Give thanks with your family this season with this fun list of Thanksgiving activities for kids (there are some great printables too)!
In the United States of America, Thanksgiving is an historic holiday, with a definite beginning and purpose. It was originally started by the Pilgrims and Puritans in 1621 as a way to give thanks for the harvest after an incredibly tough first year in America.
My friend Donald W. White took William Bradford’s original journal, annotated it, and rewrote it using modern-day English, titling the book A Plymouth Pilgrim. The book ends with the recorded celebration of the first Thanksgiving. It’s a great piece of literature for families and older students.
The holiday of Thanksgiving today serves as a reminder that we are called to be grateful to God for all things.
As you discuss Thanksgiving with your children, here are two passages you can look over:
- Psalm 107 ~ Ask your children what character of God is being pointed out in this Psalm over and over again. What does the Psalm say about God’s sovereign rule over all things? When are we to praise God and give thanks?
- Ephesians 1:3-14 ~ Talk to your family about what this passage means for believers. What cause do we have for daily rejoicing? How does our very salvation work to the “praise of His glory”?
Here are some reasons Bible activities are a GREAT tool to help you teach the Bible to your kids!
Thanksgiving Activities for Kids
Here are some studies and activities about Thanksgiving for you to try with your kids this year! These focus on both the history of the American holiday, and on our gratitude to God for all He has given us.
The Super Accurate and Serious Lego History of Thanksgiving from Adventures in Mommydom ~ I love this fun history lesson from my friend Ticia. I’m sure your kids will enjoy it as well!
Thanksgiving Banner with Thanksgiving Devotions and Bible Verses ~ This is such a fun project with a 24-day focus on thanking God for his blessings!
My Thanksgiving Notebook from Path Through the Narrow Gate ~ These fun notebooks are free to download.
Thanksgiving Bible Study Bundle ~
Teach your kids to give thanks to God in an engaging, hands-on way with the Thanksgiving Bible Study Bundle.
You’ll receive four hands-on tools to use in your family Bible studies. Your children will take an in-depth look at what the Bible says about praising God, giving thanks with a grateful heart, why and how we give thanks, and more.
In this Family Bible Study Bundle, you’ll receive four separate products:
- Thanksgiving Lapbook
- Write, Color, and Memorize Set: Psalm 100 Thanksgiving Bible Verses
- Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart Card Set
- Thanksgiving Banner and Devotional
The bundle is available in ESV or KJV.
Thanksgiving Calendars from Proverbial Homemaker ~ These cute cards come with Scriptures, quotes, and either writing prompts or discussion starters (you choose!).
Grab your FREE Bible Study Tool Kit–over 130 pages of Bible resources for your family!
Thanksgiving Resources We Love
Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving
Fisher-Price Little People Thanksgiving CelebrationLEGO Thanksgiving Harvest 2017 133pcsAdventures in Odyssey: Thanksgiving at HomeA Plymouth Pilgrim: William Bradford’s Eyewitness Account of the Mayflower PassengersFirst Thanksgiving Sticker Activity Book (Dover Little Activity Books Stickers)The Story of the Pilgrims (Dover History Coloring Book)Coloring Our Gratitude: The Art of Everyday ThankfulnessStop Your Complaining: From Grumbling to GratitudeSay Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes… in You and Your Kids
More Fun Thanksgiving Activity Ideas
- Use this fun Give Thanks with a Thankful Heart card set.
- Make Hard Tack like a sailor–and the kids from Adventures in Mommydom.
- Purchase these beautiful Thankful Meditations posters and study from Path Through the Narrow Gate.
- The Modest Mom has a free History of Thanksgiving unit study for Kindergarten through Second Grade.
- Get your build on with this free Thanksgiving Brick Challenge from Proverbial Homemaker.
- Pick up a copy of A Plymouth Pilgrim (review), so your kids can learn about the first American Thanksgiving.
- Download this Thanksgiving Scripture Memory Challenge from The Pelsers.
- Create an I Am Thankful Pumpkin from The Moffat Girls.
- Make a family Gratitude Garland with printable pieces from Somewhat Simple.
Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible
You want your kids to learn and love the Bible.
You want to teach the Bible…
As parents, we deeply desire the best for our kids. We look for the right schools, we make them eat right and exercise, and we get them involved in extracurricular activities. We take our job as parents seriously.
But are we also putting our time and energy into
teaching them the Bible? Giving them the life-changing, soul-nourishing words of Scripture is not only doable, it’s an essential part of parenting kids for Jesus. And the good news is, studying God’s Word as a family doesn’t have to be difficult!
2 Timothy 2:15, ESV, says:
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,
a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Our job, as parents who love Jesus, is to help our kids become approved workers, unashamed and rightly handling the word of truth.
The good news? Teaching the Bible isn’t hard. Your family can learn the Bible together.
…and you can!
A Crash Course in Teaching the Bible to Your Kids
Danika Cooley’s book, Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible, will give you the tools and confidence to study the Bible as a family. It will help you identify and overcome your objections and fears, give you a crash course in what the Bible is all about and how to teach it, and provide the guidance you need to set up a family Bible study habit.
You will finish this book feeling encouraged and empowered to initiate and strengthen your child’s relationship with the Lord through His Word.
Help Your Kids Learn and Love the Bible will equip you with everything you need to know to teach the Bible to your kids!
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The books about the book of Mark sounds great for children — very interested in more info about these.
Awesome gift list! Very helpful! Thank you!
If I were to win this giveaway, I’d use it to pay bills. We’ve had a lot of medical needs this year so this would be a huge blessing. Thanks for the chance to win!!