Free printable Thanksgiving activity sheets, from search-and-find to coloring pages, keep kids occupied and screen-free while dinner finishes cooking.
You've already run through the usual Thanksgiving games, so what's left? Free printables. They work well at the kids' table, and they can help your family keep the day unplugged. Coloring turkeys, matching fall leaves, filling in connect-the-dots: these activity sheets buy you quiet time while you finish the cooking. (For more ideas, see Thanksgiving games and activities, and for the screen-free angle, how to have an unplugged Thanksgiving.)
Puzzles That Actually Hold Attention
Thanksgiving Search and Find
Crayola produces plenty of Thanksgiving activity pages, but this search-and-find is the one to grab. Kids color while they hunt for hidden objects, so they're doing two jobs at once. Download it here.
Holiday Pie Sudoku
Sudoku with a holiday twist. Grab the kid-safe scissors and glue sticks, then download this Thanksgiving sheet from Education.com. You'll see little brains get to work fast.
Pumpkin Maze Activity Sheet
The youngest family members tend to get the most out of a maze, and this pumpkin version is no exception. Download the printable from education.com.
Connect the Dots Turkey
Connect-the-dots is a quiet-time staple, and this turkey version from Big Activities keeps kids busy while they fill in the gaps. If your child is still learning letters, there's a second version that uses the alphabet instead of numbers.
Word Scramble Placemat
Every fine dining room has kid-friendly placemats, right? These come with a word scramble suited to little learners. Download the printable at Jinxy Kids.
Thanksgiving Printable Memory Game
Print, cut, and hand out this easy memory game from Mama's Learning Corner. It's the simplest prep-time fix on this list.
Match Colors
Can you find the right color? It's a strong pick for the kids' table. Credit goes to mom Amy, who offers the free printable through Rock Your Homeschool. Print it and your little ones stay occupied while dinner finishes. Just make sure you own every crayon color it calls for.
Coloring Pages for the Waiting Period
Happy Thanksgiving Coloring Page
This one is worth a little extra effort. Once colored, the picture doubles as a greeting card, so a kid's afternoon of coloring ends up in someone's hands. Find it at Education.com.
Doodle Time
This cute page from 1 + 1 + 1 = 1 packs in enough detail to hold a child's attention for a good while. The printable comes with a second page featuring another turkey to color.
Pumpkin Mandala Coloring Sheet
Young diners will jump at the chance to color these pretty pumpkins. Print out the gorgeous gourds from Don't Eat the Paste.
A Cornucopia
The tots can color this overflowing cornucopia from Doodle Art Alley while the feast comes together.
Happy Thanksgiving Coloring Page
If your kid loves to write, this page from Education.com will be a hit.
Placemats and Table Activities
Thankful Turkey Placemat
Gobble, gobble. Little hands stay busy coloring this turkey before the meal arrives. Print it on card stock and you have placemats that work right away. The printing process is simple, as Crafts by Amanda lays out.
Thankful Activity Placemat
Swap in these placemats this year. Kids match the shapes while they wait, and the free printable comes from Saving Dollars & Sense.
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Activity Sheet
This is the most packed page here: a word scramble, a cornucopia to color, and plenty more. Thanks go to Angie at Real Life at Home for sharing it free. All you need to supply is the crayons.
Writing, Gratitude, and Keepsakes
Printable Thankful Poem
This "Give Thanks" poem prompt gets kids thinking about what they're grateful for. Let them read their poem aloud before the meal starts. Download it from Doodle Art Alley.
Give Thanks Activity Sheet
This printable from Hello Moments is a good reminder of what the holiday is for. It includes a word hunt and tic-tac-toe, plus space to write a poem and note what they're thankful for.
Thanksgiving Writing Activity
Kids who love writing will love this Thanksgiving page from Education.com.
Gratitude Cards
Ask kids to write one thing they're thankful for on each card from What We Do All Day. Or have them make personalized place cards for the table. Either way, you get something useful out of the coloring time.
Words for the Day Thanksgiving Printable
This is a Thanksgiving word-fest. Kids color in holiday vocabulary and pick up what the day is about. Find the word printables at My Mini Adventurer, grab the crayons, and let the little pumpkins keep busy while you finish the meal.
Thankful Turkey Activity Sheet
This one doubles as a keepsake. Have the kids write and draw the most memorable parts of the day, then print the same page next year and compare. Get the printable at How to Nest for Less.
Autumn Leaves
Make and Takes rounds out the list with fall and Thanksgiving coloring pages, which make a natural fit for a day of seasonal crafting.
Fall Coloring Pages Worth Printing
Fall coloring pages are a cheap way to fill a rainy afternoon, but the better ones give kids something to talk about while they work. Start with the leaves. As the crayons come out, ask how leaves change color in autumn. Then grab this autumn printable from Make and Takes, which pairs well with that question.
Characters and Companions
Snoopy & Charlie Brown
Happiness is a warm puppy, and apparently it's also a Thanksgiving coloring page. This one features the most famous pup in comics, which makes it an easy sell for kids who already know Snoopy. Find this printable and plenty more at Best Coloring Pages for Kids.
Give Thanks: Dog and Cat
Coloring Pages for Kids by Mr. Adron
Animal lovers get the spotlight here, with a dog and a kitty sharing the page. This is where the coloring becomes a conversation. Ask what your own pets would be thankful for, then ask why you're thankful for them. Kids usually have sharper answers than adults expect. The printable is at Coloring Pages for Kids by Mr. Adron.
Turkeys, Feasts, and Pilgrims
Turkey pages are everywhere this time of year, and they vary a lot in how much thinking they ask of a child. Some are pure decoration. Others, like the ones below, build in a task.
Paint-by-Number Turkey
This one is as simple as 1, 2, 3. Kids who want their work to look just right tend to love it, because the numbers tell them exactly where each color goes. Get the printable at Nicole's Free Coloring Pages.
Turkey Color by Number
Follow the numbers and the festive picture takes shape. It's a more involved take on the same idea, and a good pick for kids who've already mastered the basic version. The worksheet is available from Education.com.
Pilgrims and Giant Feast
Your own bird might be a modest affair, but the kids will be impressed by the feast on this page. The real question is color. Golden brown is the traditional choice. A blue turkey, though, is more fun, and it's a good way to see how a child thinks about the rules. Find the printable at Raising Our Kids.
Adorable Pilgrim Boy
Small, simple, and a little charming. This tiny pilgrim doesn't need much space or many crayons, which makes him a good option for a short attention span. Download your pages at familyholiday.net.
Puzzles and Word Games
If your kids finish a coloring page in five minutes, they're ready for something that makes them think first. Puzzles and word games fill that gap, and they're easy to print.
Thanksgiving Mad Libs
For a giggle-inducing activity, try a round of festive Mad Libs. Then try another. Kids rarely stop at one. Get the printable at Happiness is Homemade.
Thanksgiving Decoder Puzzle
Do your kids enjoy cracking codes? This decoder gives their thinking a quick workout, and it's the kind of task that keeps siblings arguing over the answer. Get the printable at All Kids Network.
Pumpkin Connect the Dots
Connect the dots first, then color the finished pumpkin. That's two activities on one sheet, which is a good deal when you're juggling a restless kid. The worksheet is on Bigactivities.com.
Gratitude on Paper
Thank You For ...
Here's the page that does the most heavy lifting. Ask your kids what they're most thankful for. Crayons? Books? Let them decorate the list as they talk, and you'll learn more in ten minutes than a dinner-table prompt usually gets you. Find the printable at Living Creatively.
The pages themselves are free and easy to find, so the real decision is which ones match your kids' ages and patience. The best picks do one of two things: they give small hands something to finish, or they give family a reason to talk. The strongest ones do both, and that's usually where the afternoon goes right.
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