Thanksgiving activity placemats
Give children something to color, solve or read while they wait for Thanksgiving dinner. The eight-word scramble below has answer blanks and a separate host key. The printable cards above include twelve jokes and twelve would-you-rather questions. To turn those activities into a placemat, add a turkey dot-to-dot, a squirrel maze and a coloring border using the drawing instructions below. Finished puzzle artwork is not included.
What to put on each placemat
Leave a name line at the top. Put the word scramble on the upper left, the turkey on the upper right and the maze in the middle. Along the bottom, leave space for a few jokes and a question to read at dessert. Keep the remaining cards nearby; you do not need to fit all twenty-four onto one sheet.
Turkey dot-to-dot: Sketch a turkey, then place 24 dots numbered 1–24 along its outline. Start at the wattle beneath the beak and arrange the route so the tail fan is drawn last. The original design suggests about three-quarters of an inch between dots on a large drawing. Adjust the spacing to fit your sheet and keep numbers readable. Connect the dots yourself before printing: the description does not supply a tested dot pattern.
Squirrel maze: Draw a corn patch with an entrance at the top left and an acorn at the center. Mark the finish beside the acorn with a small star. Add exactly three dead ends, then trace a continuous route from the squirrel to the acorn on your host copy. The source suggests this design for ages 5–8; adjust the size and difficulty for the children attending.
Coloring border: Draw oak leaves, pumpkins and turkey feathers in open outline. A two-inch frame is the original suggestion for a large sheet. Narrow it on letter paper so the puzzles still have room. Younger children can color while someone reads the jokes aloud. For help preparing the shared supplies, see craft party table setup.
Jokes and questions: Copy a few favorites from the cards above. If you want hidden punchlines, write them upside down on your homemade joke strip. The cards on this page display the answers normally; printing does not rotate them. Put a would-you-rather question in a small box for pie, or read from the separate cards.
Thanksgiving word scramble
Read each word backward to find a Thanksgiving word, then write it on the line. A reader can help a younger child, or you can give the first letter as a hint.
Name: ______________________________
| Scrambled word | Your answer |
|---|---|
| YEKRUT | ____________________ |
| YVARG | ____________________ |
| EZIAM | ____________________ |
| TSAEF | ____________________ |
| NIKPMUP | ____________________ |
| MIRGLIP | ____________________ |
| RELBBOG | ____________________ |
| NROCA | ____________________ |
Host answer card
Copy the key onto a separate card: TURKEY, GRAVY, MAIZE, FEAST, PUMPKIN, PILGRIM, GOBBLER, ACORN, in row order. Add the correct route from the maze you draw. A quarter-size copy works only if you can still read the words and follow the path.
Maze answer or drawing notes: ___________________________________
Children who want more words to solve can try the Thanksgiving word-game pack. For guests who prefer pictures to words, Thanksgiving picture bingo offers a caller-led alternative.
Print at 11x17 or letter size
Use 11x17 paper if your printer supports it and you want more room for the drawings. For letter paper, start with half-inch margins, narrow the border and use fewer jokes on each mat. Print your homemade layout on card stock in black and white so children can color the outlines.
Print one test copy. Check the answer lines, dot numbers, maze route and space the plate will cover. Then prepare one mat per seat plus two spares. For eight children, that means ten mats, sixteen sharpened pencils and three shared crayon cups.
The print controls on this page open the browser’s print dialog. They print page content, including host answers; they do not download a finished placemat, draw the puzzles or separate the key. Use print preview to select the pages you need, or copy the scramble and selected cards into your own layout before printing.
Keep the child sheets and host notes in separate piles. The printable party games guide explains what belongs on a helper’s copy rather than a player’s sheet.
Prepare the placemats before Thanksgiving
Do the drawing before the busiest part of dinner preparation. This sequence leaves time to correct a puzzle before making all the copies.
- Two days before: Sketch the border, turkey and maze. Number the turkey dots 1–24 and check that the tail fan comes last.
- The day before: Finish the outlines, solve the maze and compare the scramble with the host key. Make a test print and adjust anything too small to read.
- Thanksgiving morning: Print the remaining mats and two spares. Prepare the host card, sharpen the pencils and fill the crayon cups.
- Before guests sit down: Write names on the mats and place one face down at each seat. Keep the answer card and spare copies within reach.
Set out a placemat and pencils at each seat
Put everything out before you need the table for serving. Leave enough uncovered space for plates and glasses.
- Set one named mat face down at each seat.
- Put two sharpened pencils beside each mat.
- Share one crayon cup between every three seats.
- Keep the two spare mats nearby for late arrivals or a fresh copy.
- Put the host answer card at your place. Under the butter dish is one option if it stays clean and easy to reach.
- Keep the joke and question cards together, with the dessert questions set aside.
- Have a place for finished mats so children can take them home and finish coloring.
If you need another activity that fits around a table, quiet party games includes seated guessing games and questions. Check which supplies and help your chosen game needs before adding it.
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An example three-hour meal
This is an illustrative way to offer activities during a long family meal, not three hours of continuous play. Adjust it to your serving times and let children stop, eat or take a break. You can use the same order for a shorter dinner.
- 0:00–0:30 · Sit down and begin serving. Flip the mats and offer the scramble while children wait for their plates. Give a hint if a word is holding them up.
- 0:30–1:15 · Eat the main course. Leave the pencils aside while children eat. Anyone waiting can return to the turkey, maze or coloring border.
- 1:15–1:45 · Pause between courses. Read three jokes from the strip, taking turns if guests want to read. Continue coloring or put the mats aside when the table needs clearing.
- 1:45–2:15 · Clear plates and prepare dessert. Gather finished sheets. Children can finish an outline or take a break while someone gets the table ready.
- 2:15–3:00 · Serve pie and talk. Read a few would-you-rather questions. Guests can answer aloud, raise a hand for their choice or pass. Send unfinished coloring home afterward.
The five slots total 180 minutes. They describe the meal, not a promised attention span. If serving runs earlier or later, bring out the next activity when it suits the table.
For a shared game once plates are cleared, Thanksgiving games for the family includes seated choices as well as activities that need more room.
Activities for before and after dinner
Keep the placemats for dinner if children arrive much earlier. The Thanksgiving activities while the turkey cooks guide describes a craft area, familiar quiet games and paper activities, with adults available to help.
For a separate craft session, disguise a turkey gives children costume ideas for a turkey outline. Prepare the bases and materials beforehand, and leave somewhere for the finished birds; it needs a different setup from a dinner placemat.
For children who are not reading yet, use the coloring border and read a joke aloud. Pair them with a willing reader for the scramble rather than expecting age alone to tell you who can work independently. Picture bingo is another option if someone is free to call the pictures.
Another quiet activity for early finishers
A child who finishes the puzzles can color the border, read a joke to the next seat or use a spare mat. If you have prepared one beforehand, a Thanksgiving joke fortune teller gives a pair another way to read jokes together. It requires folding and a reader, so do not assume it is ready just because the cards are printed.
For someone who would rather look for pictures, the Thanksgiving picture-search pack describes find prompts and how to prepare the scenes. Check those preparation steps before treating it as an extra sheet you can hand out immediately.
After an active game, calm-down games offers examples of moving toward seated play. Use one if it fits the moment; children do not need another organized round every time they finish a puzzle.
To repeat the homemade placemat arrangement at another holiday meal, see Christmas activity placemats. That page also separates ready-to-use text activities from drawings you must prepare yourself.
Thanksgiving placemat questions
What size should Thanksgiving activity placemats print at?
Use 11x17 if your printer supports it and you want more space for drawings. Letter paper works with half-inch margins, a narrower border and fewer jokes. Test the layout before printing one mat per seat plus two spares.
How do I pace the mat through a long meal?
Offer the scramble as plates arrive, read a few jokes between courses and save the questions for pie. Let children return to the coloring when they want to. The three-hour example describes one possible meal schedule; it does not mean the mat will occupy every child for that long.
What ages can use the placemats without help?
The source suggests coloring for ages 3 and up and the scramble and maze for readers around 5 and up. Those are starting points, not guarantees of independent play. Offer help with reading, dot numbers or pencil work according to the child, and let younger guests answer questions aloud.
Can adults play along?
Yes. Adults can solve the scramble, read jokes or answer the dessert questions. A child and adult can share a puzzle, or everyone can color their own border. There is no need to keep score.
What can fast finishers do?
They can color, read a joke to a neighbor or take a spare mat. If a child is ready to stop, put the sheet aside and let them finish it at home. Add another activity only if it suits the space and someone can help when needed.
Does the print button give me a finished placemat?
No. It opens the browser’s print dialog for the page content. The scramble and cards are written out, but you must draw the turkey dot-to-dot, squirrel maze and coloring border for a complete homemade mat. Host answers are included in page printing, so use preview or a separate layout to keep them off the child’s sheet.