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Thanksgiving Writing Prompt Ideas for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms

Thanksgiving Writing Prompt Ideas for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade

Thanksgiving Writing Prompt Ideas for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms

Need some low prep activities before Thanksgiving Break?  Providing your students with some engaging Thanksgiving writing prompts is a great way to keep students learning while minimizing your prep.

Thanksgiving covers a variety of topics - from turkeys, to thankfulness, to the relationship between Native Americans and the first European settlers.  No matter what your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students need, one of the 7 Thanksgiving writing prompt ideas below is bound to work for your classroom.

7 Thanksgiving Writing Prompt Ideas

1. thanksgiving from the turkey's point of view.

This is a classic - I remember doing this activity when I was in 3rd grade, and loving it!

Have students write a narrative that considers how a turkey might be feeling on Thanksgiving Day.  Have students consider:

  • How might a turkey feel about humans?
  • How might a turkey describe what humans do on Thanksgiving?
  • What might a turkey think about a kitchen, the oven, and knives?

Let your students' creative juices flow!

Find more point of view ideas here.  

2. A Persuasive Paper From the Turkey's Perspective Convincing Humans to Eat Something Else for Thanksgiving

Have students practice their persuasive writing skills!  Why do we need to eat turkey for Thanksgiving dinner?  Why can't we eat chicken, or beef, or sushi?

Teacher Meaghan Freiburger uses this fun writing prompt with her 2nd graders.  Students get to pretend to be turkeys convincing humans NOT to eat a turkey, but instead to eat something else for Thanksgiving!

3. Disguise a Turkey

One last turkey-themed thanksgiving writing prompt.  Tell 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students that they have a turkey that needs to be well-disguised so it won't get eaten for Thanksgiving dinner.

Have students draw a picture of their turkey in disguise.  Then, have students explain their disguise and why it would be effective.

You can find a free turkey template and writing pages for this activity here.  

4. Thank You Letters

Thanksgiving is a great time to celebrate people we are thankful for.  Encourage your upper elementary students to think about someone in their life that they are thankful for, and then write a Thank You Note to them.

You can simply give students some writing paper and have them write whatever comes to mind, or use this as an opportunity to practice different writing skills.

This Scaffolded Thank You Letter Writing Template Resource helps walk students through all of the steps of writing a quality Thank You Note.

Teacher Ivy Schmeltzer has her students write thank you notes to past teachers, while teacher Julia Curry has students write thank you letters to their parents as a gift.  There are so many different people in students' lives that they can be thankful for!

Monitoring Comprehension Practice for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade

This is one of my favorite ways to practice comprehension! Students read passages with intentional mistakes that do not make sense based on the context of the passage. Students must read carefully to find the mistakes.

It's fun, engaging, and best of all - no prep! Check out this Monitoring Comprehension Resource here. 

5. Compare and Contrast Thanksgivings

Practice comparing and contrasting with a Thanksgiving theme.  Have students think about the similarities and differences between Thanksgiving and another holiday like Christmas, and then write a short paper to compare and contrast the two.

Or, pair upper elementary students up and have partners discuss with each other what they will do on Thanksgiving Day.   Students should discover both similarities and differences, and then write about them.

Check out these tips for scaffolding compare and contrast writing so your students can be successful with this activity.  

Your students might also be interested in learning the differences between how people in Canada and the U.S. celebrate Thanksgiving differently.  We don't even celebrate on the same day!  This resource has a reading comprehension passage comparing how the two countries celebrate, as well as a fun scavenger hunt comprehension activity!  

6. Make a Thankful ABC Book

Taking time to consider things we are thankful for is beneficial for the mental health of both students and teachers alike.

Make this activity a little more rigorous by having students come up with things they are thankful for for each letter of the alphabet, and make an ABC book!

7. A Native American / Indigenous People Writing Research Project

Have 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students learn more about the people that were here before the "First" Thanksgiving.

You could stick with the Thanksgiving theme and have students research the Wampanoag, or have students research groups that were / are native to your area.  Then, have students write a report about what they have learned.

BONUS Idea: Make an Edible Turkey How - To Writing

Food makes everything more fun!  As a class, make an edible turkey together.  Then, have students write a how to paper that gives instructions on how to make that turkey.

This edible turkey is made from Oreos and candy corn, while this one uses pretzels and Reese's.  

Get a head start on your holiday lesson plans with these fun Christmas / holiday writing prompt ideas.  

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6 engaging thanksgiving writing activities for kids.

Incorporating relevant themes into your writing lessons can make learning so much fun! These activities and resources will make it easy to bring Thanksgiving into your writing instruction. Here, you will find printable and digital writing prompts, hands-on activities, lessons, crafts, and more!

If you’ve seen my recent post about Thanksgiving Reading Activities , here is your follow-up for Writing! These Thanksgiving-themed activities will be great add-ons or replacements for your standard writing activities!

Try Story Building with a Cooperative Learning Structure

Incorporating relevant themes into your writing lessons can make learning so much fun! These activities and resources will make it easy to bring Thanksgiving into your writing instruction. Here, you will find printable and digital writing prompts, hands-on activities, lessons, crafts, and more!

Firstly, try an All-Write Round Robin! Do you use Kagan Strategies in your classroom? This is one of my favorites! An All-Write Round Robin will allow your students to build upon one another’s writing to create a story! Grab a few different color pens and some paper. The first person will write 2 or 3 sentences for the story prompt, in one color. Then, the story will move to the next person, with them adding 2-3 sentences to the story in a different color. This can be done in a small group or even as partners!

Typically, I like to give time limits so that students have equal opportunities to write, but this is up to you! Another tip is to mark halfway and endpoints. Give students a warning when they should be about halfway through and when time is almost up. This will help them include a beginning, middle, and end of their story!

Lastly, have your students swap and read or share their stories with the class! They will love hearing how everyone’s stories turned out!

Prompts to give your students:

  • Turkey Going On Vacation
  • Thanksgiving at Grandma’s
  • The Pie Eating Contest
  • Football in the Backyard
  • Scarecrow Comes to Dinner
  • Leaf Pile Playground

Practicing Supporting Details and Reasoning with a Whole-Group Craft

Incorporating relevant themes into your writing lessons can make learning so much fun! These activities and resources will make it easy to bring Thanksgiving into your writing instruction. Here, you will find printable and digital writing prompts, hands-on activities, lessons, crafts, and more!

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for an informational or response writing activity, try one like this! Draw a turkey on an anchor chart and give students slips of paper to decorate the “wings.” On each slip of paper, students can write something they are thankful for and why. This will help your student practice supporting details and reasons. This activity can be repeated with any sort of written response that requires evidence or reasons. You can even reuse the turkey poster all month, practicing a short response each day or week!

Practice Strong Introductions

Incorporating relevant themes into your writing lessons can make learning so much fun! These activities and resources will make it easy to bring Thanksgiving into your writing instruction. Here, you will find printable and digital writing prompts, hands-on activities, lessons, crafts, and more!

Similarly, if you need to work on writing introductions, use a Strong Introductions Matching Activity. Students can match Thanksgiving-themed pictures to two different strong introductions. Then, they can write their own strong introduction for each topic! *For learners that may need more help with this, you can match the cards as a small group, whole group, or even partners! Save the strong introductions that the students wrote to use as examples for future writing, starters for their own writing pieces, or extra matching pieces for the original activity!

Shown is the 1st & 2nd-grade set but you can recreate this activity for 3rd & 4th graders, too!

Link: Thanksgiving 1st and 2nd Grade ELA

Get Into Thanksgiving Themes with a Daily Writing Prompt

Incorporating relevant themes into your writing lessons can make learning so much fun! These activities and resources will make it easy to bring Thanksgiving into your writing instruction. Here, you will find printable and digital writing prompts, hands-on activities, lessons, crafts, and more!

Daily writing prompts are a great way to build young writers’ skills. You can add a Thanksgiving-themed daily writing prompt to be completed as a bell ringer or early finisher! Students will be excited to write about topics that are currently relevant and fit the theme you’ve carried across your ELA blocks! Not only will this help them stay on topic, but it will also provide them with creative ideas. If your reading activities, mentor texts, language lessons, etc., are on theme, they will be full of examples and details to improve their Thanksgiving-themed writing!

The writing prompts from the resource in the photo come in both printable and digital formats. So, students can write in their journals or type their responses on their devices. This will make trading, sharing, revising, and editing a breeze!

Link: November Writing Prompts

Practice Editing and Publishing

Incorporating relevant themes into your writing lessons can make learning so much fun! These activities and resources will make it easy to bring Thanksgiving into your writing instruction. Here, you will find printable and digital writing prompts, hands-on activities, lessons, crafts, and more!

On the other hand, their writing isn’t the only skill that will benefit from practice. Editing and revising are writing tools that your little learners need constant practice in, too. Add a Thanksgiving-themed editing and revision activity to your plans. Partners can find and edit mistakes in pre-written sentences. They can trade and revise one another’s Thanksgiving-themed writing pieces. *If you use the November Writing prompts, have your students “share” the digital versions or trade their writing notebooks to practice revising and editing!

Link: Thanksgiving ELA 1st & 2nd Grade

Add a Few On-the-Go Pages to Early Finisher Folders or Use as Morning Work

Incorporating relevant themes into your writing lessons can make learning so much fun! These activities and resources will make it easy to bring Thanksgiving into your writing instruction. Here, you will find printable and digital writing prompts, hands-on activities, lessons, crafts, and more!

Lastly, add Thanksgiving Writing activities to your morning work or early finisher folders. There are lots of applicable writing pages in the November On-the-Go set. Students will be able to practice writing letters, creating lists, making words, and more. They will love these fun, on-topic activities that allow them to practice a variety of writing skills without them even realizing it! 

Link: November On-the-Go

Here are a few Thanksgiving Writing Activities you may find useful:

thanksgiving writing activities 4th grade

  • Kindergarten Thanksgiving ELA Activities
  • 1st & 2nd Thanksgiving ELA Activities
  • 3rd & 4th Thanksgiving ELA Activities
  • November Writing Prompts
  • November On-the-Go Worksheets

Want to read more Thanksgiving-themed blogs?

  • Thanksgiving Activities
  • Virtual Ideas for Thanksgiving
  • Thanksgiving Read Alouds

thanksgiving writing activities 4th grade

FREE THANKSGIVING FEAST PARTY

 This free download will be sent to your email! It’s two free party planning sheets, plus a Bingo-style game with a Thanksgiving theme. Get this fun activity sent directly to your inbox. 

  • Read more about: Common Core Aligned , Fall Season , Thanksgiving , Writing Blog Posts

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15 Fun Thanksgiving Writing Activities and Prompts for Kids

Holiday , Learning | 1 comment

Are you looking for fun Thanksgiving writing activities to do with the kids this fall? Here are 15 different writing activities and prompts that are all about Thanksgiving! 

Writing can be a challenge for kids- of any age!

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Young kids often lack the small muscles- and the confidence- needed to write. 

Older kids can have trouble organizing information and putting their thoughts down on paper. 

But as with anything, practice makes perfect!

One of the best ways to practice writing is to give a variety of assignments and writing types- and a lot of different topics!

Here are 15 Thanksgiving writing activities and prompts for kids- that will help them practice and enjoy writing!

15 thanksgiving writing activities and prompts for kids

15 Thanksgiving Writing Activities for Kids

Thankful flip book.

Flip books are fun writing activities for kids of all ages. It’s also simple to put together and allows kids to also personalize and use their artistic imagination in the design. 

To make a flip book you will need several sheets of paper, each of just a couple inches shorter than the other. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to put a flip book together: Flip Book Tutorial.  

To make this a Thanksgiving Writing Activity, use colored paper in browns, oranges, and yellows. And then have use a Thanksgiving theme for each of the flaps/ 

Here are a couple of ideas of writing prompts for each tab:

  • Historical – with each tab focusing on one piece of the history of Thanksgiving (traditions, symbols, meaning of, etc)
  • I am Thankful – each tab covers family, friends, school, self, etc. 
  • The Meal – each tab can discuss a different course or aspect of the Thanksgiving meal

Movie Extension Writing Prompt

There are a lot of great movies out there covering Thanksgiving. 

You can choose a cartoon or other fun kids movie or even choose a documentary or other non-fiction film. 

Have the kids watch the movie and then have them write on the movie. Such as:

  • Compare and contrast what was depicted in the movie to their own life
  • Discuss historical accurateness
  • Favorite part and why

Turkey Pardon Persuasive Writing Activity

Take a moment to read or watch about the tradition of pardoning a turkey each year in the US. 

Then have the kids write a persuasive letter or paper from a turkey’s point of view asking to be pardoned. 

In this Thanksgiving writing activity, make sure the students decide on who the audience is (a farmer, a family getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner, etc) and that they speak as the turkey for the duration of the writing assignment. 

thank you letter paper with lines

Thank You Letters

This is a great Thanksgiving writing activity for kids of all ages. And it’s a great life skill to develop!

Have students choose a person in their life- a family member or friend- to write a thank you letter to. 

This doesn’t have to be a thank you for anything specific, but a general  Thanks for all you do for me  letter that helps kids to feel gratitude for other people in their life. 

You can download a free Thanksgiving Thank You Letter Template here: Thanksgiving Thank You Letter

How to Cook a Turkey Research Project

This Thanksgiving writing activity helps teach kids both now to research and how to organize information in logical, sequential order. 

Have them do a little research- online or in books, depending on the age- and take notes on the steps to cook a turkey for Thanksgiving. 

Then have them write the steps in paragraph form. 

Don’t forget to help them use transition words such as first, then, and next!

thanksgiving writing activities 4th grade

Thanksgiving Acrostic Poems

Acrostic poems are a fun writing activity that doesn’t have as much pressure as other poetry! An acrostic poem simply takes a word and then you have to write a line or word starting with each letter in that word. 

Here are some words to use for Thanksgiving Acrostic poems:

  • Thanksgiving

Or you can download my Free Thanksgiving Acrostic Poem templates for an easy activity! 

Thanksgiving Traditions

This easy Thanksgiving writing prompt idea is a great way to give kids writing practice with no pressure. 

Simply give them a sheet of paper, or their writing journal, and the topic: Thanksgiving Traditions .

Then let them free write for 10-20 minutes on that topic. 

The First Thanksgiving

Spend some time reading all about The First Thanksgiving. Read various books on the topic that cover both the history leading up to the First Thanksgiving and what the First Thanksgiving looked like. 

Then have the students write an paper on the First Thanksgiving. 

Depending on age this could be a 4 paragraph essay, a paragraph or simply a couple of sentences. 

chalk board filled with thanksgiving words surrounded by orange pumpkins

Use Thanksgiving Words

Give your students a bank of Thanksgiving words and ask them to write a story using as many of the words as they can. 

Bonus points for using ALL of the words at least once!

Thanksgiving ABCs

This Thanksgiving writing activity is similar to an acrostic poem, except instead of using a word at it’s base, it uses the ABCs. 

Have the students write a Thanksgiving phrase or sentence for each letter of the alphabet. 

The Great Turkey Escape

Now let’s get creative! Have the kids write a create writing story about what would happen if the the Thanksgiving turkey got away and escaped butchering. 

How did he escape? Where will he go? Does he get caught?

Thanksgiving Venn diagram comparing the first thanksgiving to today

Then and Now Venn Diagram

After reading and researching the first Thanksgiving have kids fill in a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the first Thanksgiving to today’s Thanksgiving.

Depending on their age they can fill in with words or complete sentences. 

You can also have them use their diagram to turn it  into a few paragraphs.

You can download the free Thanksgiving Venn Diagram Template here: Thanksgiving Venn Diagram

Thanksgiving Story Book Report

Have the students choose a favorite Thanksgiving story book or chapter book (or assign a specific one!) and have them to a book report. 

Include everything you would normally ask for in a book report- characters, setting, plot, etc. And ask some Thanksgiving specific questions as well!

Thanksgiving Journal

Have the kids start a Thanksgiving journal. 

This is a great Thanksgiving writing activity for the whole month of November. You can use different prompts for each day or choose a central theme- such as gratitude or thankfulness.

Have the kids take time each day to write in their journal as a way to practice writing and brainstorming. 

Futuristic Thanksgiving

This fun Thanksgiving writing activity allows the kids to imagine what they think Thanksgiving will look like in the future. 

Set a time- such as 100 years from now- and ask them to imagine what Thanksgiving will look like then. 

What will be different? What will be the same?

Need some Thanksgiving writing paper to use for these activities? Just click here to download some Thanksgiving Writing Paper

Tips for Altering Writing Activities for All Ages

Almost all writing activities can be altered to work for kids of all ages- from kindergarten to high school level. 

Here are some tips for altering lessons:

  • Take age and ability into account. A kindergartner can write one word answers for acrostic poems or copy work for other assignments. An older child is capable of full and complete sentences. 
  • Vary length. Elementary age kids can be required to write a short paragraph, while middle and high schoolers may be required to write 3-5 paragraph essays. Creative writing assignments will also have differing length requirements. 
  • Use appropriate expectations. This includes things neatness and handwriting or if the assignment should be typed. Correct grammar and spelling. The older the child, the higher the expectations should be. 
  • Use appropriate resources. Older kids can do their own research and find their own sources. Younger kids might need to be given the resources to choose from. You can also choose to read aloud from resources for elementary aged kids, while middle and high schoolers will likely have assigned readings. 

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4 Effortless Thanksgiving Activities for 3rd, 4th & 5th Graders

Harvesting Knowledge: Integrating Thanksgiving Activities into the ELA Curriculum

Thanksgiving Activities

Incorporating Thanksgiving Activities into English Language Arts (ELA) standards for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders offers a multitude of educational and cultural benefits for students. Consider these 6 reasons:

  • Cultural Awareness and Understanding: Thanksgiving is a significant part of American culture and history. Including related activities in ELA standards can help students understand the historical, cultural, and social significance of this holiday.
  • Textual Analysis and Comprehension: Thanksgiving-themed text, whether historical documents, stories, poems, or articles, provide ample opportunities for students to practice reading, comprehending, and analyzing various types of texts.
  • Writing Opportunities: Thanksgiving-themed activities can prompt students to engage in various writing activities.
  • Critical Thinking and Discussion: Lessons centered around this holiday can foster critical thinking skills by encouraging students to analyze different perspectives, evaluate historical events, and engage in discussions about the cultural and social implications of the holiday.
  • Vocabulary and Language Development: Thanksgiving-themed content provides opportunities to introduce and explore relevant vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and language structures related to the holiday.
  • Cross-Curricular Connections: Thanksgiving Activities can also be integrated with other subjects, such as social studies, history, art, and even math. This integration allows for a more comprehensive understanding of the holiday across multiple disciplines.

The Thanksgiving Activities below will meet ALL of the above mentioned reasons for incorporating Thanksgiving into your ELA curriculum. Explore them below!

Thanksgiving activity #1

Thanksgiving Activity

Thanksgiving ELA Escape Room Activity, Thanksgiving Around the World for Grades 3-5 “ The Case of Pardoning Tilda, The Turkey,”  will take students on a secret mission around the classroom as they  close read  a  Thanksgiving Around the World  passage and  complete 5 challenges that has them deciphering the 5-digit code to unlock Tilda, the turkey from her cage . Throughout the activity, students will work collaboratively with a partner or group to solve  4 ELA related challenges and one challenge of coded math problems,  as each activity will unlock 1 digit to the 5-digit code. Critical thinking is a key component in this escape room activity. This is also a terrific cross-curricula connection as it integrates social studies into several reading and vocabulary standards . Close reading is a key component in this engaging resource!!

Thanksgiving Activity #2

THANKSGIVING WRITING

This Thanksgiving Persuasive Writing Activity & Turkey Craft for 3rd, 4th & 5th Graders is a NO PREP, print & go  Thanksgiving Persuasive Writing Activity titled, Pardon My Turkey, Please!  Students will write a  persuasive letter  to the president convincing him/her to pardon their turkey this Thanksgiving (with  Thanksgiving Stationery ). Included is a  Thanksgiving turkey craft  that allows students to  design  and  decorate their own turkey , along with  naming it , making their writing far more personal! This is a great way to integrate writing into a Thanksgiving themed activity !

Thanksgiving Activities #3 Bundle

Thanksgiving Bundle

Thanksgiving Persuasive Writing & Escape Room Activities BUNDLE Grades 3-5

The  Thanksgiving Activities  in this bundle include both  Thanksgiving Persuasive Writing  and  Thanksgiving   Escape Room Activities (listed above) and will engage your students while still focusing on ELA standards during this holiday season. Think of the cultural awareness and understanding students will gain as Thanksgiving is a significant part of not only American culture and history but in other parts of the world. They may not all celebrate this special event in the same way, but the theme of gratitude and harvesting is woven throughout many parts of the world!

Thanksgiving activities # 4 PBL

thanksgiving writing activities 4th grade

Thanksgiving Reading, Writing & Math Activities 3rd, 4th & 5th grade PBL

This Project Based Learning Unit incorporates Thanksgiving Reading, Writing and Math Activities  in which students explore  real world problem solving . 

Students are asked to make it their mission to help the “New Hope Homeless Shelter” plan and prepare for its Thanksgiving feast. The main goal is to determine how much money is needed for the necessary Thanksgiving food items and then reach out to a “local” business in the form of a persuasive letter, asking for monetary donations to make the feast a success . This unit always sparks many discussions about the homeless population and how we, as responsible citizens, can make a difference for those less fortunate during this special time of gratitude and celebration!!

Time is precious when you are in the classrooms trying to meet all of the demands put upon you! When incorporating ELA standards into Thanksgiving Activities, you still are meeting those demand, and more importantly, your students will be far more engaged!!

Explore more of my valuable blogs to ensure success!!

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  • Post author: Debbi Sgambato
  • Post published: November 3, 2023
  • Post category: Uncategorized / Thanksgiving

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Reading and Writing Haven; English Teaching Ideas

Simple Yet Meaningful Thanksgiving Writing Activities

Looking for a way to engage your secondary ELA students this holiday season? Try using simple yet meaningful Thanksgiving writing activities to keep your classes focused and interested during those final days before fall break.

It can be challenging to think of ways to keep middle and high school students engaged around the holidays. Through trial and error, I’ve found that the best approach is to channel their energy about the upcoming season in lessons instead of plowing through our units as usual. But how? It’s also important to maintain the integrity and rigor of our curriculums. I have a few ideas.

Read about NINE engaging Thanksgiving writing activities for secondary ELA. #Thanksgivingwritingactivities #secondaryela

THANKSGIVING WRITING ACTIVITIES

1. thank you emails.

Asking students to practice writing thank you emails (or letters!) blesses others and also helps students to hone their real-world writing skills. This year, especially, people can use a few kind words to lift their spirits. Here’s a free lesson you can download to get started. Spread positivity and encouragement around the world.

2. Turkey Pardon Plea

Get creative. Read  this article   and Watch  this video clip   about the United States’ Thanksgiving tradition of pardoning turkeys. Then, have students participate in a creative writing assignment. Ask them to take on the persona of a turkey who is vying for that coveted spot of being pardoned to a life of luxurious retirement. In their piece, students should work on developing a specific voice. How would a turkey in this situation share his or her plea? Would it be most effective to be humorous, desperate, cunning, argumentative, defensive, or despondent? Write along with your teens, and have fun laughing as you share your responses.

3. Write about Theme

As a class, watch this video clip . Have students respond to the narrator’s message and the symbolism of the images. What is the central idea or theme of this inspirational, nonfiction clip? How do the film creator and narrator develop it?

Or, watch this short film . Use this video as an opportunity to write about theme. Ask students to brainstorm possible lessons viewers should take away from this story, and then begin identifying text evidence that supports the development of the theme. This video clip would also work well for making personal connections with the theme. If students need ideas of where to start, you may want to host a brief discussion about how Thanksgiving is a wonderful time for us to express empathy and compassion for others who may be hurting.

4. Figurative Language

Memes can be an engaging way to incorporate informal Thanksgiving writing activities into the classroom. Pictures often communicate an idea far better than a paragraph of words. As a class, study some examples of irony, comedy, or allusion in Thanksgiving memes. Then, encourage students to create one of their own to share! You will find plenty of examples if you search Google for “Thanksgiving memes.”

Another way we can incorporate figurative language into our holiday lessons is by studying holiday idioms and expressions. What types of phrases do English speakers use this time of year that have both a literal and figurative meaning? This lesson is important when studying formal versus informal language as well as with ELL students who are not familiar with the figurative meanings.

5. Picture Book Patterns

Try reading picture books about thankfulness. A few of my favorites are How to Catch a Turkey by Adam Wallace, Dav Pilkey’s ‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving , Room for Everyone , and A Little Thanksgiving SPOT by Diane Albers. Ask students to get together in small groups and discuss behaviors, attitudes, and dialogue that convey an attitude of gratitude. Do the characters in each book do similar things…or different? Then, ask students to reflect on how they personally show thankful hearts. In the midst of daily stressors, how can setting our minds on what we have to be thankful for keep us healthy?

6. Documentary Analysis

Watch the high-interest and unique documentary My Life as a Turkey .  As students watch the film, they can practice a variety of reading strategies. For example, have them keep a t-chart with a running list of questions the movie make them think of and possible answers. Students can also include interesting facts and thoughts about them on the t-chart. With this documentary, students can make a variety of inferences and predictions, summarize and sequence, and even analyze the theme of an informational text.

7. Gratitude Mindfulness Journaling

Have students complete some gratitude journaling . These low stakes writing assignments teach students about a specific social emotional element of thankfulness. For example, exercising can increase our mental health and help us to feel more grateful! As students write, they can also color and doodle, making this journaling activity perfect for a bell ringer. Students can participate in a rhythmic, calm writing session to regulate themselves for the class period that lies ahead.

8. Top 10 List

Families appreciate when students bring home information to share at the Thanksgiving dinner table. Ask students to write a Top 10 list of what they are most thankful for. BUT! Don’t make this just any old list. If you want to add a twist of fun, watch Kid President’s 25 Things to be Thankful For video and then generate an equally light-hearted list.

For an added level of difficulty or to differentiate, you could also have them research Thanksgiving and write down the Top 10 most interesting facts about the holiday or the Top 10 Thanksgiving myths everyone believes. Students could then turn their research into a 3 Truths and a Lie game to share their findings. To further tie this activity into your writing standards, have students work on properly citing their facts in MLA format.

9. Research Then and Now

People too often celebrate holidays without asking important questions about why they are significant, what they mean, and how they’ve evolved. Ask students to research the origin of Thanksgiving. How did it begin? What was it like? How do their findings compare with the cultural norms surrounding their Thanksgiving today? Allow students to explore differences in Thanksgiving traditions, and give them time to talk about how each of their experiences is unique.  

Learning during the holiday season can be fun, even in the secondary classroom! Try one (or more) of these ideas this Thanksgiving writing activities to engage your students and share some laughter.

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300 Thanksgiving activities for kids and school students of all grades ( toddlers, preschoolers, infants, kindergarten, 1-10 year olds)

Thanksgiving is a special holiday that celebrates the arrival of a new season – Fall. This holiday is perfect for kids and school students for fun thanksgiving activities.

The best part is that these activities can be done indoors and outdoors, making them perfect for all weather conditions.

This blog post covers a huge list of 300 Thanksgiving activities for kids and school students of all grades from toddlers, infants, preschoolers, and kindergarten to those who are between 1-10 years old children. Make use of these activities to get your kids, family and students excited for the holiday season!

5. Fall Tree House

5. make a thanksgiving basket, 4. create a turkey using building blocks and bricks, 300 thanksgiving activities for kids.

thanksgiving-activities-for-kids--

The following is a list of Kids activities for thanksgiving:

1. Gratitude tree activity

In order to enjoy the good things in life, it’s important to be grateful for them. That’s why we recommend doing a gratitude tree activity together as a family.

All you need is a bunch of sticks, some paper, and a marker. Write down everything that the family is grateful for, from the smallest things to the biggest achievements.

The kids will love seeing their list grow, and they will learn to take pleasure in the simple things in life.

2. Pumpkin Painting

Pumpkin painting is an amazing autumn activity that is perfect for families. All you need is some pumpkins, some paint, and a big canvas.

Start by cutting the top off of the pumpkins, then use an orange or brown paint to paint the insides of the pumpkins.

Once the pumpkins are painted, put them on your canvas and let the kids go to town! They can use different brushes, colors, and patterns to create some beautiful artwork.

3. Fall Harvesting

Fall is a time of harvest, and what better way to celebrate than by spending some time picking apples, grapes, or whatever else is in season.

Kids love to help out in the harvest, and they will be thrilled when they get to bring home some delicious produce.

It’s also a great activity to do together as a family, giving everyone a chance to get involved and learn about where their food comes from.

4. Spooky Halloween Crafts

Halloween is one of the most fun holidays of the year, and it’s also a great time to teach kids about the history of the holiday.

Create some spooky crafts like pumpkin decor, witches’ hats, or even ghost stories. Kids will love getting involved in the fun and making something special for their homes.

Building a tree house is a great way to get kids excited about the upcoming autumn season. All you need is a few pieces of wood and some nails.

Start by cutting a piece of wood that is about 24 inches wide and 36 inches long. Then, drill a few holes in the wood, and attach the wood to a sturdy tree using screws.

Once the tree house is attached, cut a hole in the top so the kids can get inside. Add some leaves, twigs, and moss to make the tree house look like a real tree.

Also read: 300+ Thanksgiving activities that are sure to get you in the holiday spirit (2022 Edition)

thanksgiving-kid-activities

Creative Thanksgiving kid activities

Here is a list of creative thanksgiving kid activities:

1. Thanksgiving coloring pages: Print out some Thanksgiving coloring pages and have the kids color them while they listen to some Thanksgiving stories.

2. Thanksgiving story time: Have a Thanksgiving story time with your kids. Get them in the mood by reading some Thanksgiving stories beforehand.

3. Thanksgiving craft: Make a Thanksgiving craft like a Thanksgiving turkey, a Thanksgiving pie, or a Thanksgiving diorama.

4. Thanksgiving recipe contest: Have a Thanksgiving recipe contest with your kids. Whoever makes the best Thanksgiving dish wins!

5. Thanksgiving scavenger hunt: Have a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt with your kids. This is a fun way to get them to use their brains and have some fun at the same time.

6. Thanksgiving word search: Have a Thanksgiving word search with your kids. This is a fun way to challenge their vocabulary and have some fun at the same time.

7. Thanksgiving finger painting: Let the kids have some fun painting Thanksgiving pictures with their fingers while they listen to some Thanksgiving stories.

8. Thanksgiving playdate: Have a Thanksgiving playdate with your kids. This is a great way to get them to socialize and have some fun at the same time.

9. Thanksgiving family game night: Have a Thanksgiving family game night with your kids. This is a great way to get them to spend some quality time together and have some fun.

10. Thanksgiving baking contest: Have a Thanksgiving baking contest with your kids. Whoever makes the best Thanksgiving dessert wins!

thanksgiving-activities-for-preschoolers

Thanksgiving activities for preschoolers

Here are some Preschool thanksgiving activities for kids:

1. Create a bubble painting

Pour a pot of hot water into a large bowl and add a few drops of dish soap. Hand your preschooler a bowl of small plastic cups and ask them to fill each cup with water.

Place the cups in the water and watch as the bubbles form and grow.

You can also use a drinking straw to blow into the mixture to create a lot of bubbles so they rise above the bowl.

Encourage your child to use their fingers to create interesting designs on the surface of the bubbles. When the bubbles have faded, use a brush to clean the painting surface.

2. Play I spy with colors

This is a fun activity that can be done indoors or outdoors. Line a large area with brightly-colored sheets, pillows, or blankets.

Give your preschooler a small container of different colors of paint and ask them to find all the objects in the room that match one of the colors in their paint container.

This could be things like furniture, curtains, or toys. When they’ve found all the objects, ask them to show you what color they used on each object.

This is a great way to help your child learn about colors and how to identify them.

3. Make a Thanksgiving craft

One of the best ways to teach children about Thanksgiving is to involve them in the crafting process.

This can be as simple as making a turkey ornament out of pipe cleaners or as complicated as making a Thanksgiving cake from scratch.

Let your child choose the project and help them find the materials they need. This is a great way to encourage creativity and independence in your preschooler.

4. Fly a kite

This is a classic Thanksgiving activity that can be enjoyed by both young and old. Get your kite flying supplies ready and let your preschooler have it.

They can choose the colors and design of their kite, or you can help them choose something simple like a traditional Thanksgiving kite.

When the kite is ready, have your child fly it in the sky and enjoy the sights and sounds of the wind catching it and carrying it away.

This is a fun and easy craft that your preschooler can do on their own. Get a large basket and fill it with items like candy, cookies, toys, and other small gifts.

Let your child choose the items they want to put in their basket and encourage them to think of different things they can put in there to make it special.

This is a great way to teach your child about gift-giving and how to put together a special basket for someone else.

Also read: 150 Thanksgiving activities for preschoolers (Fun, science, math, art, writing, reading, learning skills)

thanksgiving-activities-for-elementary-students

Thanksgiving activities for elementary students

Here is a list of Fun thanksgiving activities for elementary students:

1. Draw a Thanksgiving turkey on a chalkboard

The kids will love this fun Thanksgiving activity! Get a large piece of chalkboard and draw a Thanksgiving turkey on it.

Have the kids help you write down what they think are the key features of a turkey. This could include things like a big gob of stuffing, a bright red neck, a big yellow beak, etc.

Once they’ve got a good idea of what a turkey looks like, let them start drawing on the chalkboard. They can draw feathers, turkeys walking around, and so on.

Give your elementary students a large piece of white chalk and ask them to draw a Thanksgiving turkey on the board.

They can use different colors to make the feathers on the turkey’s head, body, and feet. They can also use different colors to create the turkey’s tail feathers.

This is a great way to get the kids excited about Thanksgiving and help them learn some basic art skills.

2. Make a Thanksgiving flag

This is another super easy Thanksgiving activity for elementary students. All you need is some white paper, a pencil, and some scissors.

Have the kids cut out a flag (or any other shape) out of white paper. Then, have them write the names of the food items on the flag.

Once they’ve finished, have them hang the flag up in the classroom or hallway. This is a great way to get the kids excited about Thanksgiving and help them learn some basic writing skills.

3. Make art with pinecones

There’s nothing better than spending Thanksgiving Day artfully creating beautiful pieces with pinecones. All you need are some pinecones, some water, and some paint. Simply fill a pot with water and place the pinecones in it.

Then, paint the pinecones using different colors of paint. Once the paint is dry, take the pinecones out of the pot and let the kids have fun displaying their art in the classroom or hallway.

The building block is the most common block game that kids love to play. So, why not use this classic toy to create a Thanksgiving turkey?

All you need is some blocks with different colors and some imagination. Start by creating a big yellow block for the beak.

Then, have the kids put the blocks together to create a turkey body. They can use different colors of blocks to create the feathers on the turkey’s body.

Once they’ve finished, they can paint the turkey’s red neck and green tail feathers. This is a great way to get the kids excited about Thanksgiving and help them learn some basic construction skills.

thanksgiving-school-activities

Thanksgiving school activities

Here is a list of School thanksgiving activities for students:

1. Make a map of thanksgiving foods

2. Map the pilgrims’ journey from England to America

3. Play 21 questions using only things that they are thankful for

4. Brainstorm what words you can use to describe being thankful

5. Use different colors and textures of construction paper to make a picture that is an expression of your thankfulness

6. Tell about something in your life you are thankful for and illustrate it with drawings or paintings

7. Draw a self-portrait and write down all the things that make you happy

8. Draw what family time looks like in your house during Thanksgiving, including who’s there and what everyone is doing

9. Write out three ways you have been grateful this week

10. Write a letter to someone thanking them for making an impact on your life.

thanksgiving-activities-for-kindergarten

Thanksgiving activities for kindergarten

These are a few Easy and fun Kindergarten thanksgiving activities educational and literacy related:

1. Cut out shapes that represent how you feel on Thanksgiving (happy, sad, thankful) and glue them onto different backgrounds (white piece of paper, brown piece of construction paper)

2. Create a collage with pictures and quotes of things you’re thankful for

3. Make gratitude cards to send to people you are thankful for or have helped you this year.

4. Write what the turkey would say if it could talk in a creative story

5. Make family trees using string and colored pencils

6. Write a list of all the people who help make Thanksgiving dinner possible

7. Draw a picture of your favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner

8. Color in turkeys using geometric shapes

9. Draw turkeys using crayons.

10. Create one sentence about why each food is served at Thanksgiving

thanksgiving-activities-for-toddlers

Best Thanksgiving activities for toddlers and babies

This is a list of Fun and Easy Toddler thanksgiving activities to do (crafts and arts):

1. Feed the turkey: Give your child a plate of food that you would put on the Thanksgiving table and have them feed it to their toy turkey. Put them in charge of cutting up their food too!

2. What’s under the towel? Hide an object (like a crayon or cookie) under a towel and let your toddler see what they think it is. When they pick it up say, What do you think this is? Then take the object away from them and tell them what it really was before letting them feel around for it with their hands again.

3. Thanksgiving collage: Take pictures of things that are special to you from last year’s Thanksgiving dinner with your family.

4. Gather your children around the phone or tablet and find images of turkeys online.

5. Print out a picture, laminate it if possible, then use stickers to decorate it any way they like.

6. Visit the local library for a story time about Thanksgiving

7. Get some scraps of fabric and glue/tape some feathers to them to make a feather boa or hairpiece;

8. Ask your kids what they’re thankful for

9. Glue gold stars onto construction paper to create a starry night sky background.

Also read: 100+ Thanksgiving trivia questions and answers for all ages (ultimate game edition for family)

infant-thanksgiving-activities

Infant thanksgiving activities

Here are some best Thanksgiving activities for infants:

1. Marshmallow Painting Art: For some fun painting, fill up a container with marshmallows and offer the baby one or two to paint with! The soft texture will make it easy for them to use their hands and get the feeling of painting that they may not be able to get with just paper.

2. Dress-Up your toddler as a Turkey: Grab an old piece of fabric and tie it around the toddler’s head like a turban. Next, take any leftover material and create little wings out of it by tying each end on opposite sides of the turban.

Place this on top of the turban so that you have full turkey wings sticking out from either side. Add in any desired adornments such as feathers, ribbon scraps or pom-poms by attaching them to the wings (either poking through with a needle or using glue).

3. Apple Ball Toss: This is a great activity for gross motor skills, but also can be used to promote eye hand coordination.

Get an apple ball which has had all its spikes removed. Then toss it back and forth between partners who are standing three feet apart.

If someone misses the catch then they must turn around and pick up the apple ball before continuing play.

4. Pile o’ Pumpkins: Fill a pumpkin shell with uncooked rice and let the babies dig for treasure.

5. Sugar Cookies: When making sugar cookies, allow toddlers to press down hard with his/her thumbs when adding frosting to cookie tops so they can feel what it is like when rolling dough into cookie shapes

thanksgiving-activities-for-1-year-olds

Thanksgiving activities for 1 year olds

Here is a list of thanksgiving activities for 1 year olds:

1. Fill a small bowl with autumn leaves and let your child explore them.

2. Create a sensory play area with different types of leaves, branches, and flowers.

3. Give your child a leaf to feel, a branch to touch, and a flower to smell.

4. Encourage your child to explore the area of the Thanksgiving dinner table and ask them what they notice.

5. Play games like “I Spy” where your child has to find specific objects in the area.

6. Thanksgiving story time: read a Thanksgiving story together, make a Thanksgiving game, etc.

7. Thanksgiving coloring book: choose a Thanksgiving-themed coloring book to share with your 1 year old.

8. Thanksgiving Jigsaw Puzzle: find a Thanksgiving-themed jigsaw puzzle to complete together.

9. Thanksgiving finger painting: create a Thanksgiving painting with your 1 year old.

10. Thanksgiving tracing: trace a Thanksgiving turkey or other festive image with your 1 year old.

Also read: 350 Things to do on thanksgiving day or weekend (2022 fun thanksgiving activities)

thanksgiving-activities-for-2-year-olds

Thanksgiving activities for 2 year olds

These are some of the good thanksgiving activities for 2 year olds:

1. Craft a pilgrim sign by cutting a hole in the top of a construction paper cone and then folding the top half of the cone over the hole.

2. Tear up some old magazines into small pieces and use them to make Thanksgiving tablecloth scraps.

3. Paint small pumpkins with different colors and then write out Thanksgiving messages on them.

4. Make a Thanksgiving wreath out of colorful tissue paper.

5. Make a simple Thanksgiving flag out of some colorful paper strips.

6. Make a Thanksgiving playdoh scene with your child and some friends.

7. Make a Thanksgiving jigsaw puzzle.

8. Thanksgiving finger play: have your 2 year old play various Thanksgiving finger games.

9. Thanksgiving songs: listen to some Thanksgiving songs together to celebrate the holiday.

thanksgiving-activities-for-3-year-olds

Thanksgiving activities for 3 year olds

Here are a few thanksgiving activities for 3 year olds:

1. Draw a Thanksgiving picture with your child.

2. Make a Thanksgiving Turkey costume for your child.

3. You can make a turkey by tearing off strips of construction paper and connecting them with other strips to form the outline of the shape.

4. You can create a bird’s nest by gluing together pieces of construction paper to form the shape and then stuffing it with paper feathers from ripped up pieces of paper towels or construction paper.

5. You can make toy food items by folding a sheet of construction paper in half lengthwise and taping the inside fold to make it stay in place.

6. Thanksgiving sticker activity: put Thanksgiving stickers all around the house to celebrate!

7. Thanksgiving activity kit: create a Thanksgiving activity kit to keep your 3 year old entertained.

thanksgiving-activities-for-4-year-olds

Thanksgiving activities for 4 year olds

Here is a list of thanksgiving activities for 4 year olds:

1. You can make a turkey by tearing off strips of construction paper and connecting them with other strips to form the outline of the shape.

2. You can create a bird’s nest by gluing together pieces of construction paper to form the shape and then stuffing it with paper feathers from ripped up pieces of paper towels or construction paper.

3. You can make a pilgrim hat by folding a sheet of construction paper in half lengthwise and taping the inside fold to make it stay in place.

4. Craft a pilgrim sign by cutting a hole in the top of a construction paper cone and then folding the top half of the cone over the hole.

5. Tear up some old magazines into small pieces and use them to make Thanksgiving tablecloth scraps.

thanksgiving-activities-for-10-year-olds

Thanksgiving activities for 10 year olds

The following are some thanksgiving activities for 10 year olds:

1. Visit a thrift store: Thrift stores are a great place to find holiday gifts for friends and family. Not only do they have a great selection of items, but they’re also a great place to find unique and affordable items.

2. Go out for dinner: If you’re looking for something a little more festive than a turkey dinner, consider going out for dinner. There are a lot of great restaurants open on Thanksgiving weekend, so you can find something to fit everyone’s taste.

3. Visit a historical site: Many historical sites are open on Thanksgiving weekend, so it’s a great opportunity to explore some of the area’s history. If you’re in the mood for a bit of a hike, consider visiting a historic site like Independence Hall or the White House.

4. Go shopping for holiday gifts: If you’re looking for a little extra help in finding the perfect gift for your friends and family, consider shopping for holiday gifts at a store like Target or Walmart. They have a great selection of gifts, and they’re always happy to help you find the perfect thing for everyone on your list.

5. Bake a pie: One of the best things about Thanksgiving is the food. Why not make a pie and celebrate with your family and friends? There are a lot of great pie recipes out there, so you can find something that everyone will love.

classroom-thanksgiving-activities

Classroom thanksgiving activities

Here is a list of Activities for thanksgiving in the classroom:

1. Hand out a sheet of paper with a list of thanksgiving questions for the class to answer.

2. String onto popsicle sticks to make turkey legs.

3. Trace a pumpkin shape on a piece of paper and cut it out. Draw facial features on the small pumpkin using markers, crayons, or paint.

4. Have students research and write about different aspects of Thanksgiving celebrations around the world.

5. Make a Thanksgiving bulletin board and post photos, recipes, and holiday trivia.

6.  Have students create their own Thanksgiving greeting cards.

7. Have students make pilgrimages to various Thanksgiving destinations around town.

8. Have students participate in a Thanksgiving spelling bee.

9. Have students make a Thanksgiving coloring book.

10. Ask students to send handwritten thanksgiving greeting cards to their random relatives via postcards or envelopes.

science-thanksgiving-activities

Science thanksgiving activities

These are a few Thanksgiving science activities:

1. Turkey-turkey-duck droppings experiment: Let students explore what droppings from different types of birds look like. Have them collect droppings from a turkey, a duck, and a chicken, and then compare and contrast the shapes and colors of the droppings.

2. A Thanksgiving science mystery: Have students create a mystery about what happened on Thanksgiving Day in the past. Write down a list of all the facts they know, and then have them create a story in which one of the family members is missing and has to be found.

3. Pumpkin pie experiment: Let students compare the different types of pumpkin pies to see which is the best. Have them make pie recipes using pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie filling, and pumpkin pie crusts from scratch.

4. Thanksgiving science facts: Have students study the different types of trees that are commonly used to make Thanksgiving dinner tables. Have them learn about the different types of fruits that are used to make pies, and research the different types of vegetables that are used in various dishes.

5. Cola and ice cream experiment: The colder it gets outside, the more people tend to drink cola and ice cream. Have students make their own cola and ice cream using different ratios of sugar to water. They can also experiment with different flavors of cola and ice cream.

math-thanksgiving-activities

Math thanksgiving activities

Here is a list of Thanksgiving math activities for kindergarten, middle school and other grade kids:

1. Write out the number 26 using Thanksgiving symbols

2. Draw a Thanksgiving pie chart to show how many slices of pie each student gets at their Thanksgiving dinner

3. List 5 foods that you’re thankful for

4. Write down 3 words that rhyme with turkey. Now, write down 5 words that don’t rhyme with turkey but start with a similar sounding letter

5. Draw a Thanksgiving shopping list to help the family shop for their Thanksgiving dinner

6. Draw a Thanksgiving dinner table to show how many people will be at the dinner table

7. Draw a Thanksgiving Turkey picture to show how many pounds of turkey will be at the dinner table

8. Measure and write out the ingredients for a Thanksgiving turkey dish

9. Give five different ways you can count from 1-20 on your fingers

10. Guess which number someone is thinking of by giving them clues about what it might be.

art-thanksgiving-activities

Thanksgiving art activities

Here are some Thanksgiving art activities for infants, kindergarten and middle school students:

1. Draw a Thanksgiving dinner table with all of the food and drinks that will be served.

2. Draw a Thanksgiving turkey on some tracing paper and then cut it out.

3. Draw a Thanksgiving storybook character and then paint them with different colors.

4. Craft a Thanksgiving centerpiece out of brightly colored leaves or berries.

5. Sketch a Thanksgiving parade on some paper and then color in the characters.

6. Paint your own Thanksgiving turkey plate or bowl.

7. Make a Thanksgiving banner using a favorite Thanksgiving story or picture.

8. Draw teddy bears and place them around a Thanksgiving table to represent the pilgrims.

9. Create a Thanksgiving diorama using various Thanksgiving food items and figures.

10. Draw and write a Thanksgiving story about a special day at the dinner table with your family and friends.

Thanksgiving stem activities

Here is a list of Thanksgiving stem activities for kindergarten:

1. Paint pumpkins with different Thanksgiving colors.

2. Make a Thanksgiving wreath out of straws, fruits, and vegetables.

3. Cut out Thanksgiving pictures from magazines and paste them on to construction paper.

4. Create a Thanksgiving storyboard using pictures, words, and a Thanksgiving character.

5. Make a Thanksgiving feast out of food items like pies, puddings, and salads.

6. Have your child tell you about their favorite part of Thanksgiving.

7. Make a Thanksgiving pie out of different types of pies crusts.

8. Make a Thanksgiving cake out of different types of cake mixes.

9. Decorate a Thanksgiving table using pumpkins, gourds, and leaves.

10. Play “Turkey in the Straw” using small plastic animals.

thanksgiving-activities-for-kids-students

Thanksgiving things to draw

These are a few thanksgiving things to draw:

1. Draw a Thanksgiving table with all of the different foods that will be served.

2. Draw pictures of all the food items on the table.

3. Draw all of the family members around the table.

4. Draw the setting outside of the Thanksgiving dinner table.

5. Draw different Thanksgiving decorations around the house.

6. Draw a Thanksgiving story about how the family got together for dinner.

7. Let your child color in all of the different elements of the Thanksgiving story.

8. Have your child create a Thanksgiving art project involving the different food items.

9. Have your child make a Thanksgiving dinner for their family using their art.

10. Have your child make a Thanksgiving wishing tree using leaves, branches, and flowers.

Thanksgiving writing activities

Here is a list of Thanksgiving writing activities for kindergarten and middle school students:

1. Let your child illustrate their writing with drawings or stickers.

2. Have your child read their writing aloud to family and friends.

3. Encourage your child to write about the different Thanksgiving recipes they ate.

4. Have your child write a thank-you letter to family and friends.

5. Write about what you would do on Thanksgiving if you were a Turkey.

6. Inspire your child to write a Thanksgiving poem of their own.

7. Write a story about an autumn day where the leaves fall away and the trees become bare.

thanksgiving-activities-for-students-in-middle-school

Thanksgiving activities for students in middle school

The following is a list of Fun Thanksgiving activities for middle school:

1. Prepare a Thanksgiving tablecloth by cutting out a leaf design from some fabric and hemming it in the middle.

2. Talk about the different types of thanksgiving traditions and how did they originate.

3. Encourage your child to make a fall-themed artwork.

4. Let your child put the homemade ingredients in different foods to see how they taste.

5. Have your child write about the different colors they saw while playing.

6. Do a “what if” story where you play the part of an autumn leaf on Thanksgiving.

7. Create a Thanksgiving spirit craft.

8. Fill a small bowl with different sized pumpkin seeds and have your child shake them to see how many fall out.

9. Have your child count the number of seeds in a small bowl and then in a larger bowl.

10. Have your child write about what they saw while playing.

speech-therapy-thanksgiving-activities

Speech therapy thanksgiving activities

Here is a list of Therapeutic and speech therapy thanksgiving activities for all ages:

1. Labeling Family Members: Display the pictures of your family members on the floor.  Take a few steps back and then have your child toss a beanbag onto the pictures.  Whichever picture the beanbag lands on is the one your child has to name.

2. Counting out loud: Have your child stand in front of you and then have them say a number out loud for the each step they take towards you. After they finish, have them turn around and say the next number. Keep going like this until you get to 20.

3. Food matching: Have your child take a piece of food and then have them put it in their mouth. Next, have them say the name of the food. For example, if they take a piece of apple, they would say “apple.”

4. Taking turns : Have your child sit in a chair and then have someone else sit in the other chair. Next, have them say a word. For instance, if someone sitting in the other chair says “cat,” then the person sitting in the chair first would say “dog” and then “cat.”

5. Making predictions: Have your child close their eyes and then have them say a word. For instance, if they say “ball,” you would then ask them what they think the next word will be.

thanksgiving-activities-for-high-school-students

Thanksgiving activities for high school students

Here are some Fun Junior High school thanksgiving activities for students:

1. Read a book called Turkey Trouble by Trinka Hakes Noble

2. Play pin the feather on the turkey

3. Sing carols like I’m Thankful or I Am Thankful by Faith Hill

4. Write down something you are thankful for

5. Decorate a pumpkin with paint and glitter

6. Create a collage of things that make you happy

7. Play games like Tic-Tac-Toe, Candy Land, or Bingo

Twas the night before thanksgiving activities

Here is a list of twas the night before thanksgiving activities:

1. Create a Thanksgiving table with a placemat, plates, and cups.

2. Have them make a turkey out of leaves, branches, and flowers.

3. Let them eat their turkey in different ways: with a fork, with their hands, and with a spoon.

4. Talk about what happened at Thanksgiving and what food was eaten.

5. Write about what your child observed and what they learned.

6. Make a Thanksgiving storybook with pictures and text about the day.

7. Have your child act out different parts of the story.

8. Give your child a turkey costume to wear and have them role play different parts of the day.

9. Have them make a Thanksgiving feast with different foods.

10. Have them decorate a Thanksgiving tree with leaves, branches, and flowers.

Thanksgiving reading activities

Here are some more Thanksgiving reading activities for kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and all other high school grade students:

1. Give your child a book about Thanksgiving and have them read it together.

2. Encourage your child to read about the different traditions associated with Thanksgiving.

3. Read together about what Thanksgiving dinner might look like.

4. Participate in Thanksgiving trivia.

5. Read a story about a pilgrim who visited America on Thanksgiving Day.

6. Read a story about a family who celebrates Thanksgiving in a different way.

7. Let your child read a Thanksgiving dinner menu.

8. Encourage your kid to read the list of ingredients and decide what they would like to make for dinner.

9. Give your child a copy of the official Thanksgiving proclamation.

10. Let your child search for thanksgiving craft in online and read the step by step instructions and encourage them to make their own thanksgiving craft.

School age thanksgiving activities ideas

These are some Thanksgiving activities for school age:

1. Draw a family portrait.

2. Make a Thanksgiving feast.

3. Make a science experiment.

4. Create a Thanksgiving decoration.

5. Make a Thanksgiving card.

6. Create Thanksgiving stories.

7. Design a Thanksgiving game.

8. Make a Thanksgiving quilt.

9. Make a Thanksgiving basket.

10. Write a Thanksgiving thankful letter.

thanksgiving-activities-for-first-grade

Thanksgiving activities for first grade

Here is a list of First grade thanksgiving activities:

1. Create a Thanksgiving themed sensory bin.

2. Give your 1st grade student small leaves, stems, and flowers to decorate the bin.

3. Display the traditional art on Thanksgiving day and let your child explore it.

4. Play games like “I Spy” where your child has to find specific objects in the bin.

5. Talk about the different types of leaves, stems, and flowers and what they can do.

6. Make a Thanksgiving themed nature chart and have your child identify different plants throughout the week.

7. Draw a Thanksgiving themed unity in diversity across the world to color chart.

8. Have your child write about the different Thanksgiving celebrations they have participated in.

9. Play “Turkey in the Straw” with leaves, stems, and flowers.

10. Have your child make a Thanksgiving centerpiece out of cardboards, tinfoil, straws, and leaves.

second-grade-thanksgiving-activities

Second grade thanksgiving activities

These are some Thanksgiving activities for 2nd grade:

1. Draw a turkey and label parts on the diagram: head, neck, wings, body, legs.

2. Write two sentences about your favorite thing to eat during Thanksgiving dinner: I like the pumpkin pie best because it has a lot of spices in it that give it a nice flavor!

3. Pick five words from this list and then use each word in a sentence: cranberry sauce _______ stuffing _______ mashed potatoes _________ yams ________ gravy ________

4. Create a collage with pictures and drawings depicting what Thanksgiving means to you.

5. Craft simple pilgrim hats out of cardstock or construction paper. 

third-grade-thanksgiving-activities

Third grade thanksgiving activities

Here is a list of Thanksgiving activities for 3rd grade :

1. Collect some small items like candy canes, coins, or buttons and glue them to a small piece of construction paper to create a Thanksgiving decoration.

2. Make a Thanksgiving coloring book by printing out pictures of Thanksgiving foods, decorating them with crayons, and cutting out the pictures to put in the book.

3. Make a Thanksgiving video by making a short clip of yourself saying a Thanksgiving prayer, singing a Thanksgiving song, or telling a Thanksgiving story.

4. Learn about Thanksgiving history by reading a Thanksgiving story, doing a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt, or making a Thanksgiving craft.

5. Have a Thanksgiving bake sale to raise money for a charity of your choice.

thanksgiving-activities-for-4th-graders

Thanksgiving activities for 4th graders

These are a few Thanksgiving activities for 4th grade:

1. Have a Thanksgiving party where everyone brings a dish to share.

2. Make a Thanksgiving quilt or scarf to hang on the wall.

3. Have a Thanksgiving classroom game where players have to guess what Thanksgiving dish is being served.

4. Have a Thanksgiving treasure hunt where players have to find various Thanksgiving items hidden around the house.

5. Write Thanksgiving thank-you cards to your favorite teachers in the school

thanksgiving-activities-for-5th-graders

Thanksgiving activities for 5th graders

Here is a list of Thanksgiving math activities for 5th grade:

1. In the classroom, have students draw a Thanksgiving dinner menu (headings include: Appetizers, Main Course, and Desserts) on butcher paper.

2. Initiate a Thanksgiving word search.

3. Have students create Thanksgiving-themed crafts: a pilgrim hat, a turkey spoon, a Thanksgiving placemat, and a Thanksgiving banner.

4. Have students write stories about a Thanksgiving feast.

5. Have students make Thanksgiving treat baskets.

6.  Share your favorite Thanksgiving traditions with your classmates and get to know each other better through those shared experiences.

7. Dine together as a class and share a Thanksgiving meal that’s reflective of your gratitude for one another.

8. Write about your favorite Thanksgiving memory, either from this year or from any other time in your life.

9.  Develop a gratitude policy at your school or in your community, and discuss it as a class.

10. Learn about different types of gratitude and how to practice it on a daily basis.

Thanksgiving activities for 6th graders

Here are some thanksgiving activities for 6th graders:

1. Draw a self-portrait of how gratitude makes you feel inside with your five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch).

2. Make a DIY gratitude journal using a spiral notebook and prompts like “What were some blessings in your life this year?” or “What were some things that made you happy this year?” And answer those questions genuinely.

3. Sing your own gratitude song together in a group or individually.

4. Have a conversation about gratitude on Thanksgiving day itself, centered on a particular topic or idea.

5. Bring Thanksgiving dishes from your home and share them with each other in the classroom.

Thanksgiving activities for 7th graders

Here is a list of thanksgiving activities for 7th graders:

1. Allow students to choose a construction project to do during their Thanksgiving break. 

2. Have students brainstorm different ways to use their science project to improve their minds. 

3. Have students create mind maps to help them remember what they learned. 

4. Have students do puzzles, word games, and other activities to improve their memory skills.

5. Craft Thanksgiving decorations using materials that improve mental skills, such as beads and beads to make bracelets, feathers and feathers to make turkey hats, and so on.

Thanksgiving activities for 8th graders

Here are some thanksgiving activities for 8th graders:

1. Make Spooky Music Boxes: Wrap a box in black construction paper or foil, then attach spider webbing or stringy garland along the entire surface area. You could even include window clings made to look like spiders along the edges of the box too.

Finally add a miniature jack-o’-lantern at one end of the box to complete your spooky music box! Tape plastic spiders onto empty boxes of raisins or cereal. These boxes provide added fun since opening them sounds different than others

2.Try to find a local cornfield and explore: Though not a traditional sensory experience, this is a great time to expose the kids to nature.

One word of caution though, the cornfields may be full of bugs and other small critters. Make sure the child wears bug spray before exploring.

3. Cornstalk Climbing: Find a long piece of twine and tie it tightly around one end of a corn stalk. Pull up on the stalk until it bends, then wrap the twine around again so that there are two loops on either side.

Tie an extra piece of twine around the bottom loop to create a handle so that it’s easier for little hands to grip. Watch your little ones have endless hours of fun playing with their very own natural playground!

4. Dance with your students to Shake Your Booty: Turn on some festive tunes and get moving! All you need is a good pair of dance shoes or sneakers (if you want to keep those feet warm) and some energy.

Use songs like I’m Having A Party by Lady Antebellum or Funkytown by Lipps Inc as prompts if you can’t think of any good songs to sing along with.

5. Create a new Thanksgiving character using clay: Roll out your favorite type of modeling clay and use cookie cutters to shape pieces into ears, eyes, noses, hats, and clothes.

Once you’ve created all the parts needed for your desired character, bake in oven according to package instructions. Let cool and paint with desired colors!

Thanksgiving learning activities

Here is a list of thanksgiving learning activities for kids and everyone:

1. Learn More about Your Heritage and Celebrate Your Ancestry 

2. Explore Your Faith on Thanksgiving Day 

3. Spend Time in Nature 

4. Bake Some Thanksgiving Treats to Share with Friends, Family, and the Community 

5. Watch a Miracle on 34th Street Film 

thanksgiving-activities-for-kids

Online thanksgiving activities

These are some online thanksgiving activities for everyone:

1. Participate in a thanksgiving discussion forum, such as Reddit or Quora and build relationships with people across the world.

2. Follow your favorite bloggers and read their latest posts about thanksgiving Ideas for the celebrations.

3. Listen to gratitude podcasts from the spiritual people.

4. Watch educational videos about thanksgiving traditions around the world.

5. Make a gratitude list and post it on social media or in a journal.

6. Participate in online polls about favorite thanksgiving foods and traditions.

7. Search for images of happy thanksgiving celebrations and print out a few to hang on your wall.

Educational thanksgiving activities

Here is a list of educational thanksgiving activities:

1. Watch documentaries about different cultures that celebrate thanksgiving.

2. Go on a food tour around your city or town to get a taste of different thanksgiving traditions.

3. Paint a Thanksgiving portrait of your family or friends.

4. Cut out Thanksgiving scenes from magazines and paste them onto cardboard to make a Thanksgiving art project.

5. Make a Thanksgiving gift for someone special.

6. Donate a gift to a charity.

7. Write a thank-you note to someone who has helped you in the past.

Homeschool thanksgiving activities

The following are some homeschool thanksgiving activities:

1. Search for interesting Thanksgiving trivia on the internet or in a book and ask your kids.

2. Make a Thanksgiving quiz

3. Create a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt.

4. Craft Thanksgiving baskets.

5. Invite neighbor kids over to your home for playing and to share a Thanksgiving dinner.

6. Go pumpkin picking.

7. Draw a Thankful Jar.

Thanksgiving activities for college students

Here are some Thanksgiving activities for intermediate students and college students:

1. Spend time with family and friends.

2. Cook a major Thanksgiving feast.

3. Watch a football game.

4. Shop for Thanksgiving supplies.

5. Pre-purchase your Thanksgiving feast.

6. Plan a themed Thanksgiving dinner.

7. Go on a turkey hunting expedition.

8. Attend a Thanksgiving parade.

9. Head to the Texas State Capitol to see the Thanksgiving Day parade.

10. Spend the night in a haunted house!

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Teaching with Jennifer Findley

Upper Elementary Teaching Blog

November 8, 2015 | 7 Comments | Filed Under: Holidays

Thanksgiving Activities for Upper Elementary

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays to incorporate into math centers and reading activities. I have compiled my favorite Thanksgiving activities for upper elementary grades in this post, including a few free activities!

Thanksgiving activities for 4th and 5th graders! The week before Thanksgiving break can be a challenge. Check out this post for Thanksgiving activities for math, literacy, and more! A few free Thanksgiving activities included!

This post contains affiliate links if you wish to purchase the Thanksgiving read alouds mentioned in this post

Thanksgiving Science Activities

Science is always a favorite subject of my students and I love incorporating seasonal or holiday science activities. For Thanksgiving, we have two favorites with Thanksgiving food-themes: one with cranberries and one with bones.

Thanksgiving Science: Cranberries

Cranberries are an integral part of Thanksgiving dinner and these cranberry science activities are activity must-haves. From floating cranberries to dancing cranberries students will have fun making predictions, investigating, and drawing conclusions. Both activities are low prep!

**Click here to read a detailed blog post about these activities and grab the free mini recording booklet, reading passage, and comprehension questions.

Thanksgiving Science: Bending Bones

Another science activity that is perfect for Thanksgiving is the “Bending Bones” demonstration. Read more and grab the freebies to complete this activity by clicking here.

Engage your students this Thanksgiving with a bending bones experiment with turkey bones (or chicken). FREE science reading activity and directions for this Thanksgiving science activity on the post.

Thanksgiving Reading Activities

Thanksgiving read alouds and picture books.

Thanksgiving read alouds for 3rd-5th grade. Check out this post for Thanksgiving activities for math, literacy, and more! A few free Thanksgiving activities included!

There are a ton of Thanksgiving-themed books to read during the month of November. These are two of my favorite books to read to my fifth graders.

I love In November by Cynthia Rylant because of the beautiful language used by the author. This is a great mentor text to teach students about writer’s craft.

Thank You, Sarah is a book about the woman who persisted and after several attempts finally got Thanksgiving approved as a federal holiday. This book is great for teaching theme and characterization.

Looking for some fun, fantasy Thanksgiving read alouds with a turkey theme? 

Click here to read about two of my favorite Thanksgiving turkey read alouds AND grab free printables to use with those read alouds.

Thanksgiving Read Alouds for Upper Elementary with FREE Printables! These read alouds are light and fun, and the free activities are perfect for sneaking in some literacy practice in an engaging way.

I also love using my Thanksgiving-themed reading passages during independent reading or as a break from our normal small group reading or guided reading instruction. Sometimes, it is nice to just take a break from rigorous reading instruction and enjoy holiday-themed texts.

Thanksgiving activities for 4th and 5th graders! The week before Thanksgiving break can be a challenge. Check out this post for Thanksgiving activities for math, literacy, and more! A few free Thanksgiving activities included!

These reading passages are great to use because they are both common core aligned and engaging for the students. This set includes a poem, informational text, and a fiction text (all with a Thanksgiving-theme) so students can have practice reading a variety of genres. Each passage includes text dependent questions, as well as printable graphic organizers. ** Click here to see the Thanksgiving Reading pack.

Free Thanksgiving Bookmarks

These free bookmarks are also a nice “treat” to give to students. My students always love getting new themed bookmarks. These can be printed on colored card stock or on white card stock for the students to color. They could even be laminated for continued use and durability. Click here to download these bookmarks for free.

Free Thanksgiving bookmarks! Check out this post for Thanksgiving activities for math, literacy, and more! A few free Thanksgiving activities included!

Thanksgiving Figurative Language Activity

Figurative language is one of my favorite skills to teach. My students love studying figurative but they always struggle with identifying the different types and determining the meaning. To provide ongoing practice, I started creating these seasonal figurative language centers. For the Thanksgiving activity, the students sort the feathers to the correct turkey by matching the type of figurative language. This activity reminds them of their K-2 years, and they love it (and of course, I love the grade-level practice!).

Click here to see the Thanksgiving Figurative Language Activity in my TPT Store.

Thanksgiving figurative language activity! Thanksgiving activities for 4th and 5th graders! The week before Thanksgiving break can be a challenge. Check out this post for Thanksgiving activities for math, literacy, and more! A few free Thanksgiving activities included!

Thanksgiving Writing Activities

Free thanksgiving writing prompts.

These free writing prompts are perfect for getting students into the spirit of giving thanks and showing gratitude. One has the students writing a descriptive paragraph or essay about all the things that they are thankful for in their lives. The other Thanksgiving writing prompt is an acrostic poem using the phrase, “Give Thanks”.

Click here to grab the two thankful prompts shown.

FREE Thanksgiving Writing Prompts!

Free Thanksgiving Pie Writing Activity

And sometimes, we have time (and appropriate behavior) for a high-interest Thanksgiving writing activity involving pies. This Thanksgiving themed writing activity works well with persuasive and informational writing. After sampling several pies, students write persuasive essays as to why their favorite pie is the best pie for Thanksgiving. They could also engage in some descriptive writing as they describe the taste, texture, and smell of the pies.

Click here to read more about this activity and grab the free printables for the pie testing writing activity.

Engage your students and channel their holiday excitement with these Thanksgiving writing activities that involve pie tasting. Free printables included on the post.

Thanksgiving Math Activities

Thanksgiving math centers.

Finally, it would not be a normal holiday if I didn’t include themed math centers in my math instruction.  The first set of math centers shown are included in my Fall and Thanksgiving Math Centers pack. These centers review a variety of skills from word problems and decimals to basic fractions and whole number skills.

Thanksgiving Math Centers for 5th Grade

Thanksgiving Math Printables

This time of the year is rough in the classroom. We are tired, overwhelmed, etc. However, our students are excited for a break. These Thanksgiving math worksheets are a huge life-saver for me each year. They are perfect for mixing up things and easily integrating some Thanksgiving “fun” into the classroom with no additional prep on the part of the teacher.

These Thanksgiving math worksheets are perfect for morning work, homework, time-fillers, or even independent math work or centers.  The students love the graphics and Thanksgiving themes and I love the much-needed math review.

Click here to see 4th Grade Thanksgiving and Fall Math Worksheets.

Click here to see 5th Grade Thanksgiving and Fall Math Worksheets.

No-Prep Thanksgiving Math Worksheets for 4th and 5th Grade! Check out this post for Thanksgiving activities for math, literacy, and more! A few free Thanksgiving activities included!

And finally, a Thanksgiving math FREEBIE! These Thanksgiving logic puzzles are so fun for students. Click here to read more about them and get them for free!

Challenge and engage your students with these free Thanksgiving puzzles!

Those are my favorite go-to activities for Thanksgiving. Check out my favorite fall themed activities here. What are your favorite Thanksgiving activities to do in your classroom? Let us know in the comments.

Want More Thanksgiving Activities?

Click the links below to check out my favorite Thanksgiving math and reading activities.

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Fall Math Centers

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4th Grade Fall and Thanksgiving Math Printables

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Challenge and engage your students with these free Thanksgiving puzzles!

Reader Interactions

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November 12, 2016 at 11:22 am

I love this so much!

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November 14, 2017 at 8:29 am

How can i get the read aloud task cards ect. I cannot seem to find them. Tonya

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November 16, 2017 at 4:12 pm

Good ideas!

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November 12, 2018 at 6:58 pm

Were there handouts for the In November and Thank You, Sarah read alouds?

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November 12, 2018 at 8:20 pm

No, I ran out of time to make some that year. I hope to eventually offer some. Maybe next year. 🙂

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September 21, 2022 at 9:09 am

I have misplaced my original copy of your color by number fall paper for math. Could you please send it to me? I LOVE all of your products. Thank you so much!!

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November 23, 2022 at 2:58 pm

Are there any plans to offer Winter or Christmas or other holiday color-by-answer? My students look forward to them. I LOVE them as a station activity.

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thanksgiving writing activities 4th grade

Welcome friends! I’m Jennifer Findley: a teacher, mother, and avid reader. I believe that with the right resources, mindset, and strategies, all students can achieve at high levels and learn to love learning. My goal is to provide resources and strategies to inspire you and help make this belief a reality for your students. Learn more about me.

Thanksgiving Activities 3rd & 4th Grade - Standards-Based Reading, Writing

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This Thanksgiving activity pack is filled with ELA activities for 3rd and 4th graders, such as reading, writing, language and grammar, and more. There are themed activities for each of the six Common Core Standards domains. Your students will practice their ELA standards while incorporating the Thanksgiving theme as well. This will take some of the stress off of your plate by providing you with standards-based and Common Core-aligned seasonal activities!

Each domain will have 3-4 activities or passages. The domains are Reading Literature, Reading Informational, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Language, and Foundational Skills. There will be a mix of hands-on partner, whole group, and independent activities.

Please check out the preview to get a clearer idea of all that you're getting!

Thanksgiving Activities Included:

  • RL.3.6/RL.4.6- Point of View
  • RL.3.5/RL.4.5- Story Structure
  • RL.3.3/RL.4.3- Character Focus
  • RL.3.2/RL.4.2- Recounting and Morals
  • RI.3.6/RI.4.6- Point of View
  • RI.3.7/RI.4.7- Images
  • RI.3.5/RI.4.7- Text Features
  • RI.3.2/RI.4.2- Main Idea and Key Details
  • W.3.3/W.4.3- Narrative Practice Writing
  • W.3.3/W.4.3- Narrative Writing
  • W.3.5&6/W.4.5&6- Editing and Publishing
  • SL.3.2/SL.4.2- Restate Main Idea/Paraphrase
  • SL.3.3/SL.4.3- Information from a Speaker
  • SL.3.6/SL.4.6- Producing Complete Sentences
  • L.3.1.e/L.4.1.b- Verb Tenses
  • L.3.1.c/Review for 4th- Abstract Nouns
  • L.3.5.b/L.4.5.c- Synonyms and Antonyms
  • L.3.4/RF.4.4- Fluency Practice

This Thanksgiving set is part of a bundle. Want all themes?

  • Click HERE to check out the Themed ELA 3rd and 4th Grade Bundle .

This resource is an add-on to the ELA units I have created for Common Core. All of these activities are standards-based activities. What makes these unique is that they are themed to a holiday or a season!

  • These activities were created to be used alongside the ELA curriculum! If you’re interested in checking that curriculum out, click here for 3rd and click here for 4th !

This purchase is for one single classroom only.

If you're interested in sharing with other classrooms, make sure to buy the extra licenses for a discount through the TeachersPayTeachers tool. If you are interested in a site license, please contact me for a quote at [email protected].

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    Thanksgiving activities for 4th graders. These are a few Thanksgiving activities for 4th grade: 1. Have a Thanksgiving party where everyone brings a dish to share. 2. Make a Thanksgiving quilt or scarf to hang on the wall. 3. Have a Thanksgiving classroom game where players have to guess what Thanksgiving dish is being served. 4.

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    From floating cranberries to dancing cranberries students will have fun making predictions, investigating, and drawing conclusions. Both activities are low prep! **Click here to read a detailed blog post about these activities and grab the free mini recording booklet, reading passage, and comprehension questions. Thanksgiving Science: Bending Bones

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