Ten Facts About Thanksgiving
Here are 10 fun, kid-friendly facts about Thanksgiving:
Thanksgiving started long ago: The first Thanksgiving feast took place in 1621 when the Pilgrims celebrated their successful harvest with the Wampanoag Native Americans.
Turkey wasn’t the main dish: The original Thanksgiving feast likely included deer, seafood, and seasonal vegetables, rather than the turkey we traditionally eat today.
Turkey Day trivia: Around 46 million turkeys are cooked in the United States each Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving became a national holiday: Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, during the Civil War, to bring Americans together.
Parades are a Thanksgiving tradition: The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade started in 1924, making it nearly 100 years old. Today, it includes giant balloons, floats, and marching bands.
The wishbone tradition: Breaking the wishbone from a turkey is thought to bring good luck. Two people each hold a side of the bone, make a wish, and pull—the person with the larger piece is said to have their wish come true.
A president "pardons" a turkey: Each year, the U.S. president "pardons" a live turkey, sparing it from being eaten and sending it to a farm instead.
Black Friday follows Thanksgiving: The day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, is the busiest shopping day of the year, with lots of people looking for great deals.
Pumpkin pie is a favorite: While pumpkin pie is a classic Thanksgiving dessert today, it wasn’t on the menu for the first Thanksgiving. Pilgrims didn’t have sugar for making pies!
A special kind of corn: Indian corn, with its bright colors, is often used as a decoration during Thanksgiving because it represents the harvest and Native American contributions to the feast.
Thanksgiving Collage Ideas
Handprint Turkey Collage: Each student traces their hand on a piece of paper and writes something they’re thankful for on each finger. The thumb can be the turkey’s head, and the fingers are the feathers. Collect all the handprints and arrange them on a board to create a giant "thankful turkey."
Thankful Tree Collage: Create a large tree trunk on a wall or bulletin board and give each student a colorful paper leaf to write what they’re thankful for. Attach all the leaves to make a “thankful tree” with branches filled with gratitude.
Photo Collage: Have students bring in small photos of things or people they're thankful for, such as family, pets, and friends. They can glue these onto a poster or a large heart shape labeled “I am thankful for…” to create a heartfelt and personalized collage.
"Thankful Quilt" Paper Squares: Give each student a small square piece of construction paper to draw or write something they are thankful for. Arrange all the squares into a patchwork quilt on a large board, mimicking the look of a cozy quilt of gratitude.
Nature Collage: Collect leaves, pinecones, acorns, and other natural items. Kids can glue these onto a paper or canvas and write or draw what they're thankful for among the nature elements, creating a beautiful, earthy display of thanks.
Magazine Collage: Set out old magazines and have students cut out pictures or words that represent what they’re thankful for. They can glue these onto a large poster to create a colorful, mixed-media collage filled with images of food, family, friends, and fun activities.
Gratitude Garland: Give each child a paper shape (leaf, feather, heart, or star) to write or draw what they’re thankful for. String these shapes together to make a “thankful garland” that can be displayed around the room.
Sunshine of Thanks: Draw a large sun on a bulletin board with “I am thankful for…” in the center. Each student can add a “ray” with something they’re thankful for, creating a radiant sunshine filled with gratitude.
Thankful Rainbow: Cut out strips of colored paper (like a rainbow) and ask each student to write what they're thankful for on a strip. Arrange the strips in rainbow order to make a “thankful rainbow” collage.
"Thankful Hearts" Wall: Give each child a paper heart to write something they’re thankful for. Hang all the hearts on a board or wall to create a collage of colorful hearts, reminding everyone of the things that warm their hearts during Thanksgiving.
These collages are creative, interactive ways to help kids reflect on what they appreciate and add a festive touch to the Thanksgiving season!
You may also like these printable Thanksgiving activities from our TpT store:
