These Thanksgiving playdough task cards were the main event at our table this week. What started as a quick after-school activity turned into full Thanksgiving spreads made of dough: pies lined up on plates, turkeys with rainbow feathers, and a few mystery dishes everyone agreed were “very fancy.”
Some kids follow the cards exactly. Others take one look and make their own version. Either way, they stay busy, and it resets in seconds when they want to start again.
How to Set Up Thanksgiving Playdough Task Cards
Thanksgiving Play Dough Task Cards
Get the printablePlaydough in fall colors (orange, yellow, brown, red)
Play tray (optional)
View on AmazonLaminator or page protectors (optional)
View on AmazonTask card box (optional)
View on AmazonRolling pin and plastic knife
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Print and prep the cards
Print the cards on cardstock and cut them apart. Laminate them or slide them into page protectors so they survive lots of dough play.
Set out the dough
Put a few scoops of fall-colored playdough on a tray with a rolling pin and a plastic knife. Googly eyes or beads are fun extras for older kids.
Pick a card and build
Kids choose a card and build the picture right on top of it: a turkey, an acorn, a slice of pie, an ear of corn and more.
Trace the word
When the picture is done, kids trace the dotted word at the bottom of the card with a finger or a dry-erase marker.
What Kids Learn
Every roll, squeeze and pinch builds the hand strength kids need for writing. Matching a picture works on visual skills and problem-solving, and tracing the word adds early literacy.
And the stories that come out of it are the best part. Suddenly the turkey has a name, the pumpkin pie is on a restaurant menu, and the acorn is headed to a party.
💡 Make your own playdough
Try our taste safe pumpkin play dough or cranberry play dough for a festive, sweet-smelling batch.
More Thanksgiving activities
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Love playdough task cards? Get every set in one bundle, with task cards for every theme.
Thanksgiving cards include
- 13 cards: football, acorn, pumpkin, 2 turkeys, wishbone, cornucopia, pear, pie slice, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, corn and a yam
- A dotted word to trace on every card
- Full color and black and white versions
- Instant PDF download, nothing is shipped
Perfect for
- November fine motor centers
- Preschool and kindergarten
- Occupational therapy
- Thanksgiving break busy bags
- Homeschool
Thanksgiving Playdough Task Cards FAQ
Picture cards kids copy with playdough. They build the shape right on top of the card, which builds fine motor skills and visual matching.
A football, acorn, pumpkin, two turkeys, wishbone, cornucopia, pear, pie slice, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, corn and a yam.
Print on cardstock and laminate them, or slide them into page protectors. Then the playdough won’t stick and kids can trace with dry-erase markers.
About ages 3 to 6. Younger kids can make simple shapes, and older kids can follow every detail and trace the words.
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From families like yours
Did you try it? Tell us how it went!
We love seeing these activities out in the wild: the lumpy letters, the snack breaks, the proud “I made a B!” moments. Leave a star rating, tell other parents what worked (and what totally didn’t), and add a photo of your setup if you’d like.
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