Free Printable Thanksgiving Countdown Calendar Crafts, Snack Craft Recipes and Holiday Activities

Hello my Omschooligans! Did you have an enjoyable Halloween? I hope so. Now, we have Thanksgiving and Christmas to look forward to!  Is it hard for you to wait for a holiday? Teacher Omi gets that. That's why I created these holiday countdown activities to mark the days till Thanksgiving, Christmas, your birthday or any event you're looking forward to. The Omschool Tree Fort offers you these free printable lesson plans for classroom, homeschool or family use. 

Holiday Countdown Calendars that give back

Pre-made Advent calendars have become very popular with their little windows opening to reveal a toy, candy or treat. We'll use this model to create our own countdown calendars with one modification. We're going to give along with getting. This helps build empathy, generosity and social awareness. As an educator, mom and Omi (grandma), I'm less fond of treat dispensing Advent calendars which can lead to more selfishness and "gimme" mentality. Christmas is already a huge gift grab holiday for kids. The advent calendars we're going to make feature children performing "give-back" tasks and reciprocity. 

4 for 1 countdown craft project

Let's make a countdown calendar of activities (instead of candy or prizes) to track the days until something special happens. Making calendars does quadruple duty--it's a craft project, child-minder, scissors skills practice and calendar math lesson plan in one! It also helps build an attitude of gratitude which fits the Thanksgiving theme perfectly. 

• Print the blank calendar above or use one from DL-TK printable calendars. These dated and undated calendars are customizable to year, language and theme. You can use these as chore charts, schedules, homework organizers and personal planners. There's a Christmas calendar pattern you can print free, below. 

• Free Printable has a gazillion calendar designs to print. Choose a fall or Thanksgiving theme or any one you like. You can create the countdown calendar in several ways. Print the calendar large enough to write in the spaces which should be 2x2 inches. 

• Print holiday stencils about 2x2 inches each. First Palette has every stencil on earth to print on free. I recommend leaves, acorns, corn, cornucopia, Native American feather, turkeys, pilgrim hats, apples, pumpkins. 

• Cookie cutter patterns. Here's a great recycled craft project. Reuse holiday cookie cutters to make calendar patterns. Have children trace around cookie cutters and cut out stencils they have made. Choose patterns that are simple and easy to cut out, to practice fine motor skills. 

• Recycle Bin Calendar Crafts. Extend this recycle bin craft project by repurposing recycled cardboard boxes as calendar patterns to trace your template on.  Attach the printed calendar on recycled cardboard. 

• Make your countdown calendar reusable and "write and wipe" by covering it with contact paper. You can also cover the Thanksgiving calendar in contact paper or laminating it. 

• Double duty craft project. Print calendars and stencils in black and white to make them into coloring pages. Have children make their own countdown calendars and patterns. They will use the write activities on the calendar or on the back of the patterns. Attach pictures to calendar with putty. 

• Instruct children to list fun activities to do each day till Thanksgiving or Christmas. Write one on the back of each cutout. You can use Post-it Notes if you don't want to make the calendar cut-outs. 
• Rake the leaves
• Decorate your house. 
• Bake pies. 
• Buy turkey
• Make Thanksgiving craft projects. Use the Toymaker for free printable holiday craft projects. 
• Visit a shut-in neighbor. 
• Make cards for gram and gramp (Omi and Opi 😉)
• Read a Thanksgiving story.
• Watch a Thanksgiving cartoon. 
• Draw a picture of yourself doing something you are happy for. 
• Clean the kitchen. 
• Bake cookies and share with neighbors. 
• Make holiday snack crafts. See recipes below. 

• The Gratitude Game. Have children write one thing they are thankful for on the calendar after completing the activity. Attach your holiday patterns with paperclip to yarn and hang in a window garland. Print off extra patterns. Invite Thanksgiving dinner guest to write what they are thankful for and add them to the chain.

Thanksgiving Snack Craft Recipes Kids Can Make

Here are four fun, easy, and festive Thanksgiving snack craft recipes that are perfect for kids and holiday gatherings!

1. Happy Apple Turkeys

• Ingredients & Supplies:

  • Apple slices (wedge-shaped)

  • Peanut butter (or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option)

  • Pretzel sticks (for feathers)

  • Candy corn, chocolate chips, or colorful cereal pieces (for the turkey's tail and facial features)

  • A small piece of dried fruit or an M&M for the snood/beak

• Instructions:

  1. Lay an apple slice flat side down on a plate.

  2. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter along the curved back of the apple slice.

  3. Push pretzel sticks into the peanut butter so they fan out like feathers.

  4. Decorate the top with candy corn or cereal pieces. Add a chocolate chip for the eye and a small piece of fruit or candy for the beak.

2. Fudge Stripe Pilgrim Hats

A clever and delicious three-ingredient sweet treat that looks just like traditional pilgrim hats. 

• Ingredients & Supplies:

  • Fudge-striped shortbread cookies

  • Miniature peanut butter cups (unwrapped)

  • Yellow frosting or tube decorating gel

• Instructions:

  1. Lay the fudge-striped cookies flat on a plate with the chocolate side facing up.

  2. Unwrap the miniature peanut butter cups.

  3. Dab a tiny bit of yellow frosting onto the bottom of the peanut butter cup and press it right over the center hole of the cookie.

  4. Pipe a small square yellow buckle onto the front of the peanut butter cup to complete the hat.

3. Cornucopia Snack Cones

Edible "horns of plenty" filled to the brim with sweet and salty autumn treats.

• Ingredients & Supplies:

  • Sugar cones or waffle cones (you can dip the tips in melted chocolate to make them extra fancy)

  • Trail mix ingredients: popcorn, pretzels, miniature marshmallows, M&Ms, chocolate chips, and candy corn

• Instructions:

  1. Gently warm or soften the tips of the cones slightly if needed, or simply use them as-is.

  2. Fill each cone with a colorful mix of popcorn, pretzels, and candies, letting some of the goodies spill out of the wide opening to mimic a overflowing cornucopia.

4. Peanut Butter Pinecones

A rustic and delicious forest-themed snack craft made with cereal and nut butter. 

• Ingredients & Supplies:

  • Celery sticks or pretzel rods (as the base)

  • Peanut butter or cream cheese

  • Chocolate-flavored cereal flakes (like cereal squares or pointed flake cereal)

  • Powdered sugar (for a "snowy" pinecone look, optional)

• Instructions:

  1. Cut celery sticks into manageable pieces or use sturdy pretzel rods.

  2. Generously coat the outside of the celery or pretzel with peanut butter.

  3. Starting from the top and working your way down, gently press cereal flakes into the peanut butter so they overlap like the scales of a pinecone.

  4. Dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired before serving