Thanksgiving is a special time of year when we come together to express gratitude for all that we have. For elementary students, this holiday can be a wonderful opportunity to combine fun and learning. Engaging Thanksgiving activities not only create a festive atmosphere in the classroom but also help students develop valuable skills. In this blog post, we'll explore ten creative and educational Thanksgiving activities for elementary students that are sure to keep them entertained and engaged.

1. Turkey Name Craft

These editable turkey crafts are perfect for personalizing Thanksgiving Bulletin Boards. Students strengthen fine motor skills with cutting, pasting, and coloring their turkeys. Print the extra feather letters to practice sight words or vocabulary words. 

2. Turkey Disguise Writing Craft

This is a wonderful project for families to participate in. Students (and their families) must create a disguise for their turkey. Choose from 1 of the 10 disguises included or create your own. Then, students will use the persuasive writing templates to write letters from the point of view of their turkey. Should we eat them or save them? 

"How to" writing is popular this time of year, too. I love reading "How to Catch a Turkey" with my kids and then brainstorm how they might catch a turkey. It is a wonderful combination of creative writing and explanatory writing. 

3. Turkey Disguise Inference Game

Inferencing can be tricky for primary students. However, this game makes inferencing fun as students use the clues to find the farmer's turkey. Perfect as a whole class game when you have a few extra minutes or as a literacy center. 

4. Thanksgiving Puzzles

Mystery puzzles combine familiar puzzle play with foundational skills necessary for those higher elementary grades. Choose from Letter Match Puzzles or Sight Word Puzzles to easily differentiate for your students. 

5. Thanksgiving Math

There are so many fun ways to practice math skills using Thanksgiving themes. For preschool students, count and cover task cards practice 1:1 correspondence and fine motor skills to cover the numbers.

For Kindergarten and 1st graders, Add and Color activities are a great choice. I like to post my Add and Color Cards around the room to incorporate some movement. Kids can carry around clipboards and record the number sentences and sums they find. 

All students will enjoy this Pumpkin Pie Math Craft. This activity is SO easy differentiate. It comes with versions to number match, add and subtract. 

Another common theme around this time of year is Gratitude. You can click here to read more about how to teach gratitude in your classroom. 

Thanksgiving is an excellent opportunity to blend education and enjoyment for elementary students. These ten engaging Thanksgiving activities provide a well-rounded approach to the holiday, allowing children to learn about its history, practice their creative skills, and most importantly, cultivate an attitude of gratitude. By incorporating these activities into your classroom, you can create lasting memories and foster a deeper understanding of the Thanksgiving season.

P.S. Many of these resources can be found in the Thanksgiving Activities Bundle. This bundle will save you 30%. Click here to take a look!