Thanksgiving toddler activities are a sweet way to slow down and savor the season with your littlest learners. Toddlers may be too young to grasp the full meaning of Thanksgiving, but they’re eager to explore, create, and connect — and Thanksgiving activities built around simple play can help them do just that.
Whether you’re looking to build fine motor skills, encourage sensory exploration, or just keep tiny hands busy while the turkey cooks, this list offers ideas that are gentle, engaging, and easy to set up.
Most of these activities use materials you already have at home and are designed with short attention spans in mind. If you’re craving more rhythm (and less chaos) during the holiday season, these playful invitations are a perfect place to start.
What to Expect from These Toddler Thanksgiving Activities
• Quick setups using materials you already have at home • Designed with toddler attention spans in mind • Minimal prep and easy cleanup • Open-ended invitations to explore, play, and create
Why Thanksgiving Activities Matter for Toddlers
Toddlers thrive on connection — with the people around them, with their environment, and with the rhythms of the season. Simple Thanksgiving activities help little ones feel included in family traditions, even if they’re too young to understand the holiday itself.
At this stage, learning happens through repetition, sensory play, and hands-on exploration. Whether they’re squishing cranberries, painting with feathers, or stirring pretend pie filling, toddlers are building important skills through play.
These moments don’t have to be Pinterest-perfect to matter. What toddlers remember most is your presence — your smile, your invitation to join in, and the joy of doing something together. Even the simplest activity can become a sweet seasonal memory when it’s shared with love.
Thanksgiving Toddler Activities
From sensory bins to creative crafts, these ideas are designed to meet your toddler where they are — curious, busy, and full of wonder. You’ll find a mix of playful ways to weave the Thanksgiving theme into your everyday rhythm, whether you have five minutes or an entire afternoon to fill.
There’s no pressure to complete them all or do them a certain way — just choose what feels right for your child and your season. And remember: printable extras are helpful, but never required. Play is always enough.
Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie Craft
This simple craft lets toddlers turn a paper plate into a slice of pumpkin pie topped with “whipped cream.” A little orange paint, some paper strips for the crust, and a few cotton balls bring the whole thing together. It’s easy to prep, fun to make, and a cute way to celebrate one of Thanksgiving’s favorite desserts.
If you’re looking for a sensory activity without the mess, this one’s a winner. Slip a Thanksgiving-themed printable into a zip-top bag, add a few squirts of paint, and let your toddler squish and swirl the colors from the outside. It’s a fun way to explore textures and color mixing while keeping hands (and tables!) clean. Bonus: tape the bag to a table or window for even more sensory fun.
Soft textures and tiny finger puppets make this a sweet and simple way to encourage pretend play. While adults will need to cut and assemble the felt pieces, toddlers will love wiggling the finished turkeys on their fingers. Add a mini puppet show, storytime, or free play, and you’ve got a cozy, hands-on activity that builds fine motor skills and imagination.
Set out some brown playdough, feathers, googly eyes, and a handful of beads, and invite your toddler to build their own turkey creation. This open-ended play tray encourages creativity, sensory exploration, and fine-motor skills, all with materials you probably already have on hand. No right or wrong way to play here – sculpt, squish, and giggle.
Bring a little rhythm to your Thanksgiving celebrations with homemade corn shakers. Using dried corn kernels and small plastic containers, toddlers can shake, rattle, and roll their way through some seasonal fun. It’s a great way to explore sound, work on coordination, and encourage movement. Try pairing it with a favorite song or marching around the room for a mini music parade.
For a colorful twist on a classic craft, this mosaic-style turkey gives toddlers the chance to layer, stick, and create with paper squares. Gluing down the pieces builds fine motor skills while offering plenty of room for creativity. No need for precision. Invite your child to explore colors and textures as they decorate their own turkey masterpiece.
Little hands will love this tactile invitation to “build a turkey” by pushing feathers into a cardboard box. It’s a wonderful way to work on coordination, grip strength, and hand-eye precision — all wrapped up in a colorful, seasonal activity. Use a recycled box and a few craft supplies to turn everyday play into festive fun.
Capture those little hands with a classic Thanksgiving craft that never gets old. This handprint turkey is simple to make and makes a sweet seasonal keepsake to look back on year after year. Toddlers can help with painting, gluing, or choosing colors, making it a gentle way to blend creativity with memory-making.
Brighten up your windows with a fun craft that lets the light shine through. These turkey suncatchers use tissue paper and contact paper to create a colorful effect toddlers will love. It’s a great opportunity for little ones to practice fine motor skills as they place the pieces and admire their glowing work when it’s hung up to display.
This playful craft pairs perfectly with the “Five Little Turkeys” rhyme and gives toddlers a chance to count, glue, and get creative. Using painted cupcake liners as feathers, kids create a colorful row of turkeys that can be used for storytelling, display, or just for fun. It’s a hands-on way to blend early math, art, and language into one memorable activity.
This clever turkey activity doubles as a color-matching game and fine motor workout. Using paper punches and colorful feathers, toddlers can match punched-out circles to the right feather, reinforcing color recognition while strengthening little fingers. Hang it on a window for a bright, hands-on invitation to play that’s easy to prep and fun to repeat.
Help your toddler see their name in a whole new way with this personalized turkey craft. Each feather features a different letter, offering a fun chance to introduce early letter recognition in a meaningful context. Toddlers will love seeing their name on display, and you’ll love how it blends literacy with creativity.
This cheerful little puppet is full of personality and perfect for tiny hands. Toddlers can help decorate the feathers and watch their turkey come to life with googly eyes and bright colors. Once it’s finished, the fun continues with pretend play, silly voices, and puppet parades around the living room.
This turkey craft doubles as a color sorting game for curious toddlers. Kids can match colored circles to the right feather and strengthen early sorting skills while they play. It’s simple to set up, fun to repeat, and a great way to sneak in learning through hands-on holiday fun.
Cookie Cutter Process Art Made into Fall Placemats
Toddlers can help decorate the holiday table with these fun and functional placemats. Using cookie cutters and paint, little ones stamp fall shapes onto large sheets of paper to create one-of-a-kind table art. It’s a simple way to involve your child in holiday prep while encouraging creativity and fine motor skills.
If your toddler can’t get enough seasonal play, don’t miss this big list of fun fall things to do with toddlers. You’ll find even more hands-on ideas for crisp days, cozy afternoons, and everything in between.
Toddlers may not remember every detail of the holiday season, but they will remember how it felt. The giggles during a puppet show, the messy fingers from a painting project, the pride in showing off a handmade turkey — those little moments matter.
Whether you try one activity or a handful, remember that connection comes first. Simple play, shared smiles, and a few quiet minutes together can turn any ordinary day into something worth celebrating.
Wishing you a joyful, playful Thanksgiving season filled with laughter, learning, and lots of love.
Tara is the brains behind Homeschool Preschool, where her journey from preschool and public school teacher to homeschooling mom of three fuels her passion for early childhood education. With a blend of expertise and firsthand experience, Tara’s writings offer practical tips and engaging resources to support families in creating meaningful learning adventures at home.
