Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

Simple DIY Gratitude Journal

November 11, 2014 By Terri Thompson

Every November, in anticipation of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I start thinking about gratitude.

I do, and certainly should, think about it all year long. But, in November, I always like to clear my head before the busyness of the Christmas season and think about all that I am thankful for.

I try to pull my girls into these conversations too. We talked about gratitude a lot.

This year, I made a simple gratitude journal to jump start the conversation.

Make a simple DIY Gratitude Journal. This little journal is a great place to encourage kids to write about all that they are thankful for.

The journals are very easy to make and are the perfect craft for your older child, tween, or even teen.

And, once you’ve finished this fun craft, you can find all of our Thanksgiving crafts for kids at this link.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

Supplies Needed

8-1/2 by 5-1/2 piece of scrapbook paper
Plain paper
Stapler
Washi tape
Glue stick
Alphabet stamps
Ink pad

How to make a gratitude journal

For each gratitude journal, you will need 1 piece of scrapbook paper and 4 pieces of plain paper. I used a pretty cream paper we had. Plain copy paper would work as well.

Each piece of paper was cut to the size of 8-1/2 by 5-1/2. This is the size of half of a sheet of copy paper.

Fold each piece of paper in half and sandwich them all together to make your book.

Staple along the folded edge to keep your book together.

I used three staples, at the top, middle, and bottom.

Cover your staples with a strip of washi tape folded over the folded edge. If you don’t have any washi tape, you could also use masking tape decorated with a permanent marker. (Note: I’ve been able to find washi tape in most craft stores and in the craft section of many big-box stores.)

I also cut a small piece of paper and attached it to the front of our journals with glue stick and washi tape. I used the alphabet stamps to stamp the word “gratitude” to the front of our journals.

It’s time to write!

Now that the journals are finished, it’s time to fill them up.

You can use them to simply list all the things you are thankful for or use it in a diary format and write down one thing a day.

If your child needs a few prompts, write “I am thankful for…” at the top of each page. Anything goes.

Extend the fun:

Make one journal for the whole family to share. Take turns sharing all the things you are grateful for.

Share your journals at the dinner table or at bedtime. Use the time to talk about gratitude and give thanks together.

No child is too young! Start the conversation with your little one and help them find things they are grateful for. Record all their ideas in this little journal and remember to include the date. Ten years from now, you’ll love and treasure all their thoughts.

10 Great Thanksgiving Books for Kids

November 4, 2014 By Terri Thompson

Every year, I come across new and fantastic Thanksgiving books for kids.

This list is a collection of both new and old favorites that we’ve discovered. Some are in our own personal library and some have been checked out from our public library. And, there are some that really need to be added to our personal library.

Here are some of our favorite Thanksgiving books. What are yours?

10 awesome Thanksgiving books for kids that will appeal to both preschoolers and elementary kids. Check out a few this month!

This post contains Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links. Please see my disclosure for more details.

Books about the history of Thanksgiving

The First Thanksgiving by Jean Craighead George. George’s skillful storytelling brings to life the first Thanksgiving in such a way that your kids will be hooked. The illustrations are beautiful and it’s a great overall historical reference. Perfect for your elementary-aged kids.

If You Were At The First Thanksgiving by Anne Kamma. This is another good historical choice. The book is lengthy and better-suited for an elementary-aged crowd. But, it is packed full of interesting facts and stories. This is a great choice for anyone interested in the history of the first Thanksgiving.

P Is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet by Carol Crane. Yes, it’s an alphabet books, but it’s definitely not your average preschool alphabet book. I would argue that this is another good one for your elementary-aged kids. Learn details about the pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving by following the alphabet. I learned so many things from this book.

Thank You, Sarah by Laurie Halse Anderson. I’ll confess. I never knew the name of Sarah Hale before picking up this book. It’s a delightful book that teaches you all about this remarkable lady and her quest to make Thanksgiving into a national holiday. Learn all about determination, the power of writing, and the history of how our modern day Thanksgiving came to be.

Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet. Do you watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade every year? We try to catch it as much as we can. This book tells the story of the parade and the remarkable man who created their famous flying balloons. I love this book!

More fun Thanksgiving books for kids

The Thanksgiving Door by Debby Atwell. After burning their Thanksgiving dinner, Anne and Ed go out to a restaurant and end up guests at an immigrant family’s Thanksgiving feast. They learn about friendship and generosity all while experiencing one amazing Thanksgiving dinner.

A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting. This is probably my favorite book on this whole list. Mr. Moose promises his wife a turkey for Thanksgiving. After a romp through the woods to find a turkey, Mr. Moose finally finds one and brings him home. Only instead of finding himself served for dinner, Turkey discovers that he is the guest of honor.

Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland. This sweet book is a good starting point for teaching your kids about gratitude. I love this book and love the concept.

The Berenstain Bears Thanksgiving Blessings by Mike Berenstain. This is my favorite choice for anyone looking for a faith-based book about Thanksgiving and giving thanks. Join along as the Berenstain Bears travel to Grandma’s house and talk about everything they are grateful for.

Over the River and Through the Wood: The New England Boy’s Song About Thanksgiving Day, illustrated by Matt Tavares. I dare you now to sing along while reading this book. This classic song is paired by beautiful illustrations. It’s a fun read, especially if you’re heading off to the grandparents for Thanksgiving.

Hope you enjoy reading these Thanksgiving books for kids!

Thankful Jar

November 21, 2013 By Terri Thompson

I love activities this time of year that get kids talking about gratitude.

Recently, we made this thankful jar and the kids have been filling it with all the things that make them thankful.

Supplies Needed:

Glass jar
Brown paper bag
Mod Podge
Paint brush

*Note: I originally considered using the twine to tie around the top of the jar, but decided I liked the plain jar better. The twine is a good option if you want to add a bit of something extra to your jar.

Cut a selection of hearts from your brown paper bag.

You won’t need very many to decorate your jar. We only used five. Don’t worry about creases in the paper either, they will smooth out once you begin Mod Podging.

Cover your jar with a coat of Mod Podge.

If you’re looking for a nice, neat finish, try to keep your brush strokes going in the same direction and cover your jar with a nice even coat. I was crafting with a 4-year-old and decided it didn’t really matter. Our jar was just as beautiful this way and you really couldn’t tell that we had an uneven coat.

Once you have your coat of Mod Podge on the jar, add your hearts, smoothing out any bumps, bubbles, and wrinkles.

Once you’re satisfied with the layout of your hearts, paint another coating of Mod Podge over the top of everything. The Mod Podge will dry clear.

It takes about 30 minutes for the Mod Podge to dry enough for handling.

While our jar was drying, I cut a piece of paper into strips.

We started writing down the things we were thankful for, such as God, birds, grandparents, and good books.

We added our strips to the jar once it was dry.

I also left a pile of blank strips and a pen next to our jar with the invitation to add strips to the jar at any time.

This really was an easy craft to do and quite appropriate for older kids to do themselves. I worked side-by-side with my 4-year-old, but an older child would be able to make the jar independently.

My favorite part of the project was watching my 6-year-old sneak over to the jar later that evening, write down a few carefully thought out things, drop them in the jar, and run off to play. That’s enough to make your heart smile!

Do you have any fun ideas for teaching gratitude to kids?

Learning Gratitude: A Simple Thank You

November 18, 2013 By Terri Thompson

When I stumbled across Secret of Saying Thanks by Douglas Wood at our library, I knew it would be the perfect book choice for talking about gratitude.

The words and illustrations beautifully illustrate a secret everyone should know: saying thank you makes you happy.

Yes, it’s that simple. It’s a wonderful lesson for children and for adults as well.

To extend the message in the book, we wrote a few simple thank you notes.

The girl in the book takes the time to thank many things in nature, such as an old tree, rocks, and a bird.

I asked the girls to do the same. We were armed with some construction paper and simple coloring sheets I found at Crayola.com.

The girls colored in their coloring sheet with markers and cut out each of the images. We used those to decorate our cards.

We made the cards simply by cutting a sheet of construction paper in half and then folding each half into a card.

The girls glued their cutouts onto the card and then wrote their thank you messages.

Taking a cue from the pictures, they wrote thank you notes to the leaves.

The card above was made by my 4-year-old. She had more to say but was tired of writing!

My 1st grader made the card below. “Thanks you for leafs. They are pretty in the fall.” I love getting little glimpses into what they are thinking.

The book and simple craft provided an opening to talk about the things we are grateful for.

We spent a pleasant afternoon talking about all the people, animals, and things we would like to thank.

While it’s not a Thanksgiving book, Secret of Saying Thanks dives right into the heart of the holiday and is the perfect addition to your reading list.

If you could say thank you to anything in nature, what would it be? I’d love to thank all the little birds that visit our feeders on a daily basis. They’re always good for a smile!

Thanksgiving Activity Pack

November 12, 2013 By Terri Thompson

Thanksgiving can be a busy time and sometimes you just need an easy, go-to activity for the kids.

This free printable Thanksgiving activity pack can be just the ticket.

Print them out for the kid’s table while everyone is waiting for Thanksgiving dinner.

Or, maybe you just need a quiet activity after a busy day. Print this activity pack and you’ll be good to go!

Thanksgiving Word Search:

My girls always love a good word search and these are perfect for keeping the kids occupied while waiting for Thanksgiving dinner.

I included the two word search puzzles I created last year in this pack for all of your word-search loving kids. Both of these are perfect for the younger elementary crowd.

Thanksgiving Word Scramble:

This game is a little bit more difficult and will challenge young and old alike.

Unscramble the Thanksgiving words and see who can figure them out the quickest.

I Am Thankful Leaves:

What are you thankful for? Write the words or draw a picture.

Your pre-writers can get in on the fun with this sheet. My girls decided to draw pictures, instead of writing.

Get the kids thinking about what Thanksgiving is all about. The best part about this sheet is that it’s fun to see what the kids will include.

I snapped a picture of my 4-year-old’s sheet. She’s thankful for her cat, dog, Mom, Dad, and God. I love how we all look alike!

Are you ready for some Thanksgiving fun with your kids?

Print these out for a long car trip, set them out on the kid’s table, or just have around for some after school fun. You can print out your own activity pack using the link below. Please use them and enjoy.

Printable Thanksgiving Activity Pack

Thanksgiving Activities for Kids