Free Thanksgiving Crossword Puzzle Printable

This free Thanksgiving crossword puzzle printable includes 12 holiday-themed clues covering Thanksgiving vocabulary, food, and history.

Kids can solve words including Mayflower, turkey, harvest, cranberry, and gratitude, then enjoy the extra Thanksgiving coloring pages included with the puzzle. There’s also a complete answer key.

We originally used this as a quiet Thanksgiving morning activity while waiting for the parade to start, but it also works well in the classroom, for early finishers, or as an easy activity during Thanksgiving week.

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What’s Included in the Thanksgiving Crossword

The printable includes a Thanksgiving crossword puzzle with 12 clues covering holiday vocabulary, food, and history. Kids will solve words including Mayflower, turkey, harvest, cranberry, gratitude, and Wampanoag.

There’s also an answer key, plus six Thanksgiving coloring pages for kids who finish the puzzle quickly. The designs include the Mayflower, a Thanksgiving feast, a turkey, a pilgrim hat, and other seasonal pictures.

Thanksgiving Crossword Clues and Answers

Here’s a look at the 12 clues included in the printable.

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

The mix of vocabulary and history makes this suitable for upper elementary kids and, depending on ability, younger middle school students.

Learn more about the holiday with The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh.

Ways to Use the Thanksgiving Crossword Puzzle

The crossword works well as a Thanksgiving classroom activity, an early-finisher worksheet, or a quiet activity while everyone is getting ready for the holiday.

It gives kids practice with spelling, vocabulary, and solving clues while introducing Thanksgiving-related words such as harvest, Mayflower, and gratitude. You could also print copies for the kids’ table or turn it into a family puzzle challenge.

The extra coloring pages give kids something to move on to once they’ve completed the crossword. For more activities to use throughout the month, our November activity pages include seasonal worksheets, puzzles, coloring pages, and games for kids.

More Thanksgiving Printable Games

For more Thanksgiving activities, these printable games work well alongside the crossword:

• Thanksgiving photo scavenger hunt for teens – Get older kids moving with a holiday-themed photo challenge.
• Thanksgiving word search printable – A simple Thanksgiving vocabulary activity for kids.
• Thanksgiving word scramble – Unscramble Thanksgiving words including food, traditions, and seasonal vocabulary.
• Thanksgiving trivia printable – Test your knowledge of Thanksgiving history, traditions, and fun facts.

Thanksgiving Books and Activities for Kids

If your kids enjoy word games and puzzles, these are a few fun Thanksgiving picks to add to the week:

• Gobble Gobble Mad Libs – A Thanksgiving version of the classic word game, with 21 silly fill-in-the-blank stories. It’s a great choice for older elementary and middle school kids.
• Thanksgiving on Thursday – Part of the Magic Tree House series, this story takes Jack and Annie back to 1621 and the first Thanksgiving.
• Junie B. Jones: Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten – A funny Thanksgiving chapter book that’s a good choice for kids who already enjoy the Junie B. Jones series.

Get Your Free Crossword Puzzle Here!

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Last Updated on 28 September 2026 by Clare Brown