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Seasons and Holidays

Thanksgiving Activities for Kids: Easy Ideas for the Whole Day

Thanksgiving activities for kids ages 1–12: morning ideas while you cook, kitchen jobs by age, family games, gratitude activities, and toddler ideas, with kitchen safety tips.

By Fun Factory Editors · Edited by Lindsey Tolchinsky · Updated · 7 min read

Kids helping mash potatoes on Thanksgiving
On this page
  1. How do you keep kids busy on Thanksgiving?
  2. Morning activities while you cook
  3. Kitchen jobs kids can help with (by age)
  4. Thanksgiving games for the whole family
  5. Gratitude activities for kids
  6. Thanksgiving activities for toddlers
  7. How do you keep kids safe in a busy kitchen?
  8. More from the Playbook
  9. Get more activities like these in the Fun Factory app
  10. Sources
  11. Frequently asked questions

The short answer: give kids a job for each part of the day. Start with a parade-watching craft or a table-setting job while you cook, then hand out kitchen jobs that fit their age, like washing vegetables or mashing potatoes. After dinner, play a whole-family game like charades or a gratitude chain. Toddlers do best with short, hands-on jobs right next to you.

How do you keep kids busy on Thanksgiving?

Plan around the day, not one big activity. Thanksgiving has a slow morning, a busy kitchen stretch, a long meal, and a sleepy evening. Pick one or two things for each stretch and keep supplies to what's already in the house. If you've just come off Halloween, the candy wrappers and leftover craft supplies come in handy too (see Halloween leftover activities).

Morning activities while you cook

These keep kids close but out from underfoot.

Handprint turkey place cards

Ages 2–8, Time: 15 min, Mess: Medium (paint) or Low (crayons)

Handprint turkey place cards on a Thanksgiving table

You’ll need

Paper, washable paint or crayons, a marker

Steps

Trace or paint a hand, turn the fingers into feathers, and write a guest's name under each turkey. They go on the table at dinner.

Parade bingo

Ages 4–10, Time: Length of the parade, Mess: None

You’ll need

Paper, a pen

Steps

Draw a grid and fill it with things you might see: a giant balloon, a marching band, a dog, a float with a turkey. Mark them off as they show up.

Table-setting job

Ages 3–12, Time: 15 min, Mess: None

You’ll need

Napkins, unbreakable cups, utensils

Steps

Younger kids place napkins and cups. Older kids count chairs and set out forks and spoons.

SAFETY

Leave the knives to an adult.

Kitchen jobs kids can help with (by age)

A real job beats a pretend one. Set them up at a table or counter away from the stove.

Ages 2–3: Wash and tear

Ages 2–3, Time: 10 min, Mess: Medium (water)

You’ll need

A bowl of water, vegetables, lettuce

Steps

Scrub potatoes in a bowl of water and tear lettuce or bread for stuffing.

SAFETY

Stay within arm's reach of any water.

Ages 4–6: Mash, stir, and pour

Ages 4–6, Time: 10–15 min, Mess: Medium

You’ll need

A masher, a big bowl, measuring cups

Steps

Mash cooled potatoes, stir dry ingredients, and pour measured ingredients into a bowl.

SAFETY

Let hot food cool before they touch it.

Ages 7–12: Measure and follow a recipe

Ages 7–12, Time: 20–30 min, Mess: Medium

You’ll need

A simple recipe, measuring cups and spoons

Steps

Older kids can read a recipe step by step, measure, and crack eggs. With an adult watching, some can help peel with a vegetable peeler.

SAFETY

An adult handles the oven, stovetop, and sharp knives.

Thanksgiving games for the whole family

These work for a big age range, so cousins and grandparents can all play.

Thanksgiving charades

Ages 4–99, Time: 15–20 min, Mess: None

You’ll need

Slips of paper, a bowl

Steps

Write things like "carving a turkey", "football", or "falling asleep on the couch". Little kids can act with a grown-up partner.

Pass the turkey

Ages 3–12, Time: 10 min, Mess: None

You’ll need

A stuffed animal or rolled-up napkin, music

Steps

Pass the "turkey" around a circle. When the music stops, whoever holds it answers a question or does a silly dance.

Leaf-pile relay

Ages 4–12, Time: 15 min, Mess: Low (outside)

You’ll need

Fallen leaves, two buckets

Steps

Teams race to fill a bucket with leaves from across the yard. Good for burning off energy before the meal.

Gratitude activities for kids

Keep these short and low-pressure. Kids can say something silly; that counts too.

Gratitude chain

Ages 3–12, Time: 15 min, Mess: Low

Kids' gratitude chain made of paper strips

You’ll need

Paper strips, tape or a stapler, a marker

Steps

Each person writes or draws one thing they're thankful for on a strip. Loop the strips into a chain and hang it in the doorway.

SAFETY

Keep staplers with older kids.

Thankful tablecloth

Ages 3–12, Time: Through the meal, Mess: Low

You’ll need

A paper tablecloth or butcher paper, crayons

Steps

Cover the kids' table with paper and let everyone write or draw what they're thankful for while they wait for food.

Thankful jar

Ages 4–12, Time: 5 min, Mess: None

You’ll need

A jar, paper slips

Steps

Guests drop in a note when they arrive. Read them out loud during dessert.

Thanksgiving activities for toddlers

Toddlers do best with short jobs near you. For kids under 3, skip anything small enough to fit through a toilet paper tube, a common choking-size check. For more ideas, see No-Mess Activities for Toddlers.

Pumpkin and gourd sort

Ages 1–3, Time: 5–10 min, Mess: None

Toddler sorting small pumpkins

You’ll need

Pumpkins or gourds bigger than a fist, a basket

Steps

Sort them by size or color and line them up on the floor.

SAFETY

Use only pumpkins and gourds bigger than a fist.

Napkin folding

Ages 2–3, Time: 5 min, Mess: None

You’ll need

Cloth or paper napkins

Steps

Fold napkins in half and stack them for the table.

Cup-washing station

Ages 18 mo–4, Time: 15 min, Mess: Medium (water)

You’ll need

A bowl of warm water, plastic cups, a towel underneath

Steps

Set it up on the floor or a low table where you can see them.

SAFETY

Use warm, not hot, water and stay within arm's reach.

How do you keep kids safe in a busy kitchen?

A few steps from the American Academy of Pediatrics' HealthyChildren.org cover most of it:

  • Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove.
  • Know where your child is when you carry hot liquids or food, and don't carry a child at the same time.
  • Keep knives and sharp tools out of reach, and don't let appliance cords dangle.
  • Keep matches and lighters out of reach, and keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
  • Have kids sit down while they eat, and supervise meals.
  • Keep high-risk foods like whole grapes, nuts, popcorn, raw carrot chunks, and hard candy away from children under 4, and cut food into pieces no larger than one-half inch.
  • Watch the kids' table: older kids often hand these foods to younger ones.

If you have kids of very different ages, see Activities for Siblings of Different Ages.

More from the Playbook

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What can toddlers do on Thanksgiving?

Short, hands-on jobs near you: sorting pumpkins bigger than a fist, folding napkins, washing plastic cups, or tearing bread for stuffing.

How can kids help cook Thanksgiving dinner?

Match the job to their age. Ages 2–3 can wash and tear, ages 4–6 can mash and stir, and ages 7–12 can measure and follow a recipe. An adult handles the stove, oven, and sharp knives.

What are good Thanksgiving games for all ages?

Charades, pass the turkey, and a leaf-pile relay work for preschoolers through grandparents.

What are easy gratitude activities for kids?

Keep it simple and part of the day: a gratitude chain in the morning, a thankful tablecloth at dinner, or a thankful jar read out at dessert.

How do you keep a toddler at the table?

Keep their time at the table short, give them a job like passing napkins, and seat them next to a grown-up. Have them stay seated while they eat, and offer food cut into small pieces.

More from the Playbook