This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you I may earn a small commission when you click a product or company link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Looking to get the kids away from their screens and engaging with the family this Thanksgiving? Check out this list of fun screen-free Thanksgiving activities for kids!
I love Thanksgiving–it’s one of those holidays that people don’t seem to think about a lot… Or at least, retailers would prefer to squeeze it out with Halloween and Christmas.
But it’s really one of my favorites. We get to spend time with family, remember what God has done for us over the past year, and enjoy lots of really good food.
I think the family aspect of the holidays is so, so important. But with technology, it can be really easy to just let screen time drown out any time we spend together.
That’s why I believe in reducing screen time for kids and being intentional about our time as adults. (And if you’re not convinced you need to give the kids a break from screens, take a look at these reasons for limiting your kids’ screen time.)
And these Thanksgiving activities are just the ticket for being more intentional when we put down the screens for a bit.
P.S. Check out this post for more fall activities for kids.
Enjoy!
Spread Kindness This Thanksgiving with these Gratitude Kindness Notes
One of my family's Thanksgiving traditions is to go around the room and say what we're thankful for before we start the meal.
This post and printable help kids focus on the people in their lives and why they're grateful for them.
These cards would be great to give to guests at your dinner table.
"It adds value to people’s lives and spreads kindness when we take a moment to tell people we’re grateful for them."
Do your kids get antsy waiting for the Thanksgiving meal? This printable activity placemat is the perfect solution!
"This thanksgiving activity sheet includes a word search (10 words), a corn maze, a drawing space (draw what’s on your plate) and coloring elements (fall doodles and title)."
Here's another great way to keep the kids occupied at the table.
This coloring page comes "in 3 sizes that you can use to entertain and relax yourself (coloring page), to decorate your table and entertain your guests (coloring placemat) or even to send a personalized postcard with (coloring postcard)."
This one kind of cracks me up. Did you ever play with fortune tellers/cootie catchers as a kid? I sure did!
This printable puts a fun twist on the "classic" (?) folded paper toy with Thanksgiving jokes.
"Older kids can fold the cootie catchers as an origami craft project and kids of all ages can play with them."
This is "a pretty craft for kids to do while studying Native American culture." And Thanksgiving is the perfect time to learn about Native Americans.
According to Native Hope, "Thanksgiving as a holiday originates from the Native American philosophy of giving without expecting anything in return. In the first celebration of this holiday, the Wampanoag tribe not only provided the food for the feast, but also the teachings of agriculture and hunting (corn, beans, wild rice, and turkey are some specific examples of foods introduced by Native Americans)."
Native Hope is a good place to learn more about the Native American experience of Thanksgiving and what it means to the different tribes.
This is a fun Thanksgiving craft for kids, and the printable makes it super easy to put together.
They "would make really cute Thanksgiving place holders or napkin rings!"
Scavenger hunts are so much fun!
"The theme of this Thanksgiving scavenger hunt is things we’re thankful for."
I love that this hunt encourages kids to be thankful for everyday things they might otherwise take for granted.
My husband often points out things like running water and air conditioning--it's so easy to take them for granted, but we really have so much to be grateful for!
This post focuses on the importance of gratitude all year long.
It includes a printable gratitude journal, an excellent way to encourage kids to start thinking about what they're thankful for.
Perfect for Thanksgiving!
What are your favorite Thanksgiving activities? Let me know in the comments!