Thanksgiving Crossword Puzzle & Thanksgiving Word Search (Free PDFs)
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Keep the kids entertained — or at least distracted — while your turkey cooks, with this simple, classic-themed Thanksgiving Crossword Puzzle and Thanksgiving Word Search Printable Pack. Answer keys are included with the free printable PDFs.
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Thanksgiving Day can be a super fun day for a child. Family and friends are gathered. Football is on the TV. Yummy aromas fill the entire house….
Or it can be totally boring.
Depending on the kid, the company, and the weather, Thanksgiving Day can be super fun or super not. And if Gramma doesn’t allow video games or Uncle Joe doesn’t have toys to play with, the day can be difficult for everyone.
That’s when it pays off as a parent to have a few Thanksgiving activities in your bag of tricks, like this Thanksgiving Crossword Puzzle or the matching Thanksgiving Word Search.
Why Do This
You never know who in the crowd is going to need a little distraction. Boredom can lead to mischief and infighting. I know this all too well.
One of my kids was known to take books everywhere he went to avoid boredom and the eventual mischief that followed. Smart kid knew he’d otherwise find himself in trouble!
The same is true for adults. You’ve gathered to celebrate the holiday, but family time may be strained due to all kinds of reasons. Having games to play, either jointly or independently can help ease the conflict.
You can learn together. Your kids may or may not know the stories of the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth, or you may not have ever discussed its history or potential controversies around it. Doing a Thanksgiving puzzle can be a fun game for everyone.
Answering the clues of a Thanksgiving crossword puzzle can give you lots of conversation starters and distraction for kids of all ages.
It’s budget friendly. Every year, we do Thanksgiving on a budget. Rather than spring for premade games and puzzles, it’s fun to print free ones, like this.
Our printable Thanksgiving Crossword Puzzles may have come in handy on many a holiday for this kind of kid.
How to Do It
Print off a few copies of this Thanksgiving Crossword Puzzle and the accompanying word search. They’re free to subscribers of our free newsletter!
Drop your email here to subscribe and head to your inbox to confirm it. Then get instant access to our free printable library.
Kids can complete the puzzles on their own, quiz the adults in their midst, or even have a competition to see who’s fastest.
There are lots of ways to make this work for your Thanksgiving crowd, and you can even make your own at PuzzleMaker.
When you’ve completed the Thanksgiving Crossword Puzzle, check out our Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt as well as these other Thanksgiving Activities for Kids. Our Thanksgiving Read Alouds are perfect when you’ve got time to kill.
No need to fret over holiday togetherness; have fun!
More Family Fun Activities
What do you think?
I’d be honored if you chimed in the comments section. What do you think?
This post was originally published on November 14, 2011. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Thank you so much! This is so great I had to share on my blog 🙂
http://makesmamasmile.blogspot.com/2011/11/keeping-thanksgiving-simple-and-fun.html
I just love the big family dinner and a time to share what we are all truly thankful for…and of course the pumpkin pie!!!
Thanks for sharing the love!
Love the ready-to-decorate place cards! Anything helps to keep little hands busy while they’re waiting for the turkey and feast to be ready, and they love to help and feel important. Thanks!
Thank you so much for the book. We have a long drive to Grandma and Grandpa’s house so the worksheets will help pass the time!
Thank you – praying you will do a Christmas one too!
Ahem, you’ll have to wait and see. 😉
These free worksheets look wonderful. Could you link them up with my blog hop?Here is the direct link – http://hammockhomeschool.blogspot.com/2011/11/unexpected-learning-moment-at-air-show.html
I’m madly in love with that turkey placeholder project. We’re definitely doing that!
That is my sister’s doing mostly. Though it was my idea to use dried fruit. 😉 You can use candy, too.
Thank you! This is a neat download. Your felt busy bag was the perfect finishing touch to my “bag of tricks” to keep my littles happy and busy on Thanksgiving Day. I have already raided my felt scraps and have 2 sets made up for my 2 & 3 year olds. I also printed the word search and crossword puzzle for my older children. Thanks for the wide age range. As a mom of many, it’s so helpful.