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Fun Family Thanksgiving Activities
Looking for Thanksgiving activities to do at home with your preschooler or toddler? These easy Thanksgiving activities will be perfect for you and your family.
The Thanksgiving activities included in this post are:
- Thaw the Thanksgiving Turkey Game
- Pilgrim Hat Bowling
- Thanksgiving Pie Plate Ring Toss
- Turkey Toss Game
- Pilgrim Hat Knock Down
All the games are designed to get your family up and moving before the turkey nap kicks in. Each of these activities can be done indoors or outside.
For the thaw the turkey game, you might want to keep a roll of paper towels nearby in case of a spill! Other than that, these activities shouldn’t create too much of a mess. We all know we don’t need another thing to clean on Thanksgiving!
Supplies for these 5 Thanksgiving Activities
- Turkey rings or small turkeys
- Turkey basters or liquid Droppers
- 18 black Cups
- An ice cube tray, big enough to fit the turkey rings inside
- 14 to 16 Pie plate
- A ball or turkey toy (I found this super cute turkey dog toy)
- Yellow construction paper
- Scissors
- Double-sided tape
Thaw the Thanksgiving Turkey Activity
If you have ever made Thanksgiving dinner, you know you have to make sure that the turkey is thawed before you start to cook it.
I thought why not turn this process into a fun family game. And so, the “Thaw the Thanksgiving Turkey Activity Game” was created!
I found some cute turkey rings and some liquid droppers that look a lot like a small turkey baster. I also plan on using these liquid droppers for science experiments in the future. Stay tuned for those in another post!
Thaw the Thanksgiving Turkey Supplies
- Turkey rings or small turkeys
- Turkey basters or liquid Droppers
- Water
- Cups of warm water
- An ice cube tray, big enough to fit the turkey rings inside
- Pie plate for each payer
Thaw the Thanksgiving Turkey Directions
- Place the turkey rings into the ice cube tray with the turkey down.
- Fill the tray with water leaving some of the ring part exposed.
- Place the ice cube tray into the freezer to harden.
- Once ready to play after the water has frozen, give each player a baster / liquid dropper with a cup of warm water, a pie plate, and a turkey ice cube.
- Each player fills the baster / liquid dropper with the warm water to pour over the ice cubes. (NO DUMPING YOUR CUP OF WATER! The fun part is you must use the baster)
- The first player to thaw the turkey completely is the winner!!!!
Pilgrim Hat Bowling
Pilgrim hat bowling is standard bowling with a fun Thanksgiving twist. Instead of pins, you use black cups and instead of a bowling ball, you use a turkey dog toy! When Thanksgiving is over, you could repurpose the cups and use the turkey dog toy as a kids’ toy or give your dog an early Christmas present!
Pilgrim Hat Bowling Supplies
Directions To Create The Thanksgiving Bowling Pins
- Cut small squares out of the yellow construction paper.
- Fold the squares in half.
- While keeping the square folded, cut a rectangle out of the middle.
- Unfold to reveal the Pilgrim Hat “buckle.”
- Turn the cup upside down and attach the “buckle.”
- Set up the Pilgrim Hat pins in the traditional bowling formation.
- Use the dog toy or ball to knock down the pins.
- For a learning opportunity, keep score and count the number of pins out loud with your toddler. If they know their numbers, you can practice writing the scores.
Thanksgiving Pie Plate Ring Toss Activity
This is a fun and easy activity for your whole family. It is great if you’re short on time and just need something to keep your family occupied while dinner is cooking.
Thanksgiving Ring Toss Supplies
- 5 pie plates
- 3 to 5 black cups (Take a look at the pilgrim hat bowling to turn the cups into Pilgrim Hats)
- Scissors
- Yellow construction paper
- Double-sided tape
Thanksgiving Pie Plate Directions
- Cut the bottom of each of the pie pans out leaving only the pie plate side
- Fold the edges into the middle of the pie pan. For extra safety, you can also put tape around the folded edges.
- Set the cups upside-down at different distances.
- Assign each cup a point value (the furthest cup scores the most points).
- Take turns tossing the rings onto the cups.
- Your game can last as many rounds as you want or the first player to score a certain number of points wins!
Pilgrim Hat Knock Down Thanksgiving Activity
I have seen this game a lot at carnivals and fairs. It is simple to set up and who doesn’t love a good knockdown game? This one, of course, has a Thanksgiving flare.
The one thing I would recommend with this game is to give the job of picking up all the cups up and setting them up to the kids. It could be a fun game for them to see who can set up the fastest. After a few times of bending down to pick everything up, your back will start to hurt.
Pilgrim Hat Knock Down Thanksgiving Activity Supplies
- 3 to 5 black cups (Take a look at the pilgrim hat bowling to turn the cups into Pilgrim Hats)
- A ball or turkey toy
- Yellow construction paper
- Scissors
- Double-sided tape
- A table or chair to stand the cups on
Pilgrim Hat Knock Down Thanksgiving Activity Directions
- Stack the cups in a pyramid on the table or chair
- Take turns throwing the ball at the pyramid
- The person who knocks the most cups down wins
Turkey Toss Family Thanksgiving Activity
This Thanksgiving activity is similar to the pilgrim hat ring toss above, however, you will be tossing a turkey into different pie pans.
Turkey Toss Family Thanksgiving Activity Supplies
- Stuffed toy turkey
- 3 to 5 pie plates
- Sticky notes (Optional)
- Pen (Optional)
Turkey Toss Family Thanksgiving Activity Directions
- Set the pie plates at different distances.
- Assign each pie plate a point value (ex. the furthest pie plate is valued at the most points).
- Take turns tossing the turkey into the pie plates.
- Your game can last as many rounds as you want it to with a winner at the end of those rounds having the most points or the first player to score a certain number of points wins.
Tip: If you are playing outside, you might want to weigh the pie plates down with something like rocks, sand, or bird seed.
Prize Ideas for the Kids At Target Or Amazon
Under $10
Stickers
Amazon
Target
Silly Putty
Play-Doh Party Pack
Coloring Book
Scratcher Pad
$10 to $25
Large Play-Doh Set
Amazon
Target
Thinking Putty
Color Wonder
Small toy
Jumbo Floor Puzzle
All of these Thanksgiving activities are easy and fun for the whole family. All the Thanksgiving activities are perfect for 3 years olds, toddlers, and preschoolers.
I have to say my favorite is the “Thaw the Turkey” game. It turned out even cuter than I thought. It also helps develop fine motor skills. BONUS!
What is your favorite Thanksgiving Activity? Please let me know in the comments below.
