As it gets closer to Thanksgiving break, my 2nd grade students start to act more and more like “little turkeys.” They get excited about the holiday and about the break from school. I like feed off their excitement with fun 2nd grade Thanksgiving worksheets and activities. Most of these are low prep and students love them!

 

2nd Grade Thanksgiving Worksheets

 

The first thanksgiving worksheet I give students is my I Spy Math Facts Worksheet. These are so fun for students because they search through the clipart to find certain kinds of math facts.

For example, if the students have the “Find Facts That Make 10” worksheet they circle all the math facts they find that equal 10. When they come to a fact that doesn’t equal 10, they write the equation on the answer on the back of the worksheet. So they get in lots of good math fact practice. These worksheets are great as a fast finisher activity or as center activities. Find these 2nd grade Thanksgiving worksheets here.

 

This next worksheet is actually more of a game than a worksheet. But I love it because I just print it off and it is ready for students. It’s the game “Don’t Eat Pete” where students practice math facts. There is Thanksgiving themed clipart on it that makes it so fun for students.

For students to play this game, they get in a small group and one player goes a bit off so they can’t hear or see the game. The remaining players pick one square to be “Pete.” The player comes back and starts taking the bingo marker off of each square as they say the math fact. If they pick up the bingo marker that is “Pete” the group says “Don’t Eat Pete” and they pick a new player to take a turn.

When students play this game I hear a lot of giggling. Second graders think it is so fun. I love how they are getting math fact practice while they are having fun. Find this Thanksgiving themed Don’t Eat Pete game here.

Now I want to show you how I use these two 2nd grade Thanksgiving worksheets into a fun lesson for the day before Thanksgiving break.

 

2nd Grade Thanksgiving Lesson Plans

 

Usually the week of Thanksgiving break is a short week. Our last day is Tuesday, so we don’t teach our normal curriculum. So I have some extra time to do fun Thanksgiving themed centers. I still keep these academic, but they are more of a review of skills.

I have 4 stations and I split my students into groups. They spend about 10 minutes at each station and then they rotate. I have 2 stations of the activities I mentioned above, the I Spy Worksheets and the Don’t Eat Pete game. But here are the 2 other stations I have students do:

Turkey Pattern Blocks:

In this activity, students use pattern blocks to make the designs of turkey feathers. I just print turkey clipart off the internet and cut off the feather part. Students make the design and then set the turkey on top and it makes it look like a turkey with color feather patterns. I love it because as students use the pattern blocks they are learning the properties of those shapes.

 

Building with Cranberries and Toothpicks:

For this activity, I buy a bag of fresh cranberries and toothpicks from the store. I put them in containers and have students build structures with them. The cranberries act as a connection piece for students to build with. Students get really creative with their designs. They may start by making cubes, but then they turn to houses, castles, and more.

This activity can get a little messy so I have students do this station at my teacher table. That way I can easily wipe the table off when we are all done.

The last day of any break can feel long for us teachers. But when I do themed rotations like these, it keeps students engaged and makes the time seem to go by fast. But these aren’t the only 2nd grade Thanksgiving math activities I have my students do on the last day before break.

 

Thanksgiving Art 2nd Grade

I also have my students do a fun thanksgiving math craft. You could do this in your math block, or it’s perfect for a chill afternoon activity.

Students make a cornucopia. I print out all the pieces on colored construction paper. Students solve the math facts on each part, cut out the pieces, and then glue it together to make it look like the fruit and vegetables are coming out to the cornucopia. This craft has different versions of facts available so you can differentiate to students’ needs. From math facts 1-10 to 2-digit addition and subtraction, you can give your students practice on the skills they need. Find this Thanksgiving Math Craft here.

Send this craft home with students at the end of the day or if you choose to do this activity earlier in the month, you can make a fun bulletin board display with them.

 

I hope this has given you many ideas on how to make thanksgiving in your 2nd grade classroom fun for you students. Looking for Christmas themed math ideas? Check out this blog post here: 5 Christmas Math Activities That Students Love

Practicing math facts in a fun way is just one way to help students to get to math fact fluency. For more help to getting your students to math fact mastery, check out my free guide for 1st and 2nd grade students: The 7 Steps to Ensure Math Fact Fluency

Download your free copy here.