Virtual Escape Rooms

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12 Thanksgiving Activities You Can Try Today

Looking for fun Thanksgiving activities to try today? Check out these 12 ideas, including a Turkey Trouble escape room, gratitude tree, and Thanksgiving bingo.

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and gratitude. If you’re looking for some fun activities to try this holiday season, we’ve got you covered. From virtual escape rooms to gratitude trees, there’s something for everyone on this list. So gather your loved ones and get ready to make some memories with these 12 Thanksgiving activities you can try today.

12 Thanksgiving Activities You Can Try Today

A festive Thanksgiving-themed graphic titled "12 Thanksgiving Activities You Can Try Today!" on a brown background with autumn leaves and decorations. The activities listed are: Turkey Trouble Escape Room, Carve a Turkey, Thanksgiving Traditions Read & Annotate, Thanksgiving STEAM Projects, Make Gratitude Tree, Disguise a Turkey on Google Slides, Map the Thanksgiving Harvest, Create Thankfulness Infographic, Create a Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Balloon, Read Turkey Trouble, Attitude of Gratitude HyperDoc, and Thanksgiving Bingo. Each activity is accompanied by small icons related to the activity.

1. Break out of a Turkey Trouble escape room

Promotional graphic for a "Turkey Trouble Virtual Escape Room." The top of the image features the text "Turkey Trouble Virtual Escape Room" in colorful fonts. Below the text, a computer monitor displays an animated turkey wearing a pilgrim hat with the text "Turkey Trouble" and a "Begin" button on the screen. To the left of the monitor, there are two documents titled "6 tips for a successful virtual escape room" and "FAQs." To the right of the monitor, there is an illustration of an open padlock. The image promotes a themed virtual escape room activity, likely intended for entertainment and engagement around Thanksgiving.

Oh dear! Itโ€™s that time again when your turkey friends find themselves in a heap of trouble. Theyโ€™ve done their best to conceal themselves, but now they desperately need your assistance. Itโ€™s up to you to uncover their hiding spots, solve intricate puzzles, and gather the hidden numbers scattered throughout the virtual escape room. These numbers hold the key to unlocking the secret code.

Can you rise to the challenge and fulfill your feathered friendsโ€™ plea for help? The destiny of the turkeys rests in your hands!

The Turkey Trouble escape room is part of the November Escape Roomย  bundle:ย 

๐Ÿ Fall on the Farm: An Autumn Escape Adventure
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ Operation Freedom: A Veterans Day Escape
๐Ÿฆƒ Turkey Trouble
๐Ÿฅง Thanksgiving Feast Fiasco

All 4 escape rooms included for a festively discounted price!ย 

2. Create a gratitude tree

A brown tree branch with green leaves extending from it. To the right of the branch is a yellow thought bubble with the text "I am so GRATEFUL" written inside it, with the word "GRATEFUL" emphasized in larger, bold font.

Create a gratitude tree by cutting out paper leaves and attaching them to a tree branch. Each person can write down something they’re thankful for and add it to the tree.ย 

You can download and print these leaves to use to write down the things you are grateful for. This is a great activity for the classroom or home!

3. "Carve" a Thanksgiving Turkey

reatively arranged cookie in the shape of a turkey. The body is made from a square cookie, while the head and wings are made from a round, scalloped-edge cookie. The turkey has candy eyes, a small orange candy for the beak, and thin orange candy sticks for the legs and feet. The cookie is placed on a white plate, with a white flower-like object in the background, showcasing a fun and festive way to decorate cookies for Thanksgiving.

On his blog, LearningInHand Tony Vincent shares three Thanksgiving ideas,ย  you can try in your class or at home.

My favorite? Carve a turkey out of a graham crackers using your teeth, like Tony Vincent’s students did. Afterwards take photos of your creations and add details by drawing them in.

4. Create a Thankfulness Infographic

Infographic titled "Eight Great Ways to Be Thankful" with eight suggestions for kids of all ages to express gratitude. The suggestions are: Just say "Thanks!" (includes translations in Spanish, French, Chinese, Japanese, and German). Start your own traditions. Offer to help without being asked. Make an example of yourself for younger kids. Create a Thankfulness diary or scrapbook. Remember others that help with the holidays, like mail carriers and teachers. Be a good listener. Take a thankfulness walk. Each suggestion is illustrated with colorful, cartoon images and brief descriptions to make the concepts engaging and easy to understand for children.

Use a this printable infographic from Kids Discoverย with your kids as inspiration to create their own! They can create their infographic with paper and pencils or digitally!

Canva and Google Drawing are both great tools to use to create digital posters. Check out the links to tutorials and templates below.ย 

5. Learn about Thanksgiving Traditions

Festive dinner table setup for Thanksgiving. The centerpiece is a roasted turkey garnished with herbs, apples, and cranberries. Surrounding the turkey are various dishes, including a pie with leaf-shaped crust decorations, a stack of plates, a gravy boat, a lit candle, and a platter of sliced ham. The table is decorated with autumn-themed elements such as flowers and pumpkins, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Check out the article from National Geographic kids to learn more about those Thanksgiving traditions. Want to take it a step further? Make a copy of the resource below (created in seconds with the amazing AI tool Diffit) to get your students reading and responding to the text.

6. Hear Turkey Trouble Read Aloud

The cover of a children's book titled "Turkey Trouble" by Wendi Silvano, illustrated by Lee Harper. The cover features a cartoon turkey lying in a large dish filled with vegetables. The turkey has a worried expression and is holding two drumsticks with white frills on them. The background is bright yellow, and the title and author/illustrator names are prominently displayed.

Watch the Storyline Online video of the book “Turkey Trouble” by Wendi Silvano. Follow along with the story of a turkey who tries to disguise himself as other animals to avoid being eaten for Thanksgiving dinner.

This book is the perfect companion to our Turkey Trouble Virtual Escape Room.

7. Map the Thanksgiving Harvest

A colorful map of the United States with various regions highlighted and labeled. Each region represents different agricultural products harvested for Thanksgiving, such as cranberries, corn, potatoes, and turkeys. The map includes state boundaries and is designed to show the diversity of Thanksgiving harvests across the country.

In this activity (shared by Jeff Glade on Twitter/X) you will use an interactive story map to learn about the crops grown we eat every year during our Thanksgiving feast.ย 

8. Create Thanksgiving Crafts with Maker Mats

Thanksgiving STEAM & Maker Mat with a 3x3 grid of activities. Each square contains a different Thanksgiving-themed creative task, such as creating a plate of food, a turkey, a cornucopia, a parade float, and other festive items. There's also a "Free Choice" square for a Thanksgiving-themed creation.

STEAM up your Fall with Thanksgiving Maker Mats created by Sarah Wood and shared on her blog. Each mat contains different Thanksgiving-themed crafts that can be created with various materials like Lego, cardboard, Play-Doh or anything you have laying around.

9. Disguise a Turkey on Google Slides

Cartoon turkey standing on grass with a blue sky background. The turkey is wearing a black top hat, glasses, a fake nose with a mustache, and a black tie. The turkey's feathers are displayed in shades of orange and red in a fan shape.

Use Google Slides to create a presentation where you disguise a turkey to avoid being eaten for Thanksgiving dinner. Take it a step further and include a place to write a story about your turkey on paper or digitally. Activity created by Peggy Reimers, Author at TechNotes Blog. Get this activity plus 10 more in this post 11 Thanksgiving Activities for Joy and Learning from TCEA.

10. Create a Macyโ€™s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon

Colorful, whimsical drawing of a green dog-like creature with a black ear and a happy expression, set against a background of vibrant, multi-colored buildings with various patterns and designs. The artwork, created with markers and watercolors, exudes a joyful and creative urban scene.

Design your own Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon using materials like paper, markers, and string. Or, use Google Slides or Seesaw to create a virtual balloon. Check out these lessons shared by Deep Space Sparkle, Nadine Gilkison and Jennifer Camp.

11. Write a Gratitude Poem

Worksheet titled "Developing an Attitude of Gratitude." It includes sections for students to define gratitude, write first impressions of a text called "First Thanksgiving of All," and instructions to read a poem and highlight parts with different colors based on their significance or difficulty.

Using this “Developing an Attitude of Gratitude” HyperDoc, created by Sarah Landis and Kelly Hilton, students will learn about gratitude through multiple texts. They will then create their own 6 word poem sharing what gratitude means to them.

12. Play Thanksgiving Bingo

A grid of 25 squares, each containing a different Thanksgiving-themed illustration. The illustrations feature various symbols related to Thanksgiving, including turkeys, pumpkins, pies, fall leaves, and characters celebrating Thanksgiving. The images are colorful and festive, capturing the essence of the holiday.

Play Thanksgiving Bingo using printable or digital cards. Use Thanksgiving-themed words and images to make the game more festive.

Thanksgiving is a great time to engage in fun activities with your class at school or at home with your family. From crafts to games to educational activities, there’s something for everyone. Try one or more of these 12 Thanksgiving activities to make the holiday more festive and memorable.

There are FREE Ways to Turn Your Class into an Escape Room.ย 

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