Thanksgiving Activities for Seniors (Free Printables)
Free, large print Thanksgiving activities for seniors, senior centers and family tables. Print two Thanksgiving word searches with answer keys, 20 Thanksgiving trivia questions with answers, gratitude prompts and a gentle Gratitude Circle group activity, plus our popular Thanksgiving bingo. Print one page, or get them all in one free PDF.
The PDF has 8 pages: activity ideas, two word searches, answer keys, trivia questions, trivia answers with sources, the Gratitude Circle guide, and thankful leaves to cut out.
🦃 Thanksgiving bingo for seniors
Our most popular Thanksgiving game: 12 different large print bingo cards with a free owl square, a caller’s checklist, calling slips and an online caller.
What’s on this page
- 10 Thanksgiving activity ideas for seniors (plus ideas at home)
- Thanksgiving word search, large print printable with answer keys
- Thanksgiving trivia for seniors with answers, multiple choice
- Gratitude prompts and a Gratitude Circle for groups
- Thankful tree leaves to cut out and write on
- Thanksgiving bingo, free printable cards
10 Thanksgiving Activities for Seniors
Easy Thanksgiving games and activities for a senior center, assisted living, or home.
- 1. Thanksgiving bingo. Our free Thanksgiving bingo has 12 large print cards with an owl free square, calling slips and an online caller.
- 2. Thanksgiving trivia. Read the 20 questions aloud and let the whole room help. Answers and sources are on the answer page.
- 3. Large print word searches. Two big-letter puzzles: Thanksgiving dinner foods, and words about giving thanks.
- 4. A Gratitude Circle. A gentle 30 minute sharing circle. The leader guide and prompts are on the next to last page.
- 5. A thankful tree. Cut out the paper leaves on the last page, write one thing you are thankful for on each, and tape them to a branch or a paper tree on the wall.
- 6. Recipe swap. Ask everyone to share a family recipe or a favorite dish. Copy them into a little group cookbook.
- 7. Pie tasting. Set out small slices of two or three pies, like pumpkin, apple and pecan, and vote for a favorite. Check diets and allergies first.
- 8. Watch the parade together. Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV with coffee and talk about parades from long ago.
- 9. Thank-you notes. Write a short note to staff, volunteers, a neighbor or family. A few kind words mean a lot.
- 10. Music and memories. Play songs of thanks and harvest-time favorites, and ask what each song brings to mind.
Thanksgiving activities for seniors at home
- Call someone you are thankful for and tell them why.
- Do the word search or trivia with a grandchild over the phone or a video call.
- Write down a family recipe and the story behind it.
- Start a little gratitude jar: each day, add a slip of paper with one good thing.
- Look through old holiday photos and label who is in them.
Bingo cards: free at aiseniors.app/thanksgiving/bingo
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Thanksgiving Word Search 1: Thanksgiving Dinner
Favorite foods from the Thanksgiving table. Circle each word you find.
| S | C | I | P | E | C | A | N | P | I | E | T |
| I | W | R | O | T | H | G | I | U | P | H | K |
| S | A | E | A | R | J | L | R | M | A | L | P |
| T | P | T | E | N | O | I | E | A | K | Y | U |
| U | P | U | D | T | B | L | G | B | V | V | M |
| F | L | R | K | W | P | E | L | F | W | Y | P |
| F | E | K | D | W | F | O | R | S | I | I | K |
| I | C | E | A | G | U | S | T | R | A | T | I |
| N | I | Y | Y | N | T | A | K | A | Y | E | N |
| G | D | B | D | A | D | V | C | B | T | R | P |
| S | E | G | G | F | M | S | D | V | N | O | I |
| H | R | C | O | R | N | B | R | E | A | D | E |
Find these words
- ☐ TURKEY
- ☐ STUFFING
- ☐ GRAVY
- ☐ CRANBERRY
- ☐ PUMPKIN PIE
- ☐ SWEET POTATO
- ☐ ROLLS
- ☐ PECAN PIE
- ☐ CORNBREAD
- ☐ APPLE CIDER
Words only go left to right, top to bottom, or diagonally down. Words with a space, like PUMPKIN PIE, appear without the space.
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Thanksgiving Word Search 2: Giving Thanks
Words about gratitude, family and the holiday. Circle each word you find.
| J | N | S | H | H | A | R | V | E | S | T | E |
| H | N | N | P | M | B | R | A | U | U | H | N |
| A | V | L | C | A | H | P | J | N | B | L | V |
| N | E | I | E | F | O | O | T | B | A | L | L |
| O | R | N | D | T | O | G | E | T | H | E | R |
| V | B | L | E | S | S | I | N | G | S | G | T |
| E | F | A | M | I | L | Y | B | F | C | V | D |
| M | R | B | U | T | H | A | N | K | F | U | L |
| B | E | K | C | S | R | P | A | R | A | D | E |
| E | I | H | D | N | F | R | I | E | N | D | S |
| R | V | W | V | T | K | U | E | A | S | K | A |
| V | L | I | G | R | A | T | E | F | U | L | Y |
Find these words
- ☐ THANKFUL
- ☐ GRATEFUL
- ☐ FAMILY
- ☐ FRIENDS
- ☐ HARVEST
- ☐ BLESSINGS
- ☐ NOVEMBER
- ☐ PARADE
- ☐ FOOTBALL
- ☐ TOGETHER
Words only go left to right, top to bottom, or diagonally down.
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Thanksgiving word search answer keys
1. Thanksgiving Dinner
| S | C | I | P | E | C | A | N | P | I | E | T |
| I | W | R | O | T | H | G | I | U | P | H | K |
| S | A | E | A | R | J | L | R | M | A | L | P |
| T | P | T | E | N | O | I | E | A | K | Y | U |
| U | P | U | D | T | B | L | G | B | V | V | M |
| F | L | R | K | W | P | E | L | F | W | Y | P |
| F | E | K | D | W | F | O | R | S | I | I | K |
| I | C | E | A | G | U | S | T | R | A | T | I |
| N | I | Y | Y | N | T | A | K | A | Y | E | N |
| G | D | B | D | A | D | V | C | B | T | R | P |
| S | E | G | G | F | M | S | D | V | N | O | I |
| H | R | C | O | R | N | B | R | E | A | D | E |
2. Giving Thanks
| J | N | S | H | H | A | R | V | E | S | T | E |
| H | N | N | P | M | B | R | A | U | U | H | N |
| A | V | L | C | A | H | P | J | N | B | L | V |
| N | E | I | E | F | O | O | T | B | A | L | L |
| O | R | N | D | T | O | G | E | T | H | E | R |
| V | B | L | E | S | S | I | N | G | S | G | T |
| E | F | A | M | I | L | Y | B | F | C | V | D |
| M | R | B | U | T | H | A | N | K | F | U | L |
| B | E | K | C | S | R | P | A | R | A | D | E |
| E | I | H | D | N | F | R | I | E | N | D | S |
| R | V | W | V | T | K | U | E | A | S | K | A |
| V | L | I | G | R | A | T | E | F | U | L | Y |
Talk about it
- What dish did your family always have on the Thanksgiving table?
- Who did the cooking when you were young?
- What is one word that sums up Thanksgiving for you?
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Thanksgiving Trivia Questions
Circle the best answer. Read them aloud and let the whole room help.
- 1. Which Pilgrim wrote the only surviving description of the 1621 harvest celebration in Plymouth?A) William BradfordB) Edward WinslowC) Myles Standish
- 2. About how many days did the 1621 harvest celebration last?A) One dayB) Three daysC) Two weeks
- 3. Which Wampanoag leader joined the 1621 celebration with about 90 of his men?A) MassasoitB) PocahontasC) Sitting Bull
- 4. According to Winslow’s letter, how many deer did the Wampanoag men bring to the feast?A) TwoB) FiveC) Twenty
- 5. Which president named November 26, 1789, as the first Thanksgiving under the new Constitution?A) George WashingtonB) John AdamsC) Thomas Jefferson
- 6. In 1863, which president proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November?A) Abraham LincolnB) Ulysses S. GrantC) Andrew Jackson
- 7. Which writer and magazine editor wrote to President Lincoln in 1863, asking for a national Thanksgiving?A) Louisa May AlcottB) Sarah Josepha HaleC) Harriet Beecher Stowe
- 8. Sarah Josepha Hale, the "Mother of Thanksgiving," also wrote which nursery rhyme?A) "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"B) "Mary Had a Little Lamb"C) "Humpty Dumpty"
- 9. In 1939, which president moved Thanksgiving one week earlier to make the Christmas shopping season longer?A) Herbert HooverB) Franklin D. RooseveltC) Harry Truman
- 10. Since a law signed in December 1941, Thanksgiving in the U.S. falls on which Thursday of November?A) The first ThursdayB) The fourth ThursdayC) The last Thursday
- 11. In what year was the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade held in New York City?A) 1924B) 1946C) 1955
- 12. What was the Macy’s parade first called?A) The Macy’s Christmas ParadeB) The Turkey TrotC) The Big Apple Parade
- 13. Animals from which zoo marched in the very first Macy’s parade?A) The Bronx ZooB) The Central Park ZooC) The San Diego Zoo
- 14. Giant balloons joined the parade in 1927. Which famous cartoon cat was one of the first?A) Felix the CatB) GarfieldC) Sylvester
- 15. Which character has had the most balloons in Macy’s parade history?A) Mickey MouseB) SnoopyC) Kermit the Frog
- 16. Which pro football team has played on Thanksgiving Day since 1934 (except during 1939 to 1944)?A) The Detroit LionsB) The Green Bay PackersC) The New York Giants
- 17. In a 1784 letter to his daughter, Benjamin Franklin called which bird "a much more respectable bird" than the bald eagle?A) The turkeyB) The robinC) The owl
- 18. Which president, in 1989, was the first to use the words "presidential pardon" for the White House turkey?A) Ronald ReaganB) George H. W. BushC) Bill Clinton
- 19. What is a grown-up male turkey called?A) A tomB) A buckC) A rooster
- 20. When does Canada celebrate its Thanksgiving Day?A) The second Monday in OctoberB) The first Sunday in NovemberC) The fourth Thursday in November
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Thanksgiving trivia answers
- 1. B) Edward Winslow
- 2. B) Three days
- 3. A) Massasoit
- 4. B) Five
- 5. A) George Washington
- 6. A) Abraham Lincoln
- 7. B) Sarah Josepha Hale
- 8. B) "Mary Had a Little Lamb"
- 9. B) Franklin D. Roosevelt
- 10. B) The fourth Thursday
- 11. A) 1924
- 12. A) The Macy’s Christmas Parade
- 13. B) The Central Park Zoo
- 14. A) Felix the Cat
- 15. B) Snoopy
- 16. A) The Detroit Lions
- 17. A) The turkey
- 18. B) George H. W. Bush
- 19. A) A tom
- 20. A) The second Monday in October
Did you know?
- Long before the English arrived, Native People held many days of thanksgiving, such as a "Strawberry Thanksgiving" and a "Green Corn Thanksgiving" (Plimoth Patuxet).
- The 1621 gathering happened sometime between September 21 and November 9. It was first called "the First Thanksgiving" in the 1800s.
- Franklin never asked for the turkey to be our national bird. He was joking in a private letter (National Park Service).
- Feeling sleepy after dinner? Turkey has no more tryptophan than chicken. The big meal is more to blame (National Park Service).
Sources (checked October 2026)
- Plimoth Patuxet Museums: Thanksgiving history (with Edward Winslow’s 1621 letter): https://plimoth.org/for-students/homework-help/thanksgiving-history
- National Archives: Congress Establishes Thanksgiving: https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/thanksgiving
- Library of Congress: The Woman Who Helped Put Thanksgiving on the Calendar: https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2024/11/the-woman-who-helped-put-thanksgiving-on-the-calendar/
- Library of Congress: Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade (This Month in Business History): https://guides.loc.gov/this-month-in-business-history/november/macys-thanksgiving-parade
- Smithsonian Magazine: The Puppeteer Who Brought Balloons to the Thanksgiving Day Parade: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-puppeteer-who-brought-balloons-to-the-thanksgiving-day-parade-180947863/
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Thanksgiving and the NFL: https://www.profootballhof.com/football-history/thanksgiving-and-the-nfl
- National Archives, Founders Online: Benjamin Franklin to Sarah Bache, 26 January 1784: https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-41-02-0327
- White House Historical Association: The Origins of the White House Turkey Pardon: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/good-eatin-mr-president-the-curious-origins-of-the-white-house-turkey-pardon
- National Park Service: Species Spotlight, Wild Turkey: https://www.nps.gov/articles/netn-species-spotlight-wild-turkey.htm
- Government of Canada: Public holidays: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/public-holidays.html
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The Gratitude Circle: A Group Activity
A gentle 30 minute sharing activity for senior centers, libraries and assisted living.
- Before (5 minutes): set chairs in a circle. Put a small basket of autumn leaves, a pumpkin or a pie on a table in the middle. Print the gratitude prompts and the thankful leaves.
- Welcome (3 minutes): say: "Today we will share a few things we are thankful for. Share as much or as little as you like. You can always pass."
- Warm-up (5 minutes): the Gratitude Alphabet. Go around the circle and name something you are thankful for that starts with A, then B, then C. Everyone can help.
- Share (10 minutes): read one prompt at a time and let a few people answer. Start with an easy one.
- Thankful tree (5 minutes): everyone writes on a paper leaf. Tape the leaves to a branch or a paper tree on the wall for the month.
- Close (2 minutes): thank everyone by name. Read a few leaves aloud, with permission.
Gratitude prompts
- What is a small thing that made you smile this week?
- Who is someone you are thankful for, and why?
- What is a favorite Thanksgiving food, and who made it best?
- Tell us about a Thanksgiving you still remember.
- What is a skill someone taught you that you still use?
- What is something about this season you love: a smell, a sound, a sight?
- Who was a kind neighbor or teacher when you were young?
- What would you like to say thank you for today?
For the leader: be kind with memories
- The holidays can bring up missed loved ones. Let people pass, and never press.
- If someone shares a sad memory, thank them and listen. Listening is enough.
- Large print and big markers help everyone join in. Offer to write for anyone who would like help.
- If someone seems very low, check in with them quietly afterward. In the U.S., anyone can call or text 988 (the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), any time.
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Thankful Tree Leaves
Cut out each leaf on the dotted line, write what you are thankful for, and hang it up.
I am thankful for
______________
______________
I am thankful for
______________
______________
I am thankful for
______________
______________
I am thankful for
______________
______________
I am thankful for
______________
______________
I am thankful for
______________
______________
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Questions
What are good Thanksgiving activities for seniors?
Easy favorites are Thanksgiving bingo, Thanksgiving trivia read aloud, a large print Thanksgiving word search, a gratitude circle, a thankful tree made of paper leaves, a recipe swap, a pie tasting, and watching the parade together. Everything on this page is free to print.
Is there a free printable PDF?
Yes. One free PDF has 10 activity ideas, both Thanksgiving word searches, the answer keys, 20 trivia questions with answers, the Gratitude Circle leader guide and a page of thankful leaves to cut out. The Thanksgiving bingo cards are a separate free PDF.
Are the Thanksgiving trivia answers accurate?
Yes. Every question was checked against trusted sources such as the National Archives, the Library of Congress, Plimoth Patuxet Museums, the Smithsonian, the White House Historical Association and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The sources are listed with the answers.
Are the word searches large print?
Yes. Each Thanksgiving word search fills a whole page with big, bold letters. Words only run left to right, top to bottom or diagonally down, never backwards, and each puzzle has an answer key.
What Thanksgiving games are good for seniors?
Bingo is the most popular Thanksgiving game for seniors and adults. Trivia in teams, word searches, a "name a food from A to Z" round, and a gratitude circle also work well for groups of any size.
Can I use these at my senior center or assisted living community?
Yes. They are free to copy and share for non-commercial use at senior centers, assisted living and memory care communities, libraries, churches and at home.
What if the holidays are hard for someone in my group?
Holidays can bring up grief or loneliness. Keep sharing optional, let people pass, and follow up quietly with anyone who seems low. In the U.S., anyone can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time.
More free printables: Thanksgiving bingo for seniors, Veterans Day activities, easy crossword puzzles, large print word searches and chair exercises. See all free activities for senior citizens, or our free classes for senior centers. Get the free newsletter to hear when new ones arrive.