Free Printable Thanksgiving Worksheets, Trivia, Jokes, & Riddles

In this post I will give you my best homeschool mom tips for sanity at the holidays and a free downloadable worksheet booklet to keep your younger kids (approximately ages 3-8) content for a wee bit amidst the excitement.

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If you are new here, welcome! I’m a homeschool, homebirth, homemade mom of 5 boys. Check out my about page to meet me and my family.

Homeschooling at the Holidays

Holidays can be challenging time for homeschooler moms! We want to be able to do all the extra homemaker duties that come around that time. Cooking, hosting, making sure everyone has clothes that look presentable (and outerwear, too, if you are in a place that gets chilly like me!).

I think we Canadians have it a little easier, because with our October Thanksgiving, the holidays are much more spread out. And we have had it easy for weather this year, with an unusually mild autumn.

But around that time in November, things in homeschool land can start to get a little hectic.

I mean, you’ve got pies to make. Turkey to thaw and brine (do you brine your turkey!? It’s the best!). Linens to iron. What’s a homemaker to do?

Super Worksheets!!!

Picture the activity sheets flying from your handy homeschool mom printer with a cape on!

Just kidding.

I know worksheets don’t actually solve problems, but sometimes it is nice to just take a break from normal curricula, turn on a great audiobook or playlist, and get the kitchen prepped for pie-making while the kids are happy doing a fun pencil-in-hand thematically holiday-ish activity booklet.

Maybe, while they are at it, you can take a deep breath and a minute to pray!

I love this little poem for those hectic moments.

Thanksgiving

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything thy goodness sends.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thanksgiving Trivia

Here’s a fun set of Canadian and American Thanksgiving trivia—perfect for homeschool lessons, printable games, or family table talk! I’ll give you a mix of easy, medium, and challenging questions so you can use them for a variety of ages.

🦃 Easy Thanksgiving Trivia (Kids & Families)

What month is Canadian Thanksgiving celebrated in?
→ October
What month is American Thanksgiving celebrated in?
→ November
What bird is most commonly eaten at Thanksgiving dinner?
→ Turkey
What dessert is most famous on Thanksgiving?
→ Pumpkin pie
What do people often say they are thankful for on Thanksgiving?
→ Family, friends, food, and blessings
What is the name of the big parade held every Thanksgiving in New York City?
→ The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
What color are autumn leaves often turning around Thanksgiving time?
→ Red, orange, and yellow

🍁 Medium Difficulty (Great for Upper Elementary or Middle School)

Which came first — Canadian or American Thanksgiving?
→ Canadian Thanksgiving! (The first recorded celebration was in 1578, before the Pilgrims’ feast in 1621.)
What explorer is credited with the first Canadian Thanksgiving celebration?
→ Martin Frobisher
What U.S. President made Thanksgiving a national holiday?
→ Abraham Lincoln (in 1863)
What is the traditional side dish made from bread cubes, herbs, and broth?
→ Stuffing (or dressing)
Which country’s Thanksgiving usually includes harvest foods like corn, cranberries, and root vegetables?
→ Both!
What sport is often watched or played on Thanksgiving Day in both countries?
→ Football! (NFL in the U.S., CFL in Canada.)
What is the Friday after American Thanksgiving called, known for big sales?
→ Black Friday

🥧 Challenging Thanksgiving Trivia (Teens & Adults)

Which province in Canada was the first to make Thanksgiving an annual holiday?
→ Prince Edward Island
What year did Canadian Thanksgiving officially become a national holiday?
→ 1957
What city in the U.S. hosted the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
→ New York City (in 1924)
Which U.S. President began the tradition of “pardoning” a turkey?
→ George H. W. Bush (in 1989)
What was served at the first American Thanksgiving that we might not eat today?
→ Venison, seafood, and wildfowl—possibly not turkey!
Which Indigenous peoples shared food and knowledge with the Pilgrims at the first American Thanksgiving?
→ The Wampanoag people
What day of the week is Canadian Thanksgiving always celebrated on?
→ The second Monday in October

Thanksgiving riddles — family friendly (easy → tricky)

Perfect for table talk, printables, or a little homeschool brain-teaser time. Answers are after the riddles — don’t peek if you want to guess!

Easy (kids)

I gobble and waddle and make quite a cluck, served at your dinner — what am I stuck?
I’m orange and round, in pies I’m found — what am I?
I fall from trees in red, gold, and brown; crunch underfoot all over town. What am I?
You wear me for thanks and give me a name; I’m a month in autumn but not quite the same. What am I?

Medium

I’m warm and spiced and served in a dish, sometimes topped with meringue — what sweet wish?
Stuffed in a bird or baked on the side, bread cubes and herbs are my comfy hide. What am I?
I’m the day after thanks when many shops shout; deals and lines make shoppers pout. What am I?
I fly without wings and can be pie or soup — some carve my face into a loop. What am I?

Tricky / Riddle-style

I’m always hungry, I must be fed; the more I eat, the more I spread. What am I?
I’m filled with thanks but open that seam; family and friends are found inside my dream. What am I?
People bring me to the table but I never eat; I can be full or empty, sunny or sweet. What am I?
I arrive in October for some, November for others; I bring turkeys, parades, and thankful mothers. What am I?

Answers

A turkey.
A pumpkin.
Autumn leaves (or fall leaves).
October (fits the “wear me for thanks” clue — Canadian Thanksgiving is in October).
Pumpkin pie.
Stuffing (or dressing).
Black Friday.
Pumpkin (could also be “squash” in some clues — but pumpkin fits the carving/pie clue).
Fire (the classic riddle answer).
A gratitude jar / thankful jar (write-ins inside).
A plate.
Thanksgiving (covers both Canadian and American—dates differ).

Thanksgiving Jokes

Here are a bunch of Thanksgiving-themed jokes for kids — clean, silly, and perfect for classroom giggles, family dinners, or homeschool printables. I’ve grouped them a bit so you can mix and match for activity sheets or conversation cards:

🦃 Turkey Jokes

Why did the turkey cross the road twice?
→ To prove he wasn’t chicken!
What sound does a turkey’s phone make?
→ Wing, wing!
What do you call a turkey the day after Thanksgiving?
→ Lucky!
Why did the turkey sit on the drumstick?
→ He wanted to be in the band!
What happens when you cross a turkey with a banjo?
→ A bird that plucks itself!

🥧 Food & Feast Jokes

What’s a pumpkin’s favorite sport?
→ Squash!
What do you call a running turkey dinner?
→ Fast food!
Why did the cranberry turn red?
→ Because it saw the turkey dressing!
What kind of key can’t open a door?
→ A tur-key!
What did the sweet potato say to the pumpkin pie?
→ I yam what I yam!
Why was the Thanksgiving soup so expensive?
→ It had 24 carrots!

🍁 Family & Holiday Fun

What’s the best dance to do on Thanksgiving?
→ The turkey trot!
What did the family say when the Thanksgiving dinner caught fire?
→ “That’s the roast of the town!”
What do you get if you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter?
→ Pumpkin π (pi)!
Why did the scarecrow win an award at Thanksgiving?
→ Because he was outstanding in his field!

🇨🇦🇺🇸 Canadian & American Thanksgiving Jokes

Why do Canadian turkeys always say “eh”?
→ Because they’re polite, eh?
What do you call Thanksgiving in space?
→ An inter-galactic feast!
What did the American turkey say to the Canadian turkey?
→ “See you next month!”
Why do both Canadians and Americans love Thanksgiving?
→ Because gratitude never goes out of season!
What did one leaf say to another at Thanksgiving?
→ “I’m falling for you!”

What is Included in the Free Thanksgiving Activity Download?

Your Free Thanksgiving Workbook contains 12 pages of fun in PDF format, specifically:

Title Page
Contents page
Color and Count Thanksgiving
Thankfulness Journaling
Pumpkin Maze
Pumpkin Alphabet Colour and Trace
Turkey Alphabet Colour and Trace
Truck Counting
Truck Adding
Cornucopia Colour and Scripture Tracing
Thanksgiving Dinner Word Search
Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte Recipe

Without further ado, here are the pages!

Thanksgiving-Themed Free Printable Homeschool Colouring and Activity Worksheets

Don’t go without checking out the free printable Thanksgiving workbook for kids I have for you!

How to use the Thanksgiving Workbook:

There are many ways you can use this My Thanksgiving Workbook printable:

Homeschool lesson on Thanksgiving
Quiet time
Buying you time to get cooking done
Put at the kid’s table during a family gathering
However you want!

Love themed learning?

Check out all my Unit Study Resources here.

Check out my free Fall Leaves Alphabet Trace

Download the free Fall Nature Hunt

How to access the free printable

Drop your email in the box below.
Check your inbox and click through to the PDF.
Save it to your computer or phone.
Print it off at home or at your local printer.
For personal use only, thanks! Email me if you’d like added permissions.
Watermark free version available on my Etsy shop.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you have a abundant and blessed holiday weekend! Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog. I want to know, what are some of your favourite family traditions around this time of year?

We love fall walks, but this year in our new town, we went cranberry picking at Thanksgiving and now my freezer is stocked! I think that will be a new tradition for us.

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