15 Free and No-Prep Thanksgiving Activities

November and December can be the most memorable months of the school year for students. Teachers get to plan and create exciting lessons that are holiday themed. Students get to celebrate the holidays with their peers in special ways. Amidst the holiday magic, though, teachers have little time to actually make this magic come to life! So, here are 15 easy, low prep Thanksgiving activities to kick off the holiday season in your classroom.

1. Create a read-aloud countdown to Thanksgiving

Your students will be begging you every school day to share which read aloud is being read that day. You can look for these books at the library or find them on YouTube to share with your class for free. Here are a few of our favorites.

The Crayons Give Thanks by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers

Thanks for Nothing by Ryan T. Higgins

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson

2. Build patterns on a turkey mat

Use different manipulatives, like cubes and pompoms, to practice making patterns. Click HERE for the free editable template.

3. Turkey bowling movement break

Whether you’re looking for a Thanksgiving activity for a party or a new movement break for this month, you can set up a quick Turkey Bowling station with cones from Dollar Tree.

4. Revisit or introduce main idea and details with a turkey organizer

Use a turkey shaped organizer to practice finding main ideas and details in various themed texts. Click below for a free editable template!

5. Create a classroom gratitude jar

Set up a writing station with blank slips of paper where students can write down a quick note about what they are grateful for. Set a goal to fill the gratitude jar by Thanksgiving.

6. Follow steps to make a Fall harvest mix

So often teachers put together little gift bags for their students for the holidays. However, students would love making their own treats as well! Gather the materials with the help of parents/caregivers or buy in bulk and split the cost with other teachers.

7. Make thankful lapbooks

All you need is a manila folder for this project! Students can create this keepsake throughout the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving or as a project the week of Thanksgiving.

8. Host a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Who says a Thanksgiving feast has to be fancy or expensive? Gather a few Charlie Brown favorites and enjoy a meal around the table with your students.

9. Practice sorting shapes on a turkey

Practice using and identifying shapes by using pattern blocks or cut-out shapes to create feathers for a paper turkey.

10. Display a thankfulness from A-Z bulletin board

Print out letters and put them up on your bulletin board. Students can spend the weeks before Thanksgiving writing down items that they’re thankful for that start with each letter on the board.

11. Practice counting and writing in a turkey reader

Littles ones love to see a holiday themed writing activity. Use this free turkey reader to practice writing numbers.

12. Wear crowns to display what students are thankful for

Who doesn’t love a crown craft? Families also love when their kiddos come home with a fun crown! This one gives a chance for students to write about what they are thankful for.

13. Create turkeys in disguise

This is a classic Thanksgiving activity! Read aloud Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano, then task students with disguising a turkey so it won’t be eaten on Thanksgiving. Grab the freebie from @keepingmykindersbusytpt!

14. Practice math strategies with turkey manipulatives

Create tens frames, number bonds, and fact families with turkey shapes.

15. Share and write about traditions

Older students enjoy a writing prompt that gets them started on a creative writing task. Share about Thanksgiving traditions out loud, then give an opportunity for students to write down their thinking in a creative way.

Students engagement will skyrocket when you pull out a Thanksgiving themed activity, whether it’s just for fun or to practice an academic skill!