A Thanksgiving Crossword Printable for Festive Family Fun

This Thanksgiving crossword printable started out as a quiet morning activity while we waited for the parade to start, but it quickly became a tradition.

It’s simple, screen-free, and packed with just enough challenge to keep kids engaged while introducing them to holiday words and themes like Mayflower, gratitude, and harvest.

Whether you’re homeschooling, teaching, or hosting family for the big day, this printable adds a thoughtful touch to your Thanksgiving week.

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Our Favorite Thanksgiving Puzzle Activity

This crossword puzzle has been a favorite in our house for years, simple to set up, fun to solve, and perfect for both home and classroom use.

It’s one of those activities that feels festive without requiring much prep (which, let’s be honest, is ideal during holiday chaos).

What makes this printable different is that it’s more than just a crossword. Along with themed clues like “Mayflower,” “turkey,” and “thankful,” it includes fall-inspired coloring pages that give kids something extra to enjoy once the puzzle is finished.

You’ll also get an answer key to make things easier on you, because the last thing you need on Thanksgiving morning is to double-check how to spell “Wampanoag.”

Bonus for Quick Finishers

If your kids tend to speed through puzzles, the extra coloring pages come in handy. They can add their creative touch to scenes like:

• The Mayflower at sea
• A Native American child holding a pumpkin
• A classic pilgrim hat
• A Thanksgiving feast
• A cheerful turkey
• A pilgrim girl ready to celebrate

These extra pages have kept my son happily entertained while we’re cooking or getting the table set. Whether you’re hosting a crowd or just trying to fill a quiet hour, this printable offers a little something for everyone.

Crossword Clues and Answers

Here’s a look at what’s included in the Thanksgiving crossword puzzle. The clues are a mix of vocabulary, food, and history, just enough challenge to spark curiosity without being overwhelming.

Across

1. A celebration of the first big ______: Harvest
2. The season during Thanksgiving: Autumn
3. The bird often served at Thanksgiving dinner: Turkey
4. The Pilgrims sailed on this famous ship Mayflower
5. A sweet pie made with orange vegetables: Pumpkin
6. A sauce made from a red fruit: Cranberry
7. The holiday is celebrated in this month: November

Down

1. People share what they are ______ for at Thanksgiving: Thankful
2. Another word for being thankful: Gratitude
3. A sweet topping made of toasted white treats: Marshmallow
4. A Native American group that helped the Pilgrims: Wampanoag
5. A green vegetable often served steamed or roasted: Broccoli

These clues help introduce key Thanksgiving vocabulary in a way that feels playful, not forced, perfect for classroom discussion or casual learning at home.

Learn more about the holiday with The Thanksgiving Story book.

How This Thanksgiving Crossword Game Supports Learning

This printable isn’t just a fun holiday activity, it sneaks in plenty of learning, too.

• Builds Vocabulary: Words like harvest, cranberry, and November reinforce spelling and introduce kids to Thanksgiving terms in context.
• Encourages Critical Thinking: Matching clues to answers helps kids practice reasoning and logic in a low-pressure setting.
• Introduces History Gently: With references to the Pilgrims, Wampanoag, and harvest traditions, the puzzle opens the door to age-appropriate conversations about Thanksgiving’s origins.

In our home, it’s one of those printables that doesn’t feel educational, but it’s packed with little learning moments we can build on.

Creative Ways to Use the Thanksgiving Crossword Puzzle

This puzzle works well on its own, but here are a few ways we’ve made it part of the holiday fun:

• While You Prep the Meal: A quick way to keep kids focused and calm while things are busy in the kitchen.
• In the Classroom: Great for centers, early finishers, or as part of a Thanksgiving-themed literacy block.
• Family Puzzle Challenge: We’ve turned it into a little contest, teams, timers, even a bonus slice of pie for the winners.
• At Big Gatherings: It’s an easy icebreaker when cousins or classmates don’t know each other well yet.

Some years, we print a few extra copies and set them at the kids’ table with crayons. It’s a simple touch that helps the day feel a little more special, and keeps the early finishers busy.

More Thanksgiving Printable Games to Try

If your kids fly through the crossword like mine do, these Thanksgiving printables are great to have on hand. They pair well with the puzzle and help stretch the fun (and focus) a little longer:

• Thanksgiving photo scavenger hunt for teens – A fun way to get older kids moving! Ours love snapping pictures of everything from pumpkin pie to grandma’s centerpiece. It turns everyday scenes into a creative holiday challenge.
• Thanksgiving word search printable – A calm, classic activity. Perfect for when younger kids need a quiet moment or just want something familiar. Ours usually try to beat their old time or race each other.
• Thanksgiving word scramble – A quick brain workout, unscrambling festive terms like “gravy” or “harvest” adds just enough challenge without feeling like schoolwork.
• Thanksgiving trivia printable – We pull this one out after dinner most years. It’s low-key, but always gets everyone talking, especially when someone gets stumped on an easy one!

These printables have become part of our holiday toolkit, easy to print, fun to share, and flexible enough to use with all ages, from preschool to teens.

Get Your Free Crossword Puzzle Here!

Ready to grab your free printable? Just pop your name and email into the form below, and it’s all yours!

If you don’t see the form below, click here to get the free Thanksgiving game.

Last Updated on 6 August 2025 by Clare Brown