Thanksgiving Classroom Activities with a Creative Twist

November is an interesting time in the classroom. We’ve made it through Halloween, there may still be a candy wrapper hiding somewhere, and everyone wants to know how many days are left until Thanksgiving break.

Including the teacher.

In the meantime, these Thanksgiving activities give students something to create, talk about, and write about, with a little math mixed in. There are turkeys with questionable disguises, tiny houses to decorate, and parade balloons waiting for their big moment.

A turkey with a very important disguise

Disguising a turkey is serious business. At least it is when you’re the turkey.

Disguise a Turkey Fall Thanksgiving Craft and Writing lets students choose from 38 costume disguises and write from their turkey’s point of view. Why would this disguise work? What should the turkey say if someone gets suspicious?

Pair it with a read-aloud of Turkey Trouble, then give students a chance to introduce their disguised turkey to a partner before writing. Talking through the idea first can help them figure out what they want to say.

The included writing options range from traceable sentence starters to primary and regular lines, plus a half-page option for naming the disguise.

Some students may be extremely confident that their turkey is completely unrecognizable. We’ll respect the creative vision.

Build a cozy little turkey house

Once the turkey has a disguise, he’ll probably need somewhere to relax.

Build a Turkey House Fall Craft and Writing Activity lets students decorate the inside of a fold-open house. They color, cut, arrange, and glue their choices before writing about the home they created.

There are more decorating pieces than will fit inside, so choosing is part of the activity. What does their turkey need? Where should everything go?

Before writing, students can give a partner a quick “house tour,” pointing out their favorite details. Three writing templates provide different amounts of space for describing their turkey’s new home.

Make a parade balloon with a big personality

If your students could design a balloon for a Thanksgiving parade, what would they choose?

Thanksgiving Parade Balloon Pop Up Craft and Writing Activity invites students to create a balloon, color a city background, and assemble the pieces so their balloon looks like it’s floating through the city.

The resource includes eight balloon design templates and three writing templates. Students can describe their design or explain why they chose it.

This pairs nicely with Balloons Over Broadway, and the finished balloons and writing would make a fun classroom parade display.

 

Plan Thanksgiving dinner their way

If children were in charge of Thanksgiving dinner, what would make it onto the menu?

Thanksgiving Dinner Craft and Writing Activity lets students choose dishes and sides, create a dinner, and write about their choices. Word banks and writing templates provide support, including traceable sentence starters, primary lines, and regular lines.

I’d introduce this as an imagined dinner students get to plan, rather than expecting everyone to describe the same family celebration. They can include foods they enjoy, foods their families serve, or something they’d like to try.

Partners can share their menus before writing and explain their favorite choices. Some may reveal a very clear commitment to side dishes.

Add a little turkey-themed math

Not every Thanksgiving activity needs to become a writing project. Sometimes we need to talk about sides and vertices. The turkey can help.

Turkey Autumn 2D Shape Math Craft combines a seasonal craft with practice identifying shapes and their attributes. Students color, complete the shape information, cut, and assemble their turkey.

With 15 shape options included, you can use one shape with the whole class or give students different shapes to compare. As they work, ask them how they know which shape they have and what makes it different from a their classmate's shapes.

Cute feathers. Actual math. A useful combination.

A little creativity before the break

These Thanksgiving activities give students something to create, write about, and share. A turkey needs a convincing disguise, a tiny house needs a few cozy details, and a parade balloon needs its moment to shine.

I love that everyone can start with the same project and make something a little different. The finished crafts and writing can become a classroom display or something students share with a partner before taking home.

By then, the turkeys should be feeling much better about November.