Our favorite preschool Thanksgiving activities: gratitude activities, fun turkey crafts, and even a little bit of science! Be sure to also check out these hands-on learning activities for preschoolers for year-round preschool learning.

Thanksgiving with its theme of gratitude offers a wonderful opportunity for calm and quiet learning after all of the excitement of Halloween.

Quiet, however, certainly doesn’t mean boring! These preschool thanksgiving activities keep kids actively engaged and learning, as they explore crafts, science, and gratitude.

Preschool Thanksgiving Activities

Thanksgiving Crafts for Preschoolers

These adorable Thanksgiving turkey crafts are always a hit. This turkey in disguise craft offers room for all sorts of childhood creativity.

These preschool Thanksgiving crafts create a ready-made celebration day.

If you’re looking for a larger project, try this family handprint turkey craft. You can make it with a classroom full of little hands, too!

Preschool Thanksgiving Science

You can turn any Thanksgiving baking into preschool science. Talk about what happens when you add heat to your food. Explore taste buds by talking about which Thanksgiving foods taste sweet and which ones are salty. Learn how the different ingredients for recipes are grown.

If you want to avoid a hot stove, try making butter. All you need is cream, a jar, and a marble.

Gratitude Themed Thanksgiving Activities for Preschoolers

There are so many wonderful ways to practice gratitude with your preschooler. Let them draw what they are thankful for on this simple gratitude tree printable.

Traditional gratitude trees are always popular. You might also enjoy this super simple gratitude tree you can make using Sharpie pens and contact paper.

These thankful hands are a sweet reminder of how thankful we are for the preschoolers in our lives, while also helping preschoolers focus on gratitude.

Kids love making gratitude chains – just like the paper dolls I loved as a child, but with a focus on thankfulness.

What are your favorite preschool Thanksgiving activities? Share your favorite hands-on learning ideas on my Facebook page, or tag me on Instagram. 

MaryAnne Kochenderfer

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MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.