3 Keys to a Happy Thanksgiving Countdown with Kids

As we enter the Thanksgiving countdown and the holiday season starts to get hectic, it’s important to take time with kids to make it especially meaningful and fun—maybe even start some new traditions. For a happy Thanksgiving with your kids, here’s three keys to explore throughout your Thanksgiving countdown: crafts, games, and gratitude!

1) Crafts

The first key to a happy Thanksgiving is crafts. Kids love having the opportunity to get creative, and crafts are a great opportunity for you to help reinforce the spiritual truths you’re teaching them. One Thanksgiving countdown craft you can do is the classic, small brown-paper-bag turkey.

Thankful Turkey

 For this craft you’ll need: 

• A brown paper bag
• Colored construction paper
• Pens or markers
• Tape or glue

With this craft, two orange triangles serve for a beak—one under the bottom flap of the bag, and one on top—so kids can make the turkey open its beak and squawk, while colorful construction paper feathers line the top. On each construction paper feather that goes around the top of the bag, have kids write something they are thankful for.

After they’ve finished their Thanksgiving countdown craft, take some time to let the children say a thank-you prayer to God for the things on the feathers, while reminding them that all these wonderful things come from God. Talk to them about how they can be thankful for these things all year round, not just during Thanksgiving or a Thanksgiving countdown.

2) Games

The next key to a happy Thanksgiving is games. All children love games, and this is especially useful to help keep a group of kids entertained while learning about God at home or sunday school during the Thanksgiving countdown weeks.

Thanksgiving Hot-and-Cold

For this game you’ll need:

• A visual or written-down Bible verse on thankfulness
• A small toy or item

To play this Thanksgiving twist on “Hot-and-Cold”, place the Bible verse on thankfulness where everyone can see, then have one child stand behind you, facing the wall with their eyes closed. Have another child hide the toy somewhere in the room while everyone says the verse aloud to cover any noise. As the first child tries to find the toy, have the children recite the verse louder when they’re “hot” (closer to the toy) or softer when they’re “cold” (farther away). You could use verses like Psalm 107:1, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Or 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Thanksgiving Hot Potato

Another easy game you can use anywhere is a Thanksgiving round of Hot Potato. 

For this game you’ll need:

• A bean bag, small pillow, or any available object to serve as the “hot potato”
• A music player

To start, seat the kids in a circle and have the kids pass around the “hot potato” while you play some music in the background. When the music stops, the kid holding the “potato” must share something they’re thankful for. To help get the game rolling, you can start with categories to help the kids narrow down things to be thankful for. For example, you can ask them to share a food they’re thankful for in one round, or an animal in another.

3) Gratitude

Last but not least, gratitude is the most important key to a truly happy Thanksgiving. While it’s easy and often expected for kids to be thankful for stuff, we want them to go deeper throughout the weeks of a Thanksgiving countdown. Instead of simply asking kids to name one or two things they’re grateful for, start by listing things within categories, then make the categories gradually more thoughtful. For instance, you could ask kids to name a person that they’re thankful for, then to name something about that person—like a character quality—that they’re thankful for and why. Other category ideas could be something that happened this year or the attributes of God. If you played the Hot-and-Cold game with a Bible verse or two, the kids have already just reviewed some things about God they can be thankful for.

Take note of anything said that can serve as a springboard for a good conversation later. If you’re playing the game at a family gathering, mix the adults in with the kids so everyone gets to share together. This is sure to lead to some unexpected sharing that will create very special memories, lessons, and family time for everyone. While it’s normal for families to go around on Thanksgiving and say what they’re thankful for, mixing in this game will keep the kids more engaged. Be sure to encourage them profusely for their contributions and ask if anyone has something to share that they didn’t get a chance to at the end!

Did anyone say they were thankful for something difficult that happened this year? If not, have another round where everyone shares one hard thing they’re grateful for because God did something good in their heart through it, or used it to draw people to Himself. Expressing this kind of gratitude for even the hard things is a great example for kids to see how God’s hand can work in the midst of difficulties, and is a good testimony for those who need encouragement. Don’t forget to be corny and thank God for the turkey! Happy Thanksgiving and may God bless your day, whatever it looks like.