25 Preschool Thanksgiving Activities

If you are looking for a beautiful selection of Thanksgiving activities for preschoolers and kindergarteners, look no further! This month’s theme is Thanksgiving and finding fun ways to learn through simple, hands-on activities. From Thanksgiving theme sensory play, art projects, and baking to turkey activities for pre-k, we have tons of ideas for you to engage young kids with a very Thanksgiving theme!

Enjoy Thanksgiving Activities For Preschool & Kindergarten

Combine playtime and learning with our fun Thanksgiving theme activities and free Thanksgiving printables that encourage creation, exploration, discovery, and curiosity!

Kids love anything with a theme, and holiday themes make learning new ideas and reviewing old ideas fresh and exciting each time.

Thanksgiving activities don’t have to be hard to set up or expensive. I love the dollar store for seasonal items.

Below, you will find easy Thanksgiving science activities, Thanksgiving slime recipes including edible slime, Thanksgiving sensory play, Thanksgiving games, crafts and more.

I love sensory play for my preschooler; he loves all the hands-on fun! Read about why sensory play is so important and the many benefits in our Ultimate Sensory Play Resource Guide!

Also check out our list of Halloween preschool activities and Christmas activities for preschoolers!

Thanksgiving Books For Preschoolers

Thanksgiving books for preschoolers are a great way to introduce young children to this holiday’s history, traditions, and values.

“The Thankful Book” by Todd Parr: This colorful book celebrates the many things children can be thankful for, with simple and relatable illustrations.

“Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks” by Margaret Sutherland: A book that helps young children understand the concept of gratitude and the importance of giving thanks during the holiday season.

“Five Silly Turkeys” by Salina Yoon: Preschoolers will enjoy the rhyming and counting in this book as the five silly turkeys get into all sorts of amusing predicaments.

“10 Fat Turkeys” by Tony Johnston: A humorous and rhyming counting book featuring 10 plump turkeys that keep disappearing in various entertaining ways.

“The Very Stuffed Turkey” by Katherine B. Simon: A charming story about a turkey who tries to avoid being Thanksgiving dinner by disguising himself as other animals on the farm.

“Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving” by Laurie Halse Anderson: This picture book tells the historical story of Sarah Hale, who played a significant role in making Thanksgiving a national holiday.

“Turkey Trouble” by Wendi Silvano: A delightful tale about a turkey who tries different disguises to evade becoming Thanksgiving dinner, resulting in comical chaos. Try our Turkey Disguise Project!

“Llama Llama Gives Thanks” by Anna Dewdney: In this book, Llama Llama and his family prepare for Thanksgiving and learn about the importance of giving thanks.

“The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks” by Jan and Mike Berenstain: Join the beloved Berenstain Bears as they celebrate Thanksgiving and learn about gratitude and sharing.

“T is for Turkey: A True Thanksgiving Story” by Tanya Lee Stone: This alphabet book explores the history and traditions of Thanksgiving, making it a great educational tool for preschoolers.

Printable Preschool Thanksgiving Theme Pack

This Thanksgiving pack is perfect for older toddlers and preschoolers to explore the Thanksgiving season!

Activities Include:

Flip Books
Turkey STEM Challenge
Corn Painting STEAM Activity
Sequencing
Exploring Colors
Writing Center
Tracing Cards
Board Game
Cover Up Game
Matching Game
Puzzles
Playdough Mats

25 Fun Preschool Thanksgiving Activities

Click on the highlighted links below for a full supply list and instructions for each activity.

COFFEE FILTER TURKEYS

Find out how coffee filters and clothespins from the Dollar Store transform into the cutest Thanksgiving Turkeys ever.

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PAPER PLATE TURKEY

This easy paper plate turkey craft for kids is such a fun Thanksgiving craft! It’s simple enough to make with a large classroom full of kids, or at home too.

POOL NOODLE TURKEY

Here we have a pool noodle and colorful feathers from the Dollar Store that transform into fun Thanksgiving Turkeys. Let’s get started!

TURKEY HAT

Make Thanksgiving fun this year with this adorable Turkey Hat craft for kids! It’s made using just construction paper and a glue stick and kids will love it!

PILGRIM HAT

Learning about Thanksgiving will be fun for kids this year with this cute Thanksgiving Paper Cup Pilgrim Hat Craft!

CORN PAINTING

Forget the paintbrushes, and try this fun corn-on-the-cob art project instead! Corn painting makes for awesome process art for preschoolers and older! This is a fantastic way to explore the colors and textures of Fall this Thanksgiving.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING BANNER

Check out this fun Thanksgiving banner that doubles as an easy Thanksgiving activity for preschoolers! Kids love coloring in and making their own DIY bunting for special occasions.

PRINTABLE THANKSGIVING SEARCH AND FIND

Fun free, printable seek-and-find Thanksgiving activities are perfect to add to your family time or class time.

Free Printable Thanksgiving I Spy or Search and Find Activity for Kids

THANKSGIVING BINGO

Add Thanksgiving bingo to your Thanksgiving activities and get preschoolers excited about learning. These bingo cards are picture-based, which means even the younger ones can join in the fun!

THANKSGIVING SLIME RECIPES

When you think of Thanksgiving and recipes, I’m pretty sure you aren’t thinking about Thanksgiving slime recipes! Well, that’s our job around here, to think of cool new seasonal slime recipes for you to try with the kids! Enjoy these cool Thanksgiving slime ideas!

CINNAMON SCENTED SLIME

TURKEY FLUFFY SLIME

We love fluffy slime for an awesome play experience for kids who are very tactile! Dress up a slime storage container to look like a turkey. You can get a little crafty with this Thanksgiving slime recipe.

Turkey Themed Fluffy Thanksgiving Slime Recipes

PUMPKIN SLIME

Whoa! This is one of our coolest Thanksgiving slime recipes in my opinion because you actually make your slime inside a real pumpkin using real pumpkin guts as part of the recipe. Kids always find this cool!

EDIBLE MARSHMALLOW SLIME

Think marshmallow and sweet potato casserole with this taste-safe marshmallow slime recipe! If you have a kid who loves to try everything that is put in front of them, you may want to choose to make a taste safe slime instead.

DANCING CORN EXPERIMENT

One of our most popular Thanksgiving science experiments. A few simple kitchen ingredients and you have a cool Thanksgiving science activity that’s a twist on a classic baking soda and vinegar reaction!

BREAD IN A BAG

From toddlers to teenagers, everyone loves a fresh slice of homemade bread, and using a zip-top bag is perfect for tiny hands to help squish and knead.

MAKING BUTTER WITH KIDS

A tasty Thanksgiving activity perfect for Thanksgiving dinner! It’s a great way for kids to help in the kitchen and contribute to the meal. There’s nothing like tasting your hard work. Perfect to go with our bread in a bag recipe above too!

POPCORN SCIENCE

Why does popcorn pop? Explore the science of popcorn while making some yummy popcorn in a bag to taste test. A fun Thanksgiving activity for all the senses!

APPLE SENSORY BIN

Young kids love sensory play, and here is an easy apple sensory bin idea you will want to set up this Thanksgiving!

APPLESAUCE PLAYDOUGH

This super simple no-cook play dough recipe is GLUTEN FREE! We didn’t have any regular wheat flour on hand to make our usual playdough so we used what we had, coconut flour. Usually I add cream of tartar as well, but we didn’t have any of that either! So this is a genuine gluten-free playdough recipe without cream of tartar.

Apple Sauce No Cook Play Dough Made With Coconut Flour

APPLE PIE CLOUD DOUGH

You will surely want to dig your hands into this! Cloud dough or moon sand is an awesome and simple sensory recipe that is quick to whip up. Our apple pie scented cloud dough is also taste safe.

You will surely want to dig your hands into this! Cloud dough is an awesome and simple sensory play recipe that is quick to whip up! Our apple pie sensory play activity is also taste safe! Cloud dough is quick sensory play and all the supplies are in your kitchen! I love the smells associated with Fall. Adding spices to sensory play is a great way to engage multiple senses at once. SCENTED APPLE PIE SENSORY PLAY & HOMEMADE CLOUD DOUGH

APPLESAUCE OOBLECK

A bit messy, but tons of hands-on fun for little ones! Also try our cranberry oobleck.

PUMPKIN PIE CLOUD DOUGH

Pumpkin pie cloud dough can be another great taste safe Thanksgiving activity for toddlers, and uses basic pantry ingredients!

PUMPKIN PLAYDOUGH

When you think of fall, do you think of the aroma of freshly baked pumpkin pie wafting through the house? The sight of pumpkins also makes me think of the fun traditions ahead for fall! Why not try this homemade pumpkin pie playdough recipe and fun activities.

ALSO CHECK OUT: Apple Playdough

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PUMPKIN SENSORY BIN

Young kids love sensory play, and here is an easy pumpkin sensory bin idea you will want to set up this Thanksgiving! This preschool sensory bin is easy to make, and great for fine motor practice, counting, and more!

More Fun For Preschoolers

Printable Preschool Themes

Perfect for 3-to 6-year-olds in a preschool classroom, learning center, or home. Easy to set up and use with one kiddo or a classroom. This themed pack includes a book and supply list to help you easily set up the 12+ five senses activities.