There is so much hustle and bustle, to set up Christmas right after the Jack-o-Lanterns get thrown out. The joy of Thanksgiving seems to be thrown by the waste side. I am by no means shaming anyone who loves to decorate beginning of November… (You do you!) I wait just a bit longer… I have always loved the month of November, and the slowness of it. I have been intentionally trying to create a slow paced month for my family. A month of showing gratitude for the little things, and being thankful for the life we have been given and have created together.
My kids always are asking for an activity to do, and I am always in search of ways to entertain them, while teaching them a little, too. Here you’ll find some of our family’s favorite activities for Thanksgiving, and things we have done in years past. I also have included some of our favorite books from our seasonal book basket that is housed in our living room.
Create a Turkey
A classic, but a goodie! We can’t resist a good ‘ol play dough turkey creation. We use our beloved homemade play dough, that is honestly SO much better than the tubs. We make it in every color and it lasts about a year or so in a zip lock bag. You can find the recipe here. We have used play dough, and even kinetic sand, too! Kids love really anything with some feathers, popsicle sticks, and google eyes.
Sensory Rice Box
The good ‘ol rice box. My little girl wanted a rice box, after I boxed up our Halloween sensory box. We have a fall themed bean box, but no rice. So, we colored up some rice with Fall colors, and laid it into the box in a shape of a turkey. Perfect. They loved mixing it all together, and now it’s been a daily hit with scoops and their little figure toys. Never underestimate the power of sensory play!
Frozen Rescue
This one is SO easy. Grab a plastic tub, fill it with water and trinkets. I added faux leaves and fall themed gems from the Dollar Tree. Pop it in the freezer, and then put it in a bin with a dropper or baster, and some warm water.
Harvest Water Play
It’s as easy as it sounds. Water fixes everything. Really… If you ever have a cranky kid, pop them in the bath. It’s magical. This activity can involve water, sponges, raw cranberries, some sprigs of rosemary (or pine), and a couple cinnamon sticks. Toss in some fall gems, scoops, cups, and water droppers (or a baster), and you have yourself a fun-filled bin!
Thanksgiving Activity Caddy
I recently put up a whole post on this one. It’s a caddy that I rotate out the contents for, check it out in detail here. In summary, you fill a caddy with activities and various writing utensils, and it provides a great time filler for your little one, while allowing you to get somethings done.
Fill the Feathers on the Turkey
A favorite for the littlest learners. This one can be as simple as plopping feathers onto contact paper, or sorting the feathers by color! Differentiated to meet the needs of your little one. You can snag some contact paper here. I just cut out a turkey shape out of some butcher wrapping paper I had to create the body.
Handprint Turkeys
I cannot recommend enough getting your little’s handprints on a canvas. These are some of my favorite decorations I put up season after season. I have to create a new one, each time we grow our family, but it brings so much joy to my heart. I use acrylic paint and just paint their palms and push them onto a canvas. You can find cheap canvases at the Dollar Store or Walmart. I use this acrylic paint, and have had great success over the years.
Thanksgiving Book Basket
There is no amount of learning app, game, or video that can replace the important learning that happens during reading to a little one. The best learning happens on the lap of a loved one, reading a good story. There’s so many incredible books out there. We put all of our seasonal books in a basket in the living room. I love when I find my littles on curled up on the couch looking at a book from the basket. Here are some of our favorites for the Thanksgiving season. Click on the book title below for a link on Amazon. Have a favorite? Tell us below! We are always looking for more good read-aloud books.
There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Turkey
Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving, Curious George
Thanksgiving, What Makes it Special?
‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving
Let us know if you try any of these activities! Be sure to follow along on Instagram, so you don’t miss any of our daily fun!
We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
Xo,
Holly
Making Beautiful Messes 