Free printable Thanksgiving Lesson Plans, Countdown Calendar and holiday crafts

It's hard for kids to await a holiday. Got little ones anticipating Thanksgiving? Why not make a countdown calendar? What's that? It's an activity calendar kids use to track the days till something special. Making calendars does quadruple duty--it's a craft, child-minder, teaches cutting skills and calendar math lesson in one! Here's a countdown to Thanksgiving calendar craft. 

First print a blank calendar. Choose from among DL-TK's massive assortment of free printable Thanksgiving activities and crafts.  Free Printable has a gazillion calendar designs to print, color and personalize. Choose a fall or Thanksgiving theme or any one you like. Print it large enough to write in. Spaces should be 2x2 inches. 

Now print holiday stencils about 2x2 inches each. First Palette has many free printable templates, stencils and patterns. I recommend leaves, acorns, corn, cornucopia, Native American feather, turkeys, pilgrim hats, apples or pumpkins. Make them simple and easy to cut out. Check out Free Kids Crafts too. Plain white computer papers works fine. Or make a reusable countdown calendar printed on cardstock or tag board. You can also cover the Thanksgiving calendar in contact paper or laminate to make it recyclable from year to year. Print calendars and stencils in black and white. Have kids color and cut them out. 

Now have them think of fun activities to do each day till Thanksgiving. Write one on the back of each cutout. Here are suggestions.

--rake the leaves

--decorate your house

--bake pie

--buy groceries

--make Thanksgiving crafts. DL-TK and First Palette provide tons to choose from. The Toymaker has lovely hand-drawn free printable Thanksgiving cards and crafts, too. I'm lining you to The Toymaker home page because you'll want to explore the many beautiful free printable crafts available. The image on this post was created by Marilyn the Toymaker. 

--make Thanksgiving cards. You can use free printable Thanksgiving coloring pages to make cards. 

--visit a shut-in or nursing home. Deliver your cards. 

--call Omi and Opi (Grandma and Grampa 😍)

 --read a Thanksgiving story

--watch a Thanksgiving cartoon 

 Attach pictures on each blank day of calendar with putty. 

Print another calendar for your list of things you're thankful for. Have children write one thing they're grateful for each day of the calendar. Or print extra Thanksgiving patterns to cut out and write on thankful for on each.  Attach with paperclip to yarn and hang in a window like a garland. Invite Thanksgiving dinner guest to write what they are thankful for and add them to the chain