potatoes, stirring.
During dinner
- Kids' activity placemat: tic-tac-toe, counting and drawing while the grown-ups talk.
- Table I-spy bingo: spot the gravy boat, the pie, someone laughing.
- Table talk cards: easy questions like "What made you smile this year?"
- Thankful alphabet: go round the table naming something you're thankful for, A to Z.
- Guess the grown-up: kids read out a fun fact and everyone guesses who it's about.
After dinner
- Thankful word search and turkey maze.
- Family walk and a nature scavenger hunt.
- Pie-tin or paper-cup bowling in the hallway.
- Coloring pages on the floor while dessert settles.
- Make a "thankful list" and keep it for next year.
- Draw a family portrait of everyone at the table.
- Give out a Gratitude Champion award to the kindest helper.
Tips for a calmer day
- Put a kids' table kit together the night before: crayons, printed pages, a small prize.
- Plan one activity for each stage of the day, not ten at once.
- Let little ones leave the table once they're done. Activities make that easier for everyone.
Get it all printed and ready
Our Thankful Turkey Thanksgiving pack has 13 pages for ages 3 to 10: the build-a-gratitude-turkey craft, a kids' placemat, table I-spy bingo, 16 table talk cards, a word search, a maze, two coloring pages and a Gratitude Champion award. Print at home in A4 or US Letter. Looking for more? See our 50 screen-free activities for kids.