No matter if you plan to gather with others over Thanksgiving weekend or not, if young children are a part of your gathering, having simple play opportunities available is smart! We’ve curated a few easy ideas for themed holiday activities to keep their brains and bodies active through Explore Through Movement and Play!
Turkey Waddle – Give kids and adults a small balloon and make them race with the balloon between their knees. It will make for a fun and active start to Thanksgiving.
Turkey Tag – This is a Thanksgiving version of Hide and Seek. One child gets to be the hunter while the others hide. When one of the players is caught, they have to gobble like a turkey until at least two other players set them free. Once the hunter has caught three turkeys, a new hunter is chosen.
Turkey Baster Race – Buy a few inexpensive turkey basters at the dollar store and give kids pompoms, feathers, or leaves. Line them up on the starting line and see who can blow the items past he finish using the air generated by the baster. This is a great exercise for young children to build strength in their hands in preparation for learning to write.
Cardboard Cornhole – Save a few boxes from a recent delivery and give kids markers and construction paper. Help them cut a hole in the box bottom and let them draw a turkey around the hole or make colorful feathers with construction paper. Once they are done, let them toss bean bags or balled up tissue paper at the turkey!
Feather Hunt – No holiday is complete without an indoor or outdoor hunt. Find a large bag of colorful feathers at a craft store and send your little ones on a hunt to find all the places the turkey has been!