6 Thanksgiving Writing Activities For Children

Thanksgiving can be an ideal time to help our children cultivate gratitude while growing their writing skills. This is true even if, like me, your celebrations morph somewhat as you travel the world. Originally from Canada, we celebrate on the second Monday of October, a bit earlier than our American friends. When living in China or New Zealand, we adjust the menu a bit, eating chicken instead of turkey and sometimes swapping desserts and side dishes as well. With New Zealand being in the southern hemisphere, we celebrate this autumn holiday in spring! Adapting like this reminds us that gratitude can flourish in any place and season.

Regardless of how you celebrate, this treasured holiday can spark meaningful writing. Here are six engaging writing activities to inspire your children at Thanksgiving.

1. Create a Thanksgiving tree

For years our family has enjoyed making a Thanksgiving tree. We started off with poster paper and now use a metal jewelry tree. Be as creative as you like. You can draw one on a large poster or make a 3D one. My niece’s children simply collect some branches and put them in a jar. 

Invite your children to draw and cut out leaves from colored paper or use a large leaf punch to create colorful paper leaves.

Every day for a week or so before Thanksgiving, each family member writes on a leaf something he or she is thankful for and sticks the leaf on the tree. By Thanksgiving Day, your tree will be covered with leaves of gratitude.

We still practice this tradition with our adult children, though now we just add our leaves on Thanksgiving Day when we are all together. When one of our daughters was living overseas, she got her friends to join her in this activity. I included a picture of the wooden tree she used.

2. Write a Thanksgiving poem

Thanksgiving poem writing is a new tradition in our family. When our daughter’s Australian-born boyfriend was invited to join us for Canadian Thanksgiving in New Zealand, he asked if there were any Canadian Thanksgiving traditions he needed to prepare for. Wanting to add some fun, we told him to wear something to represent Canada and write a Thanksgiving poem.

After dinner, he bravely shared his poem. Then he waited for our poems, only to discover that none of us had written one. However, what started as a prank, has now become a fun new tradition. This year we had a range of poems including some haikus, a limerick, and even a nonet. Any form of poetry is acceptable. And it’s even more fun if you work together to create the poem.

An easy format to start with is to take the word THANKSGIVING or THANKS or GRATEFUL and create an acrostic poem. Work together to think of words that start with each of the letters. See how many words you can think of for each letter.

Alternatively, you could think of a phrase or sentence starting with each letter of the chosen word. Add some rhymes if you feel inspired. But the main point is to be thankful and have fun.

In the following version, the poem starts with the first letter of the chosen word, flowing on to the next starting letter as the ideas develop:

T -Thank you, God, for

H -hands and hugs

A -and every gift that’s from above.

N -new hearts and

K -kindness,

S -sins forgiven—

G -gifts from Your great heart of love.

I – Invitation to tell the

V- vast world.

I – I thank you

N – now and

G -give you praise.

After writing a poem together, your children could copy it out or type it up. Or make a poem poster and decorate it. Sharing the poem with a friend or relative or your guests at Thanksgiving adds to the fun.

3) Make a place card for each person who will be at your Thanksgiving Dinner

The children can design or decorate these place cards, or you can find a template online. They might have fun using Thanksgiving shapes like leaves, pilgrims, turkeys, or pumpkins. Have the children write each guest or family member’s name on a place card.

If you like, add a Bible verse with a Thanksgiving theme. Short verses work great. “Rejoice always.” “Give thanks in all circumstances.” “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!”  “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!”  This activity provides a great opportunity for meaningful handwriting practice and copywork.

4. Write thank you notes for special people

Thanksgiving presents a wonderful opportunity to write encouraging notes of thanks to people. Invite each child to think of a person who has specially blessed them this year or this season. It could be a Sunday School teacher, coach, youth leader, friend, relative, or health care professional.

Before writing, talk about what this person has done for them. Help your child write a note to this person, being specific about what they appreciate. Younger children could dictate the note to you. Then, depending on their ability, they could trace over your letters or copy from your model. Assist as needed. Partner with them, giving as much support as necessary.

Mail the notes or give them in person. Your children’s gifts of words will refresh those receiving these thoughtful notes. People have told my children and me that they have treasured and saved cards we have written. Words are powerful.

5. Focus on Food

Feasting features large in Thanksgiving celebrations. Finding ways to involve the children in planning and preparing the food can create special memories. Of course, depending on their age and capabilities, it can also create a bit more chaos—but it’s worth it.😊 Here are some ideas for adding a bit of writing to the mix as well.

• Invite them to help you write the grocery shopping list for Thanksgiving dinner.
• For copywork they could write out a favorite Thanksgiving recipe. Decorate it and/or add a photo. Scan it and share with friends.
• Write and compile a family Thanksgiving recipe book. This could be a joint effort and could be added to from year to year as you try new dishes.
• Make a sandwich board style poster of your Thanksgiving dinner menu to display for your guests.

6. Write a creative Thanksgiving retelling

Read about the historic Thanksgiving feast in 1621 when the Wampanoag tribe celebrated with the Pilgrims in Massachusetts. Then take the perspective of one of the participants and write a journal entry, reflecting on his or her experience. Or consider what a participant would tell his or her grandchild about their memories of this memorable harvest celebration. Perhaps write it as an interview. Work together. Share ideas. Imagine what the participants would have smelled, tasted, seen, and heard. Add some of these sensory details.

With older children, you might like to write accounts from two different perspectives. Partner with your children in this activity at their level to grow research and writing skills while you learn some history together.

Your turn

So which writing idea will you try this year? Whatever you choose, engage with your children and set them up for success. You might find some of the free Thanksgiving templates at Notebooking.com to be an attractive way to showcase your children’s hard work. You never know, adding some meaningful writing into your Thanksgiving celebration may become a new family tradition.