Thanksgiving can be a very hectic holiday. You just get done with the fun of Halloween, and you are really just starting to gear up for Christmas.
This is a bummer because Thanksgiving is such an important holiday. An entire day set aside just to remind us to be grateful? I think it has got to be one of my favorite days. (And all the yummy food helps. 😉 )
The one thing I really don’t like about Thanksgiving is feeling like I have to cram so much into such a small chunk of time. Cleaning, cooking, baking, spending time with family, it adds up. And the kids are home from school.
The perfect solution? STEM activities and learning activities!
Yes, I know. This is my solution to a lot of things, but you need to be doing these activities with your kids. They keep your children engaged and having fun, which means they are keeping out of trouble.
Take a look at this list and let me know which activity you are going to try first.
What's In This Post?
- Thanksgiving STEM Activities and Learning Activities
- Thanksgiving Free Printables: Learning Activities for Preschool and Toddlers
- Teaching Gratitude with an Easy Thankful Tree
- Thanksgiving Coloring Pages and Algorithm Activity
- Light Up Thanksgiving Turkey Circuit Craft for Kids
- Turkey Math Activities | Thanksgiving | Preschool
- Rainbow Activity with Colorful Corn Sensory Play
- Thanksgiving Science Activities {With Cranberries}
- How to Catch a Turkey STEM Activity
- Candy Corn Counting: A hands on preschool fall math activity.
- Fall Sensory Table
- Thanksgiving Pattern Blocks Spin and Build
- FALL STEAM Challenge: Engineering Free-Standing Trees with Leaves
Thanksgiving STEM Activities and Learning Activities
Thanksgiving break needs STEM activities. Not only do they help your little ones work on important concepts, they also help keep your kids busy while you get ready for the big meal! You have got to try these.
Thanksgiving Free Printables: Learning Activities for Preschool and Toddlers
Get super fun free printables to entertain your kids this Thanksgiving! Grab the seek and find, color by number, and matching game they will adore.
Teaching Gratitude with an Easy Thankful Tree
Every year at Thanksgiving we make a Thankful Tree. No, it isn't a STEM project, but it is one of my favorite things to do. All the knowledge and learning in the world does our children no good if they don't have quality values. And being grateful is an important one.
This simple project will help you work with your children on understanding and feeling thankful.
Thanksgiving Coloring Pages and Algorithm Activity
You can start kids on coding activities at a very young age. The logic that goes along with coding and STEM skills are valuable, even if they never grow up to become a coder.
These great worksheets from JDaniel4's Mom combine coloring and teach coding and algorithms. They are perfect for your little ones to do over Thanksgiving break.
Light Up Thanksgiving Turkey Circuit Craft for Kids
Not only are these little turkeys super cute, but they will help your kids learn about circuits!
Turkey Math Activities | Thanksgiving | Preschool
Number sense is so important for kids to learn. These adorable turkey crafts will help you work on number sense and counting while having a whole lot of fun.
Rainbow Activity with Colorful Corn Sensory Play
Corn fits into a good Thanksgiving theme. And dried corn makes an excellent sensory bin filler. This is a perfect taste safe sensory activity for your kids! (Note taste safe doesn't mean they should eat it, it just means they can.)
If you need help with dyeing your corn check out this post: Rainbow Rice. (Don't worry, you can use the technique on more than just rice.)
Thanksgiving Science Activities {With Cranberries}
I pretty much only have cranberries at Thanksgiving, so to me this is a total Thanksgiving win. My favorite? Playing sink or float with cranberries.
Learn how to set that up and get even more cranberry activity ideas here.
How to Catch a Turkey STEM Activity
This is such a cute way to encourage creative problem-solving! Set up a trap to catch a turkey. And bonus, there is a book that goes along with it!
Candy Corn Counting: A hands on preschool fall math activity.
Candy corn just screams fall, even if you don't like to eat it. And it's small size makes it perfect for super fun math games.
Learn how to use candy corn to work on counting and math with your preschooler!
Fall Sensory Table
We live in a hot climate, so we don't get the cool fall weather. This can make it hard to get into the Thanksgiving spirit. But a simple sensory bin with a good fall theme can help your kids get ready for the holiday!
Get tips on putting together a fun and easy fall sensory bin here. (No dye needed with this one!)
Thanksgiving Pattern Blocks Spin and Build
Working with shapes and pictures builds spatial relation skills. This is great critical thinking practice for any child, and it is a great chance to work shapes and colors!
FALL STEAM Challenge: Engineering Free-Standing Trees with Leaves
The changing leaves of fall are beautiful. And in this STEM activity, they inspire an engineering challenge your kids will love. Bonus, it looks like it would pair well with a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom reading!
