Creative Thanksgiving Day Activities for Your Preschooler to Enjoy and Explore

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to gather with family, share gratitude, and enjoy festive traditions. For parents of preschoolers, the holiday can also bring challenges: young children often have a lot of energy, making it tricky to keep them happily engaged during long family gatherings or meal preparation. The good news is that with a little planning, you can fill Thanksgiving Day with fun, meaningful activities that capture your preschooler’s imagination and keep them busy in positive ways.

This post offers a variety of creative, hands-on ideas designed specifically for preschool-aged children. These activities encourage learning, creativity, and movement, while also introducing the spirit of Thanksgiving. Whether you want simple crafts, sensory play, or active games, you’ll find plenty of inspiration here to make the day enjoyable for your little one and stress-free for you.

Creative Thanksgiving Crafts for Preschoolers

Crafts are a classic way to engage preschoolers because they combine creativity with fine motor skill development. Here are some easy, festive projects that use everyday household items:

Paper Plate Turkey

• Use a paper plate as the turkey’s body.

• Let your child paint or color the plate brown.

• Cut out colorful feathers from construction paper or use real leaves collected outside.

• Glue the feathers around the back of the plate.

• Add googly eyes and a paper beak to complete the face.

  
  

This craft is simple, tactile, and results in a cute decoration your child can proudly display.

Handprint Pilgrim Hats

• Trace your child’s hand on black construction paper and cut it out.

• Use a strip of yellow paper to create a hatband.

• Glue the handprint onto a white paper base shaped like a pilgrim hat.

• Let your child decorate with markers or stickers.

  
  

Handprint crafts create lasting memories and help children connect with the holiday’s history in a fun way.

Thanksgiving Collage

• Gather magazines, colored paper, fabric scraps, and natural items like leaves or acorns.

• Provide a large sheet of paper or cardboard.

• Encourage your child to glue items to create a Thanksgiving-themed collage.

• Talk about the different textures and colors as you work together.

  
  

This activity promotes sensory exploration and creativity.

Sensory Play Ideas to Spark Curiosity

Sensory play helps preschoolers explore the world through touch, sight, and smell. It also calms restless energy and supports brain development.

Pumpkin Sensory Bin

• Fill a shallow bin with dried corn kernels or rice.

• Add small pumpkins, gourds, and fall leaves.

• Include scoops, cups, and small containers for pouring and sorting.

  
  

Your child can dig, scoop, and explore different textures while learning about fall harvest items.

Cinnamon Play Dough

• Make homemade play dough scented with cinnamon and nutmeg.

• Provide cookie cutters shaped like leaves, turkeys, or pumpkins.

• Let your child mold and create while enjoying the warm, seasonal scent.

  
  

This activity combines tactile play with festive aromas that evoke Thanksgiving.

Active Games to Burn Off Energy

Preschoolers often need to move around, especially during long family meals or gatherings. These games keep them active and entertained.

Turkey Tag

• Designate one child as the “turkey.”

• The turkey tries to tag other players.

• When tagged, players freeze and flap their arms like wings.

• Another player can “unfreeze” them by tagging.

  
  

This game encourages running, coordination, and social interaction.

Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt

• Hide Thanksgiving-themed items around the house or yard (plastic pumpkins, paper turkeys, etc.).

• Give your child a simple checklist or picture guide.

• Help them find each item and celebrate their discoveries.

  
  

This game promotes observation skills and excitement.

Paper plate turkey craft made by a preschooler

Storytime and Learning Activities

Reading and talking about Thanksgiving traditions helps preschoolers understand the holiday’s meaning.

Thanksgiving Books

Choose age-appropriate books with simple stories and bright illustrations. Some favorites include:

• “Turkey Trouble” by Wendi Silvano

• “Bear Says Thanks” by Karma Wilson

• “The Thankful Book” by Todd Parr

  
  

Reading together encourages language development and family bonding.

Gratitude Tree

• Create a tree trunk and branches on a wall or poster board.

• Cut out leaf shapes from paper.

• Help your child think of things they are thankful for and write or draw them on the leaves.

• Attach the leaves to the tree.

  
  

This visual activity teaches gratitude and gives your child a sense of contribution.

Simple Cooking Activities for Little Helpers

Involving preschoolers in Thanksgiving meal prep can be fun and educational.

Decorating Mini Pumpkin Pies

• Bake or buy mini pumpkin pies.

• Provide whipped cream, cinnamon, and small candies for decoration.

• Let your child add toppings to their pie.

  
  

This hands-on activity builds fine motor skills and makes dessert extra special.

Making Turkey Sandwiches

• Use sandwich ingredients like bread, turkey slices, cheese, and veggies.

• Help your child assemble sandwiches shaped like turkeys using cookie cutters.

• Add olive “eyes” and carrot “feathers” for decoration.

  
  

Cooking together teaches basic food skills and encourages healthy eating.

Quiet Time Activities for Calm Moments

Sometimes preschoolers need a break from active play. These quiet activities help them relax while still feeling involved.

Thanksgiving Coloring Pages

• Print out themed coloring sheets with turkeys, pumpkins, and fall scenes.

• Provide crayons, markers, or colored pencils.

• Encourage your child to use their imagination with colors.

  
  

Coloring supports fine motor skills and creativity.

Puzzle Time

• Use Thanksgiving-themed puzzles appropriate for your child’s age.

• Work together to complete the puzzle.

• Talk about the images and colors as you go.

  
  

Puzzles develop problem-solving skills and patience.

Tips for a Smooth Thanksgiving with Preschoolers

• Plan ahead: Prepare materials and set up activity stations before guests arrive.

• Keep activities short: Preschoolers have limited attention spans, so rotate activities every 15-20 minutes.

• Include breaks: Allow time for snacks, rest, and free play.

• Stay flexible: Follow your child’s cues and switch activities if needed.

• Celebrate effort: Praise your child’s participation and creativity to boost confidence.