Thanksgiving Classroom Activities
The leaves are turning crisp, there’s a chill in the air, and with Thanksgiving around the corner, it’s a great time to introduce students to the holiday’s customs!
Learning about different traditions and celebrations, even those from other cultures, offers a variety of benefits for students such as:
Building global awareness
Promoting inclusivity, respect, and understanding among diverse groups
Learning about rich histories and important lessons based on traditions
Developing critical thinking skills by reflecting on their own customs and traditions
We’ve compiled some fun, Thanksgiving-themed classroom activities that can be easily adjusted to suit a range of age groups and bring some Thanksgiving joy to your lesson plans:
Thanksgiving Turkey craft:
Grab some interesting materials such as leaves, feathers, paints, toilet roll tubes, and have a go at crafting some fabulous thanksgiving turkeys! Bonus points for using materials in interesting ways, such as making hand prints, painting with feathers or using recycled materials!
Thanksgiving Parade Role Play:
Some students may have never even heard of a Thanksgiving Parade before. Share some photos and videos of Thanksgiving Parades with the class, then support students in recreating their own! You can even help them plan a route around the school campus to share the festivities with the whole school!
Bake a Pumpkin Pie:
Any type of cooking activity is an excellent way to strengthen students' learning, and relates to core topics such as maths, english, science and more! A pumpkin pie is a Thanksgiving classic, and the best part is, everyone gets to try some at the end!
Thanksgiving Gratitude Cards:
A wonderful way to practice literacy skills whilst practicing gratitude and giving thanks! Students can choose to write a card to a friend, family member or teacher who they wish to give thanks to.
Giving Thanks as a Starter/Warm up:
For older students, the traditions of Thanksgiving can be incorporated into a quick lesson starter or warm up activity. Encourage discussion to reflect on why it’s important to practice gratitude, or simply go around the class and ask students to share what they are thankful for. It’s guaranteed to get class off to a positive start, whilst also learning about some interesting traditions!
