Fun and Engaging Thanksgiving Activities For Kids Based on the Book “A Turkey For Thanksgiving”

The holiday season is fast approaching, and that means it’s time to start planning some festive and educational activities for the classroom What better way to get into the Thanksgiving spirit than by reading Eve Bunting’s delightful story, “A Turkey For Thanksgiving”? This heartwarming tale is a classroom favorite for many teachers, and it lends itself perfectly to a wide range of activities that will keep students engaged as they learn

A Brief Summary of “A Turkey For Thanksgiving”

Before jumping into activity ideas, let’s do a quick recap of the story. “A Turkey For Thanksgiving” follows the journey of Mr. Moose as he ventures out into the forest on a mission to find a turkey for his wife to cook for their Thanksgiving feast. After getting directions from the other woodland creatures, Mr Moose stumbles upon Turkey and captures him

Turkey is terrified as Mr. Moose drags him back home, certain that he will end up as the main course. But when they arrive and Mrs. Moose warmly welcomes Turkey, even offering him the seat of honor at the table, Turkey realizes he is not there to be eaten, but rather a guest of honor. They enjoy a beautiful vegetarian meal together as friends.

This charming story promotes themes of friendship, understanding, and compassion

Thanksgiving Themed Activities Based on “A Turkey For Thanksgiving”

Vocabulary And Prediction Exercises

• Have students make predictions about the story based on the title and front cover illustration. What do they think will happen? This activates prior knowledge and piques interest in the story.

• Pause at key points while reading aloud to focus on vocabulary words like “nuzzled,” “bleat,” and “stammered.” Discuss meanings and add words to a Thanksgiving word wall.

• After reading, have students retell or summarize the sequence of events to a partner to improve comprehension.

Arts And Crafts

• Make paper bag Turkey puppets and use them to act out scenes from the story.

• Create a bulletin board display showcasing Turkeys made by tracing hands and decorating the feathers.

• Make a “Turkey of Thanks” by having students write what they are thankful for on paper feathers and attach them to a turkey template.

Writing Exercises

• Write from Turkey’s perspective. What was he thinking at different points in the story? How did he feel?

• Compose a thank you letter from Turkey to the Moose family.

• Rewrite or discuss an alternate ending. What if Turkey had been eaten for dinner? Would that be a better story? Why or why not?

Discussion Questions

• How did the other animals help Mr. Moose? Have you ever helped someone?

• Why was Turkey scared? How did he feel once he realized he was a guest?

• What food and guests were at the Thanksgiving feast? If you planned Thanksgiving dinner, what would you want?

• Is this book funny? Why did the author make us think one thing about Turkey’s fate but have it turn out differently?

Related Content Area Activities

Math: Graph the different woodland animals that appear in the story. Which animal appears most frequently?

Science: Learn about the traits and behaviors of wild turkeys. Do they really make good pets?

Social Studies: Study Thanksgiving traditions. Have students ask family members about their Thanksgiving customs.

Art: Look at Norman Rockwell’s classic Thanksgiving paintings. Have students paint their own.

Final Thoughts

Eve Bunting’s charming story lends itself well to activities across subject areas. Engaging young learners with interactive and creative Thanksgiving-themed lessons can help build reading comprehension, vocabulary, writing skills, and more. Try out some of these activity suggestions in your own classroom to make the most of this delightful holiday tale! With a little creativity, “A Turkey For Thanksgiving” can inspire fun and meaningful learning around Thanksgiving.