Thanksgiving is just around the corner. This means families will be spending extended amounts of time together.
This is a great time to put resources in their hands that they can use in their time together at Thanksgiving.
I send out a monthly email newsletter to all the families who have kids in our church. This month, I included several of these activities in the newsletter.
Here are 10 Thanksgiving activities that are great to share with families. This will equip them to have spiritual conversations with their children centered on being grateful to God.
Gratitude Jar
Give everyone a few slips of paper and have them write down what they are thankful for. Place the slips of paper in a jar or other container. Take turns drawing out a slip of paper and reading what everyone is thankful for. Remind everyone to give thanks to the Lord for Who He is and for His goodness.
Gratitude Table Cloth
Get a white table cloth and put it over the table you will be eating at. Give everyone a cloth marker. Have everyone draw the outline of one of their hands. Then have them write some things they are thankful for inside the hand drawing. Let everyone go around and share what they wrote.
Keep the table cloth and bring it out each year and add to it. This is especially memorable as you see the kids' hands grow in size each year.
Story Circle
Invite each generation to share a favorite Thanksgiving memory.
Pumpkin Bowling
Turn an ordinary pumpkin into a fun family game. Set up six to ten empty water bottles or cans as pins, then roll a small pumpkin to knock them down.
Family Photo Booth
Set up a small photo area with simple props like pilgrim hats, fake mustaches, or cardboard turkeys. Hang a plain sheet or fall-themed blanket as a backdrop. Use your phone or camera. Everyone can take turns posing and making funny faces. It’s an easy way to capture memories while everyone is waiting for dinner.
Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt
Create a short scavenger list of fall items like pine cones, acorns, orange leaves or a feather. Split into teams and explore your yard, porch or nearby park. The first team to find everything wins.
Handprint Turkeys
Trace each child’s hand on colored paper to create the shape of a turkey. Use the fingers as feathers and the thumb as the head. Let kids decorate with crayons, markers or bits of paper for eyes and beaks.
Thankful Place Mats
Give each child a blank sheet of paper and let them design their own place mat. Encourage them to draw or write what they’re thankful for, using crayons, stickers or markers.
Gratitude Bracelets
Give kids beads in different colors and have each one represent something they’re thankful for. Thread the beads onto the elastic string, saying what each color means as you add it. Once finished, tie the ends into a loop. This activity teaches gratitude in a hands-on way.
Volunteer Activity
Spend part of the day helping at a local food pantry, soup kitchen or community event. Volunteering as a family gives everyone a sense of purpose and gratitude. Kids can hand out meals or pack boxes while adults help serve or clean up.
It’s a powerful way to teach empathy and show what giving truly means. Afterward, talk about the experience and how it felt to help others. Volunteering creates warm memories.
