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Seasonal activities · November 26, 2026

Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

Turkey, corn and pie to color, a thank-you card and a gratitude chain to make, and harvest science to explore together.

Thanksgiving, on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States, is a day for family, food and saying thank you. These free activities give children something to do while the meal cooks: color a turkey, an ear of corn or a pie, then make a thank-you card and an envelope for someone special.

Make a gratitude chain: on each paper strip, write or draw one thing you are thankful for, then link the strips into a chain for the table. A woven paper mat makes a place mat, and the harvest topics in How Things Work show how grain is gathered, how flour is made and why cakes rise.

Thanksgiving is 41 days away.

Thanksgiving coloring pages

All seasonal coloring pages

Draw it step by step

  • A round red apple with a short stem, a green leaf and a curved shine line.

    Apple

    Starter (level 1 of 5) 5 min Ages 3–6
  • A tree with a wide brown trunk and roots, three main branches that split into thinner branches, and six round green leaf clumps.

    Tree with Branches

    Confident (level 4 of 5) 20 min Ages 7–12

Paper crafts to make

  • A rainbow paper chain of seven linked rings, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and pink, hanging in a gentle curve.

    Paper Chain

    Starter (level 1 of 5) 15 min Ages 4–9 Paper craft Strip sheet, printed Scissors Glue Adult help suggested
  • A blue folded greeting card with a red, a yellow and a green paper balloon glued on the front, with drawn strings tied in a bow.

    Folded Greeting Card

    Starter (level 1 of 5) 15 min Ages 4–9 Paper craft Card stock or construction paper Scissors Glue Adult help suggested
  • A blue folded paper envelope with side flaps and a pointed top flap tucked under the bottom flap.

    Envelope

    Growing (level 3 of 5) 10 min Ages 6–11 Origami Square of origami paper No scissors No glue
  • A blue paper mat woven with yellow strips that make diagonal stripes, framed by a blue border.

    Patterned Woven Paper Mat

    Confident (level 4 of 5) 40 min Ages 7–12 Paper craft Colored paper printed with the mat template Scissors Glue Adult help suggested
  • A paper collage of a tree on light blue paper: a torn brown trunk with two branches, a bushy top of torn green pieces with red apples, crayon grass and a yellow sun.

    Torn-Paper Tree Collage

    Starter (level 1 of 5) 20 min Ages 3–8 Paper craft Sheet of paper for the background No scissors Glue

Jokes and riddles

  • Knock, knock. Who's there? Tank. Tank who?

    Show the punchline

    You're welcome!

    More jokes like this

  • Why was the corn good at listening?

    Show the punchline

    It had excellent ears.

    More jokes like this

  • Why did the scarecrow win a prize?

    Show the punchline

    It was outstanding in its field.

    More jokes like this

  • Why did the bread keep telling jokes?

    Show the punchline

    It was on a roll.

    More jokes like this

Thanksgiving science: how things work

More for Thanksgiving

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