Thanksgiving Classroom Activities and Printables

No-Prep Crafts, Games, Writing Prompts, and Learning Fun!

Thanksgiving is almost here!

If you're a busy teacher looking for engaging, low-prep Thanksgiving activities, you're in the right place.

In this post, you'll find:

• 10 fun and kid-friendly Thanksgiving facts
• Creative gratitude collage ideas for bulletin boards or hallway displays
• 5 FREE printable Thanksgiving activities for reading, writing, and math
• Popular printable resources from my TPT store—no prep required!

Note: This post includes links to my TPT store and Amazon Associate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

10 Fun Thanksgiving Facts for Kids

Use these as mini-lessons, story starters, trivia questions, or even writing prompts!

1. Thanksgiving started in 1621.
The Pilgrims and Wampanoag celebrated a successful harvest with a shared feast.

2. Turkey wasn't the main course.
The first Thanksgiving probably featured deer, seafood, and squash—not turkey and mashed potatoes.

3. 46 million turkeys are cooked each year in the U.S. on Thanksgiving!

4. Thanksgiving became a national holiday in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln wanted to unite Americans during the Civil War.

5. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924.
Today it features giant balloons, marching bands, and festive floats.

6. Breaking the wishbone is a tradition said to bring good luck to the person with the bigger piece.

7. Every year, the U.S. President pardons a turkey.
That lucky bird gets to live out its days on a farm.

8. Black Friday follows Thanksgiving.
It’s the biggest shopping day of the year.

9. Pumpkin pie wasn’t at the first feast.
Pilgrims didn’t have sugar or ovens to make pies!

10. Indian corn is often used as a decoration.
It honors Native American agricultural contributions and the harvest season.

Thanksgiving Gratitude Collage Ideas

Perfect for hallway displays, morning meetings, or class bonding time.

1. Handprint Turkey Collage

Students trace their hands and write something they’re thankful for on each finger. Display the handprints together as one big “Thankful Turkey.”

2. Thankful Tree

Use paper leaves to create a colorful tree full of gratitude. Each student adds a leaf with a written or drawn message of thanks.

3. Photo Collage

Have students bring in small pictures of people, pets, or places they’re thankful for and glue them to a heart-shaped poster.

4. Thankful Quilt Squares

Each student decorates a paper square with a thankful message or drawing. Arrange into a bulletin board “quilt.”

5. Nature Gratitude Collage

Use real leaves, twigs, or acorns to make a textured collage filled with gratitude messages.

6. Magazine Cut-Outs

Kids cut out pictures or words from old magazines that represent things they’re thankful for and create a colorful mixed-media poster.

7. Thankful Rainbow

Students write what they’re thankful for on rainbow-colored paper strips. Arrange them into a full classroom rainbow!

8. Sunshine of Thanks

Draw a big sun on the board. Students add “rays” with their thankful responses to create a gratitude-filled sunshine.

9.  Plate of Thanks

Give each student a paper plate or circle cutout and have them draw or write a Thanksgiving “meal” made up of things they’re thankful for. Each food item should represent a person, place, or experience that brings them joy. Display the plates together on a bulletin board titled “What Fills Our Plates with Thanks.”

10. Gratitude Around the World

Provide students with globe, passport, or suitcase cutouts and ask them to write or draw something they’re thankful for. If appropriate, let students share how their families or cultures celebrate gratitude. Display the pieces around a large world map or airplane outline with the title “Thankfulness Travels Far.”

Free Thanksgiving Activities for Elementary Classrooms

These print-and-go activities work well for centers, early finishers, literacy stations, or substitute plans.

Free Autumn Writing Papers

Use in writing centers, literacy groups, or daily journals.

Grab 20 more writing pages HERE.

Thanksgiving Foldable Card Craft

#1 Best Seller!

Students draw or write on a foldable Thanksgiving card to thank someone special. Comes with:

• 6 open-ended template variations
• Writing or drawing options for all ability levels
• A fun, flexible craft for any grade

Want More Thanksgiving Fun?

Click HERE to check out 60+ classroom-tested Thanksgiving resources in my TPT store.

Final Thoughts

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to slow down, reflect, and help your students express gratitude in creative ways.

Whether you're decorating your classroom, filling time before break, or reviewing key skills—these Thanksgiving activities will keep your students engaged, learning, and smiling.

From printable cards to no-prep math games, you’ve got everything you need for a meaningful, low-stress celebration!

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Shelly Anton is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. ** This means there are Amazon affiliate links in these blog posts. This does not mean you pay a dime more when you purchase a product through the link. It just means I am trying to save you valuable teacher time by making it easier for you to find great resources for your students, and I earn a few cents for my research and time. Thank you for all you do for kids!