A colorful turkey, an orange pumpkin, or a slice of pumpkin pie can give children something to draw, talk about, and write about. These Thanksgiving Directed Drawing activities combine five illustrated drawing steps with a choice of page formats for kindergarten and first grade learners.
I included three formats so you can choose the focus for each activity. Children can follow the directions on separate paper, complete a drawing on one worksheet, or add sentences beneath their finished picture. Simply print the pages you need and gather pencils and coloring supplies.
Download a Free Thanksgiving Directed Drawing Sample
Would you like to try an activity before choosing the complete packet? Download the free sample below and introduce the drawing directions one step at a time.
Keep the example visible as children work, pause to talk about the shapes and lines, and leave time for coloring and adding their own details.
What Is Included in the Thanksgiving Directed Drawing Packet?
The complete 40-page PDF includes 10 drawing subjects:
- Cornucopia
- Mayflower
- Native American
- Pie
- Pilgrim
- Pilgrim hat
- Pumpkin
- Pumpkin pie
- Roast turkey
- Turkey
Each drawing has five picture steps and comes in three formats, giving you 30 drawing activity pages.
The packet also includes a Thanksgiving Draw & Write Book cover, an additional drawing-and-writing page, a lined writing page, and a blank drawing page. These extras give children room to develop their ideas or collect their work in a booklet.
Three Formats for Drawing and Writing
Step by Step: Draw on Separate Paper
The full-page Drawing Directions sheets provide a larger reference for children to follow while drawing on another sheet of paper.
Begin by looking at the first picture together. What shape can children see? Where will they place it on their paper? Continue through the sequence, noticing what has been added at each stage.
For the turkey, children begin with the head and beak before adding facial details, the body, feathers, and feet. Encourage them to check the next picture before drawing so they leave space for the parts still to come.
Draw It: Keep the Directions and Drawing Together
The Draw It pages have the five drawing steps at the top and a large drawing space below. This format works well when you want children to concentrate on following the sequence, controlling their pencil, and adding details.
Once the basic picture is finished, invite children to personalize it. A turkey might stand in a grassy field, while the Mayflower could sail across blue waves beneath a cloudy sky.
Children can follow the same directions and still make different choices about colors, backgrounds, and extra details.
Draw & Write: Connect Pictures with Sentences
The Draw & Write pages include the picture directions, a drawing space, and primary handwriting lines.
Drawing first gives children a picture they can refer to when deciding what to write. Ask them to describe their artwork aloud, then help them choose an idea to record.
One child might write:
“I see a turkey.”
Another might add more detail:
“This is my turkey. It has red feathers.”
The writing in the photos provides examples of possible responses. The printable pages have blank handwriting lines for children to add their own words.
Turn a Thanksgiving Drawing into a Writing Idea
A finished drawing offers several starting points for writing. Children can name the subject, describe a detail, share an opinion, or make a personal connection.
For a pumpkin, they might describe its color:
“I see a pumpkin. It is orange.”
For pumpkin pie, they could write about taste:
“I like pie. It is sweet.”
A roast turkey drawing might lead to a simple preference:
“I like turkey. It is good.”
Say each sentence aloud before writing. Encourage children to listen for the sounds they know, use familiar classroom word resources when needed, and reread their sentence when they finish.
Tip: Choose a manageable writing goal for each child. This might be leaving spaces between words, starting with a capital letter, or adding one descriptive detail.
Use the Cornucopia Drawing for Thankful Writing
The cornucopia page provides a starting point for talking about food and thankfulness.
Before drawing, look at the fruit and pumpkin in the example. Invite children to name the foods they recognize and talk about foods they enjoy.
Afterward, children could write a sentence such as:
“I am thankful for food.”
They might also choose something else they are thankful for and draw an additional picture to match. Give children time to explain their ideas before deciding what to write.
Extend the Activity into a Short Story
Children who are ready to write more can use the separate drawing-and-writing page to develop a personal experience or an imagined event.
A pumpkin drawing could become part of a picture about visiting a pumpkin patch. Children might add themselves, a friend, a wagon, or several pumpkins before writing about what happened.
Simple questions can help them organize their ideas:
- Where did you go?
- Who went with you?
- What did you see?
- What detail do you remember?
The pumpkin patch example combines several connected sentences with an illustration. Children can use their own experiences or invent a story about finding an unusual pumpkin.
Make a Thanksgiving Draw & Write Book
The included cover lets you turn individual pages into a Thanksgiving drawing and writing book.
Children can color their cover, choose their completed pages, and help arrange them in an order they like. Staple the pages together along the left edge to make a booklet they can read and share.
You can combine drawing-only pages with pages that include writing. Children who have more to say can continue on the additional lined page.
Invite children to read their book to a partner or family member and explain a detail they added to one of their pictures.
Easy Ways to Use Thanksgiving Directed Drawing
These pages can fit into a short drawing lesson or a longer art and writing session.
For a whole-group lesson, model the drawing one step at a time and pause while children add each part. Talk about where the lines begin, how they curve, and what changes between the pictures.
For a small group, spend more time discussing vocabulary and rehearsing sentences before writing.
At a drawing or writing center, provide a small selection of familiar pages with pencils and crayons. Introduce the routine first so children know how to follow the numbered pictures and check their work.
The pages also work for morning activities, early finishers, and homeschool lessons. You can spread the drawing, coloring, and writing across more than one session when children need extra time.
Get the Complete Thanksgiving Directed Drawing Packet
Bring seasonal drawing and writing together with all 10 pictures in three differentiated formats, plus the student book cover and additional drawing and writing pages.
Choose a drawing-only activity, invite children to write a sentence, or extend their picture into a longer response.
Happy Teaching! 😊
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