The Thanksgiving holiday is just around the corner, and it’s usually a busy time for families. One of my favorite ways to entertain and engage toddlers is with activity bags, so, of course, this calls for a few Thanksgiving-themed bags to break out when you need get that turkey in the oven or sit down with your child for quality play time.

Activity bags are simple. They are large Ziploc bags filled with fun and engaging activities for your little one to explore. Each of my activity bag ideas listed below include a sensory component, book, coloring sheet, and a couple of crafts. Have fun, and Happy Holidays!

Pumpkin Bag

Pumpkins are a big part of the holiday season, so a pumpkin-themed activity bag is the perfect way to occupy your toddler. Here are a few ideas to fill your pumpkin bag!

  1. Fill a smaller Ziploc bags with pumpkin guts for a messy but fun sensory experience. Too messy? Fill it with seeds and include a spoon and small cup for scooping and pouring!
  2. Print this pumpkin coloring sheet and toss in a few crayons.
  3. Include a board book such as Where is Baby’s Pumpkin by Little Simon. It’s a lift-the-flap book perfect for toddlers!
  4. Cut out a foam sheet (like the ones you get from the Dollar Tree) into a pumpkin shape and glue a magnet to the back. Include a sticker sheet or glue and gems. Your toddler can decorate the pumpkin and stick it on the fridge!
  5. Try this mess-free pumpkin painting from Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds. It even has a free printable, and I love that there’s no clean-up required!

Turkey Bag

Let your little one explore a turkey-themed bag while you prep and bake your Thanksgiving turkey!

  1. Print this turkey coloring sheet and include a few crayons in the bag.
  2. The sensory component for this bag is this super cute turkey squishy bag I found over at Life Over C’s. If you can’t find the turkey she used, I think a laminated and cut up turkey picture will work just fine.
  3. Add the Little Turkey: Finger Puppet Book by Chronicle books to your activity bag. This sweet story offers a special Thanksgiving message, and the puppet is just adorable! Of course, any turkey-themed book works just fine.
  4. Throw in the materials for this turkey paper bag craft from The Best Ideas for Kids with a stick of glue. Your toddler can assemble the turkey and use it as a paper bag puppet.
  5. Paper plate turkeys are another simple craft that your toddler can put together with little to no help. You’ll just need a paper plate, pre-cut feathers, eyes, a beak, and some glue. Toss it all into your turkey activity bag and watch them go!

Thanksgiving Bag

A general Thanksgiving-themed bag leaves lots of options for activities. It can be a fall season bag, or you can hone in on the holiday. I’ve created a bag with a mix of both!

  1. The Thankful Book by Todd Parr is a great addition to the Thanksgiving activity bag. This book teaches young children to look for all of the little things in life they can be thankful for.
  2. Here is a “give thanks” coloring page from Kids Activities for your child to do. Maybe you can talk about the things you each give thanks for while they color!
  3. For a sensory activity, check out this fall slime recipe from Little Bins for Little Hands. It’s simple to make! Put the slime in a smaller baggie and toss in.
  4. Toddler Approved has a great fall wreath craft for toddlers! You can simplify this by just adding a paper plate, glue, and some leaves to your Thanksgiving activity bag.
  5. I love this color matching turkey found at I Heart Arts n Crafts. What a great way to practice pincher grip, identify patterns, and work on color recognition!

Pilgrim Bag

  1. Print and laminate this pilgrim playdough mat from the Activity Village. Your child can use playdough to create the pilgrim’s hat!
  2. The book addition for the pilgrim bag that I’ve chosen is The Itsy Bitsy Pilgrim by Jeffrey Burton. It’s a fun and playful Thanksgiving twist on The Itsy Bitsy Spider.
  3. Here is a pilgrim coloring sheet to add!
  4. For the craft element to this bag, your child can make a boy or girl pilgrim paper bag puppet.
  5. Here’s another simple paper plate craft your toddler can put together. This time, of course, it’s a pilgrim plate!

Corn Bag

I’m not sure why I think of corn when I think of Thanksgiving, but I must not be alone because there are lots of corn activities for kids!

  1. Here’s a corn coloring sheet to include in your corn-themed activity bag with a few crayons or colored pencils.
  2. The corn pit was my kids’ favorite attraction at the pumpkin festival when they were toddlers. This Indian corn squish bag from Fantastic Fun and Learning is one of the less messy sensory activities I’ve seen, but if you don’t mind the mess, fill a smaller Ziploc bag with corn kernels and add a measuring cup and spoons.
  3. The craft element in this activity bag is a textured corn craft by Toddler Approved. I love the fact that it includes different textures for your little one to explore. Plus, it’s really cute!
  4. Finding a board book about corn wasn’t so easy, but this Bright Baby Happy Thanksgiving board book is a great addition to the corn-themed bag. It’s a sturdy little board book with photographs and Thanksgiving words your child can learn.
  5. This probably isn’t an activity I’d leave my toddler unattended with, but I love this corncob painting activity found at Natural Beach Living. If you have a few minutes to sit down together for an activity, this would be lots of fun for little ones.