Thanksgiving Activities Thanksgiving Art Activities Thanksgiving Art Lessons

This Thanksgiving ARTivity Book is a structured, skill-based visual art workbook for elementary students (K to 5). It blends a Thanksgiving theme with intentional art instruction in the Elements of Art and Principles of Design, so you have a full November art unit in one organized download.

Students explore color theory, complementary colors, line, zen doodle patterns, value shading, space, texture, symmetry, radial symmetry mandalas, movement, repetition, emphasis, grid drawing, roll and draw games, landscape building and creative prompt drawing. Along the way they practice art vocabulary, composition, craftsmanship and creative thinking.

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING

★★★★ “This is a great resource - glad I came across it in my search!” Darcy R.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE PDF)

• ARTivity Book Cover with a fall-themed design
• Teacher Prep Guide for booklet assembly or individual page use
• National Art Standards Alignment Page (VA:Cr1, VA:Cr2, VA:Cr3)
• Lesson Plan Overview with Big Ideas, Learning Outcomes and Competencies
• Step-by-Step Teacher Instruction Guide
• Student Rubric for creative thinking, craftsmanship, effort and meeting criteria
• Warm-Up Creative Thinking Drawing Page
• Elements of Art lessons: Turkey directed drawing, Color (warm fall color scheme), complementary color practice pages, Line with zen doodle pattern samples, zen doodle fall artwork page, pattern mosaic pumpkin or harvest activity, Value (monochromatic shading study), Space (overlapping harvest landscape) and Texture (line texture fall object design)
• Interactive drawing and creative thinking activities: Roll and Draw Thanksgiving character dice game, Roll and Draw Silly Turkey Portrait, Build-a-Landscape fall composition, symmetry drawing page, radial symmetry fall mandala, Build-an-Artwork prompt generator (turkey, pumpkin, pie and action prompts), Movement lesson and artwork, Repetition lesson and artwork, Pick-a-Prompt drawing page, Emphasis lesson and grid drawing replication page
• Assessment and reflection: student reflection page with guided artist statement questions and a "Color Me Artastic" page

HOW TO USE IT

Print it as a complete November art booklet, or use individual pages as structured weekly lessons. Pages also work for Thanksgiving sub plans, sketchbook practice (glue them in), early finishers, homeschool art and mixed-grade elementary classrooms.

Students can use colored pencils, markers, watercolor, tempera paint, oil pastels, soft pastels or crayons. It suits whole-group lessons, art centers, sketchbook practice and independent creative work.

FAQ

Who is this for?

Elementary art teachers, classroom teachers, homeschool educators and substitute teachers. It is designed for K to 5 and can be adapted for different skill levels.

How long will it take?

Each lesson typically spans 2 to 3 class periods, depending on grade level, student skill, behavior and pacing. Used as a full workbook, it can support 4 to 6 weeks of November art instruction.

Can I use only some of the pages?

Yes. Print the full workbook for a structured unit, or pick individual pages to focus on specific Elements of Art and Principles of Design.

Is it editable?

No. It is a non-editable PDF.

Get free, classroom-ready art lessons and printables in my Free Art Lesson Library.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist who has been featured on NBC LX News and designs art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers. She is the founder of Ms Artastic and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.

TERMS OF USE

Images and lessons are copyright products.

YOU MAY: use this in creative ways and have as much fun with it as you like. Clip art may be used as clip art, website graphics, binder covers or bulletin board decorations. Additional licenses are available for school use.

YOU MAY NOT: use this on OutSchool, put it on your blog, share it with other teachers, administration or districts (admin can buy additional licenses), sell it, give it out for free or photocopy it for others.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic