17 Sanity-saving Thanksgiving Games for Kids Preschool Age That Actually Keep Them Busy 🦃🍂

Most setups for Thanksgiving games for kids preschool age require expensive supplies or constant adult supervision. I put this list together because cooking dinner while managing bored toddlers is a stressful combination.

If you need ways to keep little hands busy, turning household items into fun craft games changes everything. Look for the easy ideas below using paper boxes or plates, giving them a fun project to build and play with while you finish cooking.

1. Turkey Ring Toss

Cardboard boxes always seem to multiply during the holidays, making them the perfect base for this tossing activity. The kids get to build the target first, which extends the play time significantly.

Supplies needed

1. Large flat cardboard piece
2. Empty paper towel tubes
3. Non-toxic paint and brushes
4. Plain paper plates with the centers cut out

How to make and play

1. Paint a large turkey body on the flat cardboard.
2. Glue the paper towel tubes standing upright to act as the feathers.
3. Have the kids paint the paper plate rings in bright fall colors.
4. Once dry, let them stand back and toss the rings over the cardboard tubes.

2. Feed the Turkey

When you have empty tissue boxes lying around, turning them into a hungry bird keeps toddlers focused on fine motor skills. It acts as both a sorting station and a fun feeding game.

Supplies needed

1. Empty square tissue box
2. Construction paper
3. Googly eyes and glue
4. Yellow and orange pom-poms

How to make and play

1. Wrap the tissue box in brown construction paper, leaving the top opening clear.
2. Glue on a paper beak and googly eyes right above the opening.
3. Cut out paper feathers and attach them to the back of the box.
4. Give the kids a bowl of pom-pom “corn” and let them drop the pieces into the turkey’s mouth.

3. Turkey Bowling

Knocking things over is practically a toddler’s full-time job, so we might as well give them a designated target. This setup handles rough play without breaking any actual household items.

Supplies needed

1. Six brown plastic cups
2. Colored craft foam sheets
3. Double-sided tape
4. One mini pumpkin (real or foam)

How to make and play

1. Cut out small beaks and foam feathers for each plastic cup.
2. Use double-sided tape to attach the features so the cups look like little birds.
3. Stack the cups in a pyramid shape on the hallway floor.
4. Have the kids roll the mini pumpkin like a bowling ball to knock the cups down.

4. Feather Match Clothespins

Matching colors helps with early learning, and squeezing wooden clips builds the hand strength they need for writing later. This is a very quiet activity, which is great when you need a moment of peace.

Supplies needed

1. Sturdy cardstock paper
2. Wooden clothespins
3. Washable markers
4. Clear packaging tape

How to make and play

1. Draw a round turkey body on the cardstock and cover it with clear tape for durability.
2. Write numbers 1 through 5 around the top edge of the circle.
3. Color the wooden clothespins to look like different colored feathers.
4. Ask your preschooler to clip the correct number of clothespins onto the matching numbers.

5. Turkey Feather Hunt

Hide-and-seek never gets old, especially when they get to assemble their own prize at the end of the search. It gets them moving around the house instead of sitting in front of a screen.

Supplies needed

1. Colored construction paper
2. Child-safe scissors
3. A large paper plate
4. Glue sticks

How to make and play

1. Cut out ten large, colorful feather shapes from the construction paper.
2. Hide these paper feathers in easy-to-find spots around the living room.
3. Paint the paper plate brown to act as the turkey’s body.
4. As they find each feather, let them glue it onto the back of the paper plate.

6. Pumpkin Tic-Tac-Toe

Grid games might seem too advanced, but using tactile foam pieces turns a classic strategy match into a sensory activity. The texture of the burlap makes it feel very rustic and seasonal.

Supplies needed

1. A square piece of burlap fabric
2. Black electrical tape
3. Ten mini foam pumpkins
4. Orange and white acrylic paint

How to make and play

1. Create a large grid on the burlap square using the black electrical tape.
2. Paint five foam pumpkins white and leave the other five orange.
3. Lay the burlap mat on the floor.
4. Teach them how to take turns placing their colored pumpkins into the empty squares.

7. Stuff the Paper Bag Turkey

Throwing paper balls indoors is usually frowned upon, unless it involves stuffing a giant brown bag bird. This project reuses grocery bags and lets them make a lot of joyful noise.

Supplies needed

1. One large brown paper grocery bag
2. Scrap packing paper or old newspapers
3. Markers
4. Masking tape

How to make and play

1. Decorate the outside of the brown grocery bag to look like a giant turkey face.
2. Have the kids crumple up the scrap paper into tight little balls.
3. Prop the bag open on the floor using a little bit of tape.
4. Let them stand behind a line and toss the crumpled paper balls inside to “stuff” the bird.

8. Roll-a-Turkey

Waiting for dinner feels like an eternity to a four-year-old, but rolling a giant foam dice makes time pass quickly. It introduces basic counting and turns crafting into a game of chance.

Supplies needed

1. Large foam playing dice
2. Blank paper turkey body templates
3. Pre-cut paper feathers in six different colors
4. Glue sticks

How to make and play

1. Assign a specific feather color to each number on the dice (e.g., 1 is red, 2 is yellow).
2. Give each child a blank turkey body template.
3. Have them roll the dice to see which color feather they get to add.
4. Keep rolling and gluing until their bird is completely full of feathers.

9. Thanksgiving Sticker Bingo

Peeling and sticking things is a quiet activity that buys you at least twenty minutes of uninterrupted kitchen prep. Using stickers instead of ink dabbers keeps everything completely mess-free.

Supplies needed

1. Blank paper sheets
2. Rulers and pens
3. Multiple sheets of Thanksgiving-themed stickers
4. Small wooden blocks or large buttons for markers

How to make and play

1. Draw a simple 3×3 grid on the blank paper sheets.
2. Have the kids stick a different seasonal sticker inside each square.
3. Call out the names of the stickers, like “pumpkin” or “acorn.”
4. Let them cover the matching picture on their board with a wooden block.

10. Cornucopia Cup Memory Hunt

Lifting plastic cups to find hidden treasures feels like a magic trick to little ones, making this matching challenge highly engaging. It is an easy way to test their memory without them realizing they are learning.

Supplies needed

1. Ten opaque plastic cups
2. Small printed pictures of fruits and vegetables (two of each)
3. Crayons
4. Clear tape

How to make and play

1. Let the kids use crayons to decorate the outside of the plastic cups.
2. Tape the small fruit and vegetable pictures to the bottom of the cups.
3. Shuffle the cups around on the rug facing down.
4. Have them lift two cups at a time to find the matching food pairs.

11. Turkey Footprint Walk

Burning off extra energy before sitting down to eat is essential if you want them to stay in their chairs. This musical game gets them jumping and following directions.

Supplies needed

1. Large sheets of orange paper
2. Scissors
3. Thick black marker
4. Painter’s tape

How to make and play

1. Cut out large, three-toed turkey footprints from the orange paper.
2. Write large numbers on each footprint.
3. Use painter’s tape to secure the prints to the floor in a large circle.
4. Play some music and have them walk on the prints, stopping on a specific number when the music pauses.

12. Gourd Spoon Race

Balancing oddly shaped squashes requires just enough concentration to keep them from running wild through the house. It is a fantastic gross motor skill challenge that uses natural seasonal items.

Supplies needed

1. Large wooden kitchen spoons
2. Mini natural gourds or bumpy squashes
3. Washable paint
4. Yarn for the finish line

How to make and play

1. Set up a crafting station to let the kids paint faces on their mini gourds.
2. Wait for the paint to dry completely.
3. Stretch a piece of yarn across the hallway to create a finish line.
4. Have them balance their painted gourd on the wooden spoon and walk to the finish line without dropping it.

13. Pin the Feather on the Turkey

Spinning around while blindfolded guarantees a lot of giggles, and sticking tape onto a poster is completely mess-free. This classic party game easily adapts to any holiday theme.

Supplies needed

1. Large poster board
2. Markers
3. Colorful craft feathers or paper feathers
4. A soft scarf for a blindfold

How to make and play

1. Draw a large, featherless turkey body on the poster board and tape it to the wall.
2. Attach a rolled piece of sticky tape to the back of each craft feather.
3. Blindfold the child gently with the soft scarf and spin them twice.
4. Point them toward the wall and let them try to stick the feather on the turkey’s tail.

14. Paper Plate Memory Match

Flipping over giant circles on the living room floor turns a standard table game into a full-body movement challenge. Because the pieces are so large, they are impossible to lose under the sofa.

Supplies needed

1. Twenty cheap white paper plates
2. Acrylic paint
3. Paintbrushes
4. Clear sealer spray (optional)

How to make and play

1. Paint matching pairs of simple Thanksgiving symbols (like a pie, a leaf, or an acorn) on the eating surface of the plates.
2. Let the painted symbols dry completely.
3. Lay all the plates face down on the floor so only the white backs are visible.
4. Have the children flip over two plates at a time to find the matching painted pictures.

15. Pumpkin Patch Balloon Pop

Stomping on inflated orange orbs is loud, chaotic, and absolutely the highlight of their holiday afternoon. It takes a few minutes to prep but delivers an explosion of joy.

Supplies needed

1. A bag of orange balloons
2. Green string or yarn
3. Small Thanksgiving stickers
4. A permanent marker

How to make and play

1. Roll up a small sticker and slip it inside each uninflated orange balloon.
2. Blow up the balloons and tie them off with a piece of green string to look like vines.
3. Draw jack-o-lantern faces on the balloons with the marker.
4. Let the kids stomp on the balloon pumpkins to pop them and retrieve their hidden sticker prizes.

16. Acorn Color Sorting

Using plastic tweezers to move tiny objects is a fantastic way to keep them quietly seated at the kitchen island. This tactile challenge combines nature with critical thinking.

Supplies needed

1. Clean, dry natural acorns
2. Food coloring or liquid watercolors
3. An empty cardboard egg carton
4. Plastic toddler tweezers

How to make and play

1. Dye the acorns in batches using different colors of liquid watercolor and let them dry overnight.
2. Paint the inside cups of the egg carton to match the acorn colors.
3. Place all the colorful acorns in a single bowl.
4. Hand them the plastic tweezers and ask them to sort the acorns into the matching colored egg carton cups.

17. Cranberry Spoon Relay

Moving bright red pom-poms from one bowl to another mimics cooking prep, letting them feel involved in the holiday work. It requires focus and hand-eye coordination without any liquid spills.

Supplies needed

1. Red craft pom-poms (to act as cranberries)
2. Two bowls made from folded construction paper
3. A large serving spoon
4. Decorative fall stickers

How to make and play

1. Fold and tape sturdy construction paper into two bowl shapes and let the kids decorate them with stickers.
2. Place all the red pom-poms into one paper bowl on one side of the room.
3. Set the empty paper bowl on the opposite side.
4. Have them scoop the “cranberries” with the serving spoon and walk them across the room to fill the empty bowl.

FAQs

What are the safest materials for toddler crafts?

Stick to non-toxic, washable paints and glues. Using household items like cardboard, paper plates, and plastic cups is generally much safer than using small beads or sharp wooden craft sticks that can splinter.

How much setup time do these activities require?

The beauty of these projects is that the crafting phase is part of the game. Gathering the materials takes about five minutes, and letting the kids help build the game pieces easily burns up another half hour before the actual game even begins.

Can these games be played indoors?

Absolutely. Every single activity on this list is designed to be played inside a standard living room or hallway. Using soft materials like pom-poms and crumpled paper ensures that nothing gets broken when things get a little chaotic.

Finding ways to keep your youngest family members entertained during holiday gatherings doesn’t require a trip to the craft store. By using items you likely already have lying around the house, you provide them with creative outlets that improve their motor skills while buying yourself some much-needed time to focus on the dinner preparations.

If these easy craft activities sound exactly like the distraction you need this holiday season, be sure to save this content to your Pinterest account so you can quickly pull up the instructions when the kids start getting restless!

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