Make Thanksgiving a fun celebration for everyone, including the kids, with these kid-friendly Thanksgiving ideas. Plan ahead by coming up with the menu, family game ideas, and kid crafts to have an easy and festive Thanksgiving Day.
Thanksgiving for Kids Dinner Menu
While the adults at the table may love fancier food fair, kids will want simpler, familiar dishes that are easy to eat. Here are some kid-friendly Thanksgiving foods for toddlers and older kids that they’ll gobble up!
- White meat turkey or turkey finely chopped with rice for toddlers
- Macaroni and cheese
- Zucchini slices with melted cheese
- Cheesy potatoes—basically anything with cheese in it
- Stuffing muffins. Everything is more fun in different shapes, especially when you can pull it apart and eat it with your hands!
- Green beans with cranberries
- Ice cream
- Cupcakes—have your kids decorate them the day before
- Rice Krispies® bars with candy corn
Thanksgiving Games for the Family
These fun Thanksgiving games are perfect to play while the turkey is in the oven, or when you want to rest after dinner.
Pumpkin Hunt
Hide mini pumpkins around the house and place a small treat next to each one. Kids must search for the pumpkins within a time limit!
Turkey Waddle Race
Put a balloon between your legs and try to waddle your way across the room without popping the balloon!
Pin the Tail on the Turkey
Make your own giant turkey out of construction paper and tape it to a wall. Have your kids trace their hands in construction paper, and craft a turkey tail. Blindfolded, kids must pin the tail on the turkey. Whoever pins the tail wins an extra sweet treat!
Don’t Get the Turkey! Card Game
This card game is based on the popular game Old Maid. Remove one of the Queen playing cards, and have your kids decorate it to look like a turkey. Play follows the Old Maid game rules. But the player who ends up with the Turkey card must stand up, act out their best turkey impression, and shout “Gobble Gobble!”
Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids
Entertain your child before, after, or during Thanksgiving dinner with these fun and festive Thanksgiving crafts for toddlers and older kids.
Give Thanks Paper Plate Turkey
Teach your children about gratitude this holiday season with a turkey-themed Thanksgiving craft. You’ll need:
- Paper plate
- Paint or markers
- Construction paper
- Glue
Color the paper plate brown. Cut out and glue down an orange beak, two black eyes, and a red wattle (for under the beak). Cut out feather shapes from different colors of paper. Then write a single word on each word, that answers: What are you thankful for? Some ideas include: friends, family, flowers, food, home, school, etc. Glue the feathers to the paper plate.
Thanksgiving Guest Name Cards
Kids can help craft the name cards for guests at the Thanksgiving table and take one to-do off your list! You’ll need:
- Cardstock
- A single potato
- Knife (parental supervision required)
- Paint
- Markers
First, you want to make your leaf stamp. Cut the end off the potato (parents will need to do this in advance). Cut a line down the center of the cut potato. Then cut three lines diagonally on each side of the center line. Dip the potato into different colored paint and stamp the pieces of cardstock for a beautiful leaf design! Finish each card by writing the guest’s name. Kids can also decorate the rest of the card with markers and draw pumpkins, trees, and turkeys.
Turkey Finger Puppet
You’ll need:
- Construction paper in brown, red, orange, and yellow
- Googly eyes
- Scissors
- Glue
Cut a large round circle and a smaller circle from brown paper. Glue the smaller circle slightly above the larger circle. Cut and glue down an orange beak and a red wattle (place to the side of the beak at an angle). Glue googly eyes. Cut feathers from red, orange, and yellow paper and glue to the back of the turkey. Finally, cut two holes from the bottom of your turkey body, so your child’s index and middle fingers will fit through. Waddle your turkey finger puppet across the dinner table or put on an after-dinner show!
Resources
https://www.thebalanceeveryday.com/thanksgiving-games-for-kids-and-families-1356366
http://www.momjunction.com/articles/thanksgiving-games-for-toddlers_00374489/#gref
https://www.howweelearn.com/a-fall-leaf-potato-stamp/#_a5y_p=4258256
http://findcraftideas.com/thanksgiving-craft-for-kids.html
