Thanksgiving provides a great opportunity to teach kids to be thankful for the blessings they have. If you have a toddler, you should make them part of the celebrations of the harvest and other blessings of the past year.
However, your toddler’s Thanksgiving activities, like yours, should not be confined to the dinner only. Yes, the dinner is important, but you also need to engage them with creative and fun activities more in line with their age.
Here, we are going to discuss 15 thanksgiving activities for toddlers. The list includes a series of different craft, drawing, play, and dress-up activities that will keep your little one engaged with fun and creative twists.
These toddler Thanksgiving activities can also let you keep your child busy so that you can prepare the turkey in full peace for the right doneness.
Without any further ado, let’s look at these 15 Thanksgiving ideas for toddlers you should consider for the post-Halloween and pre-Christmas celebrations.
15 Simple Toddler Thanksgiving Activities
#1 Turkey Balloon Rocket
Give a twist to balloons and race! Since the big bird is part of the late November celebrations, turkey activities for toddlers are a must. One of the most fun-filled turkey activities for toddlers is Turkey Balloon Rockets. All you need is a couple of balloons, craft foam turkeys, string, tape, and drinking straws. Make the foam turkey fly through balloons and let your toddler enjoy the spectacle of it.
Find out how to make a turkey balloon rocket at Growing a Jeweled Rose.
#2 Pumpkin Play Dough
Extend pumpkin party from Halloween to Thanksgiving! Make edible pumpkin dough at home and let the fun begin. Take out the fun cookie-cutters and make Thanksgiving-themed shapes from the edible dough. Or just let kids wilding through their imagination. Find out the Pumpkin Play Dough Recipe at Tinker Lab.
#3 Turkey Sticker Sort
Let kids match colors in a fun way! This is another turkey activity for toddlers where they have to put the matching dot stickers or colored pom-poms on the wings of a cardboard turkey draped in different colors. You can also draw the turkey on paper and play that game.
#4 Thanksgiving Corn Shakers
Develop rhythmic movement and concentration among kids! Corn is an important produce of the harvest. So, make it part of Thanksgiving activities For toddlers by creating a corn shaker. All you need is a small plastic bottle, a handful of corns, and glue to seal the bottle cap.
#5 Make Your Own Turkey
Improve toddler’s motor skills by creating their own turkey! Make a turkey face on cardboard with holes on the top and sides. Buy a bunch of craft feathers in different colors to let your little one make their own turkey of their favorite color combination by pegging the feathers on the cardboard.
#6 Thanksgiving Tablecloth
Time to let your kid’s creativity run wild! Instead of buying a Thanksgiving-themed tablecloth, why not make one at home with your kids? All you need is plain cloth and different colors to have this creative and fun activity.
#7 Feed Turkey
Keep your child busy while teaching them counting and color identities. If you don’t want kids to spoil your Thanksgiving dinner preparation, this activity can come in handy. With an old recycled jar and some pom poms, you can have this activity.
Find out more about this activity on Busy Toddler.
#8 Turkey Thanksgiving Ring Toss Activity
Let kids improve motor skills and coordination in a fun way. Make your own turkey-themed ring toss for your toddler this Thanksgiving. The game will keep them busy while inculcating the importance of Thanksgiving.
Find out how to make them on Hands-on As We Grow.
#9 Crayon Resist Turkey
This is great for indoor, on-table Thanksgiving activity. If you are looking for Thanksgiving drawing ideas, this one is surely worth considering. Let your preschooler use their crayons to fill out a roasted turkey diagram. All you need is a big cardstock and a crayon set.
Find out more about this activity on Play Teach Repeat.
#10 Make a Gratitude Tree
One of the fun way to count your blessing with kids is via a gratitude tree. Among all the Thanksgiving crafts for toddlers, this one is quite thoughtful. It is a great way to teach kids in their formative years to be aware and thankful for what they have.
It’s pretty simple to make a gratitude tree. Kids Activities have explained it well.
#11 Bottle Cap Turkey Craft
This turkey craft is a good toddler craft activity on a budget. Transform tin bottle caps into turkey magnets with your little one and live the spirit of the Thanksgiving festivity.
Find out more about turkey bottle craft on Crafty Morning.
#12 Make a Gourd Turkey
Spark creativity in your little one! You can make small little cute turkeys from gourds. Besides the fruit, you will need a bunch of wobbly wiggly eyes and ribbons.
Designed Improvised has provided a good tutorial for making Thanksgiving gourd turkeys.
#13 Dress Up Your Toddler as Turkey
Take fun to the next level with a unique dress-up. Toddlers love to wear something that looks odd and interesting. By making a DIY turkey costume, you can dress them up for the occasion.
You can find out more about that DIY paper bag turkey costume at Capturing Parenthood.
#14 Turkey Crown/Tiara
Make your toddler king/queen of the turkey kingdom! It is another thanksgiving crafts option for toddlers you can use to dress them up. A heavy cardstock and a bunch of paints are all you need to make a crown/tiara for your kid.
Find out how to make a turkey crown/tiara on Printable Crush.
#15 Turkey Snack Bag
We are rounding off our list with another turkey craft activity – make a Thanksgiving-customized snack pouch for your kid! You can transform a regular paper bag into a turkey snack bag with a stationery supply along with your toddler. They can use that bag to stuff their Thanksgiving treats.
Learn how to make a turkey snack bag at Eighteen25.
Conclusion
I hope that you find some inspiration to engage with your toddler from the list of thanksgiving activities for toddlers above. If you have found this article helpful, please don’t forget to share it with your fellow mommies and daddies.
Happy Thanksgiving in advance to you and your lovely family!
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