Keeping little ones entertained during Thanksgiving dinner is tricky, right? Not anymore! These free printable Thanksgiving placemats will help keep them smiling and occupied – giving you plenty of time to enjoy that extra slice of pie. Each placemat is totally done for you, and we’ve even included several different options for you to choose from!
Make sure to check out my tips on How to Make a Thanksgiving Sensory Bin for Toddlers for more fun fine motor skill learning.
Free Printable Thanksgiving Placemats
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Materials Required:
- Card Stock
- Pens/Colored Pencils/Crayons
- Laminator (optional)
- Laminating Sheets (optional)
- Dry-Erase Markers (optional)
We’ve taken the guesswork out of keeping your kiddos busy this Thanksgiving, and the best part is that the prep work is so minimal. All you need to do is select the placemat(s) you would like to use (keep reading to look at the different options), and print them onto some cardstock. You could use regular printer paper if you’re in a pinch, but we’ve found that cardstock tends to hold up the best when it comes to coloring, drawing, or using it as a placemat.
*Note: If you would like to reuse your placemats year after year, you might consider laminating each mat. You could then have your children use dry-erase markers instead of regular crayons or colored pencils. Plus, it will keep your placemats protected from any spills!
Once your placemats are printed, go ahead and place one mat at each child’s place setting along with some coloring and writing utensils. Jumbo crayons work great for little fingers since they’re so easy to grip, but colored pencils or markers might be more in line with older kids. These mats not only provide entertainment for your child, but will help them practice their fine motor, number, and literacy skills. Plus, they will love unleashing their creativity as they decorate pie slices and draw their Thanksgiving dinners.
Speaking of age differences, we’ve made choosing the right placemat for your child super easy! If your little one is not yet reading/writing or is under age 4, you might want to pick the simple turkey coloring page. If your child is a bit more independent, the full-blown activity mat will be right up their alley. Even adults would enjoy the latter option, so you might want to have several extra copies on hand – just in case.
We have not only included an easier and more advanced option, but we’ve also provided colorized and black and white versions of each printable Thanksgiving activity mat. So if you’re short on ink, that’s no problem at all. Simply choose the placemat that works best for your particular situation.
Don’t these printable placemats look so fun? We promise your kids will love them! If you’re looking for even MORE kid-friendly Thanksgiving activities, take a look at the ideas below. Any one of them would be a great way to get the entire family in the Thanksgiving spirit.
More fun Thanksgiving activities for kids
- Make a Thanksgiving sensory bin – Toddlers will especially love this easy-to-make sensory bin! Plus, it utilizes ingredients you probably already have on hand such as rice, vinegar, beans, and cookie cutters. Sound fun, right?
- Have a Thanksgiving read-aloud – This list of Thanksgiving-themed board books and picture books is packed with some of our favorites. Gather the family and read a few before dinner or during dessert!
- Hold your own Thanksgiving Day parade – Make time for a simple science experiment and use the results to have an impromptu Thanksgiving Day parade – at home!
- Read this Thanksgiving easy reader – Early readers will really enjoy practicing their sight words and sounds with this printable. Each page features a different Thanksgiving topic for extra fun!
- Make Thanksgiving arts & crafts – This list of Thanksgiving arts, crafts, and other activities is filled with great ways to spend the day.
Where to get the Free Placemats?
GET THE THANKSGIVING ACTIVITY PLACEMATS HERE
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