Thanksgiving placemats for kids
Easy Thanksgiving placemats for kids to color or make: paper, printable and craft ideas for the kids' table, plus free printable Thanksgiving coloring pages.
By Sloane Glitchford, Founder. Updated Nov 2, 2026. Links on this page are plain links, not affiliate links.
Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026. A placemat kids can color or make gives them something to do at the table before the food arrives, and it doubles as a keepsake. Here are simple ways to make one with paper, crayons and things you likely have at home.
Placemats to color
- Big paper, simple drawing. Use a sheet of construction paper or the back of wrapping paper. Draw a big turkey, a pie and a few leaves in thick lines and let kids color them in.
- Use coloring pages as the center. Glue one of our free Thanksgiving coloring pages onto a larger sheet of colored paper, so the border becomes the placemat.
- Add a name. Write each child's name across the top so the placemat doubles as a place card.
Placemats kids make themselves
- Hand-turkey placemat. Trace a hand in the middle of the paper and turn it into a turkey, then fill the rest with drawings.
- Leaf collage. Glue down leaves collected on a walk, or leaves cut from paper, in a border around the edge.
- Woven paper placemat. Cut slits in one sheet of paper (stopping short of the edges) and weave strips of another color through them. Older kids can cut the slits; younger kids can do the weaving.
- Thankful placemat. Leave a space marked "I am thankful for..." for each child to draw or write in. See our thankful activities for kids for more ideas.
Activity placemats
Add things to do while kids wait: a simple maze, a tic-tac-toe grid, a "find 5 things on the table" list or a space to draw what's on their plate. The free sample includes a maze, "Help Turkey Get to the Pie!". It comes from Turkey's Silly Thanksgiving Feast, our own book of one-sided coloring pages that keep kids busy at the kids' table.
Tips
- Make the placemats a day or two ahead, so they're ready when guests sit down.
- Clear contact paper over the top makes a paper placemat easier to wipe clean.
- Keep crayons in a cup on the kids' table so they can keep coloring between courses.
For the whole kids' table plan, see Thanksgiving kids' table activities by age.
Free sample pages and the full book (our own product)
All four of our holiday books: holiday coloring books for kids.
Links on this page are plain links, not affiliate links.
Sloane Glitchford, Founder
Quick answers
How do you make a Thanksgiving placemat for kids?
Use a large sheet of construction paper. Kids can color a simple turkey drawing, glue a coloring page in the center, trace a hand turkey, add a leaf border, or weave paper strips through slits cut in the sheet.
Are there free Thanksgiving placemats for kids to color?
You can make one from our free Thanksgiving coloring pages: glue a page onto a larger sheet of colored paper and the border becomes the placemat. Our free Turkey sample is a 4-page PDF from Turkey's Silly Thanksgiving Feast, our own book of one-sided coloring pages that keep kids busy at the kids' table. It is free for personal and classroom use.
How do you make a paper placemat last?
Cover it with clear contact paper so it can be wiped clean.