Writing Prompts for 5th Grade

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thanksgiving writing prompts 5th grade

By fifth grade, students are developing basic fluency as writers. In order to hone their skills, fifth graders should practice supporting claims with factual information, conveying information clearly, and writing narratives in a logical order. The following fifth-grade writing prompts encourage students to develop their skills through topics that are meaningful to them.

Narrative Essay Writing Prompts

Narrative essays tell a story based on a student’s personal experience. They encourage students to use descriptive writing to reflect on their experiences, explain them in a logical manner, and draw conclusions from them.

Persuasive Essay Writing Prompts

Persuasive essays are those written to convince another person to agree with the writer or take action. These persuasive essay prompts inspire 5th graders to share their passions with an audience.

Expository Essay Writing Prompts

Expository essays are often called how-to essays. They usually teach the reader something or provide facts about a particular topic.

Creative Writing Essay Prompts

Creative writing allows students to engage their imaginations and story-telling skills while also practicing vital writing skills such as sequence and description.

thanksgiving writing prompts 5th grade

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Teaching Made Practical

Thanksgiving Writing Prompt Ideas for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms

Thanksgiving Writing Prompt Ideas for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade

Thanksgiving Writing Prompt Ideas for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms

Need some low prep activities before Thanksgiving Break?  Providing your students with some engaging Thanksgiving writing prompts is a great way to keep students learning while minimizing your prep.

Thanksgiving covers a variety of topics - from turkeys, to thankfulness, to the relationship between Native Americans and the first European settlers.  No matter what your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students need, one of the 7 Thanksgiving writing prompt ideas below is bound to work for your classroom.

7 Thanksgiving Writing Prompt Ideas

1. thanksgiving from the turkey's point of view.

This is a classic - I remember doing this activity when I was in 3rd grade, and loving it!

Have students write a narrative that considers how a turkey might be feeling on Thanksgiving Day.  Have students consider:

Let your students' creative juices flow!

2. A Persuasive Paper From the Turkey's Perspective Convincing Humans to Eat Something Else for Thanksgiving

Have students practice their persuasive writing skills!  Why do we need to eat turkey for Thanksgiving dinner?  Why can't we eat chicken, or beef, or sushi?

Teacher Meaghan Freiburger uses this fun writing prompt with her 2nd graders.  Students get to pretend to be turkeys convincing humans NOT to eat a turkey, but instead to eat something else for Thanksgiving!

3. Disguise a Turkey

One last turkey-themed thanksgiving writing prompt.  Tell 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students that they have a turkey that needs to be well-disguised so it won't get eaten for Thanksgiving dinner.

Have students draw a picture of their turkey in disguise.  Then, have students explain their disguise and why it would be effective.

You can find a free turkey template and writing pages for this activity here.  

4. Thank You Letters

Thanksgiving is a great time to celebrate people we are thankful for.  Encourage your upper elementary students to think about someone in their life that they are thankful for, and then write a Thank You Note to them.

You can simply give students some writing paper and have them write whatever comes to mind, or use this as an opportunity to practice different writing skills.

This Scaffolded Thank You Letter Writing Template Resource helps walk students through all of the steps of writing a quality Thank You Note.

Teacher Ivy Schmeltzer has her students write thank you notes to past teachers, while teacher Julia Curry has students write thank you letters to their parents as a gift.  There are so many different people in students' lives that they can be thankful for!

Black History Month Research Project

5. Compare and Contrast Thanksgivings

Practice comparing and contrasting with a Thanksgiving theme.  Have students think about the similarities and differences between Thanksgiving and another holiday like Christmas, and then write a short paper to compare and contrast the two.

Or, pair upper elementary students up and have partners discuss with each other what they will do on Thanksgiving Day.   Students should discover both similarities and differences, and then write about them.

Check out these tips for scaffolding compare and contrast writing so your students can be successful with this activity.  

Your students might also be interested in learning the differences between how people in Canada and the U.S. celebrate Thanksgiving differently.  We don't even celebrate on the same day!  This resource has a reading comprehension passage comparing how the two countries celebrate, as well as a fun scavenger hunt comprehension activity!  

6. Make a Thankful ABC Book

Taking time to consider things we are thankful for is beneficial for the mental health of both students and teachers alike.

Make this activity a little more rigorous by having students come up with things they are thankful for for each letter of the alphabet, and make an ABC book!

7. A Native American / Indigenous People Writing Research Project

Have 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students learn more about the people that were here before the "First" Thanksgiving.

You could stick with the Thanksgiving theme and have students research the Wampanoag, or have students research groups that were native to your area.  Then, have students write a report about what they have learned.

BONUS Idea: Make an Edible Turkey How - To Writing

Food makes everything more fun!  As a class, make an edible turkey together.  Then, have students write a how to paper that gives instructions on how to make that turkey.

This edible turkey is made from Oreos and candy corn, while this one uses pretzels and Reese's.  

Get a head start on your holiday lesson plans with these fun Christmas / holiday writing prompt ideas.  

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Journal Buddies Jill | November 18, 2022 November 18, 2022 | Prompts for Holidays

78 Simple and Fun Thanksgiving Writing Prompts

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts and Ideas for Elementary Kids—  When you’re making your own list of things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, be sure to include the joy on the faces of your students as they journal.  With an effective list of elementary writing prompts, journaling is a wonderful tool for students to explore their thought processes and work on their communication skills.

Kids Writing Prompts for Thanksgiving

Yes! You can…

Give your students something to be thankful for during Thanksgiving time with this list of 78 Thanksgiving writing prompts and journal ideas, especially for this uniquely American holiday.

You see…

Elementary students — and students of many grades — can enjoy these prompts throughout the fall and before Thanksgiving, as they remember to appreciate the gifts in their lives, as well as the power of journaling.

Your elementary students will be inspired to think about the things in their lives they are grateful for, as well as pushed to develop ways to give back to others.  They’ll also enjoy stretching their imaginations by considering what living on the Mayflower would have been like, or describing the crunchiness of crisp fall leaves.

Thanksgiving is a perfect time of year to engage the imaginations of school kids and encourage them to get creative with their writing practice. Treat your students to these fun Thanksgiving elementary writing ideas and encourage them to get extra creative with these exciting writing starters!

Elementary Writing 78 Thanksgiving Writing Prompts for Kids

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts and Journal Ideas for Elementary Kids

I hope you and your students enjoyed these Thanksgiving writing prompts as much as I enjoyed creating them. Please use them in your lessons, classrooms, and assignments as and you see fit with your young writers.

Gobble Gobble!

More Thanksgiving Writing Fun and Topic Ideas

Until next time, write on…

If you enjoyed these Thanksgiving Writing Prompts for Elementary Students, please share them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest. I appreciate it!

Sincerely, Jill journalbuddies.com creator and curator

Thanksgiving Themed Writing Prompts for Elementary School Students

Tap to See Prompts 27 Amazing Picture Writing Prompts for Kids 162 Creative Writing Topics and Ideas (Updated!) 251 Creative Writing Prompts for Kids ------------Start of Om Added --------- @media (min-width: 320px) and (max-width: 767px) { .inside-right-sidebar { display: none !important; } } Featured Posts

Spring Writing Prompts

Tap to See Prompts 27 Amazing Picture Writing Prompts for Kids 162 Creative Writing Topics and Ideas (Updated!) 251 Creative Writing Prompts for Kids Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7-8 Grade 9-12 All Ages ------------End of Om Added --------- Tags communication skills , education , Elementary , elementary students , elementary writing , elementary writing prompts , elementary writing skills , food and drink , FP-11 , Grade 1 , Grade 2 , Grade 3 , Grade 4 , Grade 5 , Holiday Writing Ideas , journal prompts , meals , November , November Writing , prompter , thanksgiving , thanksgiving dinner , Thanksgiving holiday , Thanksgiving journal prompts , Thanksgiving Prompts , Thanksgiving Writing , writing prompts div#postbottom { margin-top: 12px; } 4 thoughts on “78 Simple and Fun Thanksgiving Writing Prompts”

1) My favorite fall sound 2) Why I like (or don’t like) Pumpkin Pie 3) What is the first image that pops into your head when you hear the word ‘Autumn’?

Thank you for the great journaling ideas, Amy! 🙂

Write a series of journaling-haiku poems, each poem describing a specific blessing for which you are thankful. This is a good family journaling activity for Thanksgiving Day. Add artwork to go with each poem, and the pages together make a nice memory booklet!

Hi Janet! what a lovely idea. Do you have an example of a journaling-haiku to share? I’d love to see one by you. 😀

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Minds in Bloom

By Rachel Lynette

20 Thanksgiving Writing Prompts

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts Papers

Need some Thanksgiving writing prompts? We gotcha covered!

Thanksgiving is nearly here, and I know you want to keep your students thinking and writing till Turkey Day. Here are some fun Thanksgiving writing prompts that will do just that.

Perfect for journals, writing centers, bell work, or discussion! Try some of these with your students!

You may also want some Thanksgiving writing paper! We have that too! Whether you want black & white, color, or digital, we have what you need.

Press play then pause to use the prompt picker.

You might also like your classroom Reader's Theater Mystery!

Looking for a super exciting activity for your students?

Check out our Reader’s Theater Mystery Experience !

20 Of Our Best Thanksgiving Writing Prompts

Click here to download some FREE Thanksgiving Writing Papers!

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts Papers

Now that you have the writing down, want something a little more interactive?  Check out our 20 Best Thanksgiving Would You Rather Questions!

If you like these Thanksgiving writing prompts, you'll also like these!

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts Papers

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November 8, 2017 at 5:23 pm

This is a really good website for a child and I love reading your writing prompts

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November 26, 2019 at 6:52 am

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November 3, 2020 at 6:48 am

I think all the writing prompts are great!

November 3, 2020 at 6:49 am

My class loved all of the ideas.

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November 22, 2021 at 1:32 pm

interesting…

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November 29, 2021 at 12:32 pm

I love the ideas they can really help a writing class. I’m in a writing class and it really helped

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thanksgiving writing prompts 5th grade

Ideas, Inspiration, and Giveaways for Teachers

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Thanksgiving Writing Paper Plus 15 Gratitude Writing Prompts

Nurture a spirit of gratitude in your students.

Thanksgiving Writing Paper Plus 15 Gratitude Writing Prompts

Will you be doing some Thanksgiving writing this season? Then you need our free Thanksgiving writing paper! Plus, check out our list of 15 gratitude writing prompts below.

Thanksgiving Writing Paper Plus 15 Gratitude Writing Prompts.

Just submit your email to get your free Thanksgiving writing paper, featuring leaves, pumpkins, turkeys, and a beautiful design featuring the word grateful . Print it on white paper or use pretty fall colors to add to the festive feel.

Thanksgiving Writing Paper Plus 15 Gratitude Writing Prompts

  Yes! I Want My Thanksgiving Writing Paper

Thanksgiving writing prompts to inspire gratitude and reflection:

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WriteShop

5 {fun} Thanksgiving writing prompts for your homeschool

by Kim Kautzer | Oct 11, 2017 | Writing & Journal Prompts

It can get pretty hectic around the house in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. Instead of assigning your children their normal writing schoolwork, why not take a little break and let them choose one of these clever creative writing prompts ? For added fun, have them read their stories after Thanksgiving dinner!

1. Gobble! Gobble! Tweet!

Imagine you are the Thanksgiving turkey . It is your good fortune to discover that the Farmer accidentally left the door to the house ajar. You sneak in unnoticed. Quickly, you find the computer and login to Twitter .

You have just enough time to type five tweets. What will you say to your followers in no more than 280 characters (not words!) per tweet?

2. Invitation to Dinner

Suppose  you can invite one special person , living or dead, to share your family’s Thanksgiving dinner this year. Would you choose a favorite relative who lives far away? A famous explorer you have studied in school? The Queen of England? Your best friend who moved away?

Think about who you would invite, and then write down 10 questions you would like to ask this person .

5 Fun Thanksgiving Writing Prompts | Take a little break from regular writing lessons and let them choose one of these clever creative writing prompts.

3. Thanksgiving Traditions

What does your family do for Thanksgiving? Do you host a big gathering at your house? Do you travel to another state to visit grandparents? Is Thanksgiving a small get-together, or is the house packed with friends and family? Who does the cooking? Does your family have  traditions , such as playing games, watching football, or putting puzzles together?

Write about how you spend Thanksgiving , describing the sights, sounds, flavors, and aromas of the day. Use this Thanksgiving Word Bank if you need help thinking of strong, descriptive words.

4. Leaf Pile Adventure

After Thanksgiving dinner, you and your cousin decide to explore the neighborhood. At the end of the street, you notice a giant pile of leaves.

Together, you make a running start and leap right into the middle of the pile! Suddenly, the ground opens up beneath you, and you find yourselves sliding down a steep slide.

Write a story about what happens when you land at the bottom of the slide . Where are you? Include three different things that happen on your adventure , and conclude your story by telling how you and your cousin get back home.

5. A Feast of Favorites

At the first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims and Indians ate foods such as wild turkey, venison, berries, squash, corn, roasted eels, and shellfish.

If you could go back in time to that historic event, what would you bring to share with your new friends? Make a list of 3-5 of your personal favorite Thanksgiving foods, and describe each one .

Did you enjoy using these 5 Thanksgiving writing prompts in your homeschool? Don’t just stop at the holidays! Now the kids can journal all year long with PRINTABLE Journal All Year! Writing Prompt Calendars .

Journal All Year! Writing Prompt Calendar Bundle | Printable PDF download from WriteShop

Each set is jam-packed with dozens of topics ranging from silly to serious. Choose Journal All Year! Writing Prompts (elementary) or Journal All Year! Essay Prompts (teens) . Just $3.50 each!

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thanksgiving writing prompts 5th grade

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Where'd My Sanity Go

26 Thanksgiving Writing Prompts for Elementary Kids

Thanksgiving writing prompts for elementary kids are a great way to get students thinking about the holiday and writing about what they are thankful for this year.

Use this free printable full of Thanksgiving prompts for kids in class or at home!

When November comes around, we do a daily writing prompt that focuses on what we are thankful for.

We also like to throw in some fun facts, research, and other Thanksgiving writing activities that will encourage them to get creative with their words.

Since we are moving away from the fall writing prompts , I wanted to focus more on the things they are thankful for. This is also a way to get their creative minds thinking on ways to give back to others and so they learn the history of Thanksgiving.

This list of Thanksgiving prompts more towards elementary-aged students . I did some middle school prompts already, so I thought these might work well for the younger kiddos.

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts for Elementary Students

16 thanksgiving writing prompts for kids.

Educational Thanksgiving Writing & Discussion Prompts

These educational Thanksgiving prompts will allow children to research and learn more about Thanksgiving. To go along with the prompts, print out some fun Thanksgiving articles or facts for them to help answer the questions.

If the kids are savvy enough to navigate around the computer, you can have them research the questions to get the answers.

Other good kid-friendly sources for educational Thanksgiving articles:

Easy Thanksgiving Crafts and Activities for Kids

To go along with the writing prompts, working on fun Thanksgiving crafts is a great way to keep them engaged. Here are a few good Thanksgiving crafts that kids are sure to love:

Save this list of creative writing prompts for Thanksgiving to your Writing board on Pinterest so you have it ready when November comes around!

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts and Activities for Kids

I often write about our life and homeschooling experience. I’ll share different recipes the kids and I have fixed or tried to create. We do some crafts here and there as well. It can be kind of random at times, but I try to share things that I think you might enjoy or find helpful.

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thanksgiving writing prompts 5th grade

Printable Thanksgiving Writing Prompts

The weather has completely thrown off my internal seasonal clock this year – summer seemed to last forever, but yet I can’t believe that it is already November and Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Our printable story starters are well loved by our readers, so I’m very happy to be able to offer you our latest set with a gratitude and Thanksgiving theme! The first is a simple idea to help kids remember the things they are grateful for. The second is a fun and silly writing idea about what turkeys would say on Thanksgiving day! And the last one will allow your students to talk about their Thanksgiving family traditions.

In fact, these kinds of story starters could actually become a Thanksgiving tradition.  How fun would it be to print them out and have them waiting on the kids’ table each year?  You could gather them all together or make a separate binder for each kiddo, adding in their new responses each year.  With all the story starters on Woo! Jr., I’m thinking maybe we should do one for each holiday throughout the year.

Download our  Thanksgiving Bundle  of 170+ pages of printable Thanksgiving activities all at once  here !

New this year – 9 more Thanksgiving writing prompts!

Check out our Thanksgiving drawing tutorials for kids – a perfect companion project for these stories!

My favorite kind of pie is...

Thanksgiving provides such a wonderful (and much-needed) opportunity to practice gratitude.  We often spend our days thinking about what we don’t have or what we’d like to have, and it’s nice to take the chance to really focus on what is already in our lives.  Whether it’s health or family or perfectly mashed potatoes, there’s pretty much always a reason to be thankful.  Gee, maybe Thanksgiving should be a monthly holiday rather than only rolling around once a year.  I suppose I could use a monthly reminder to put my energy into being grateful for the amazing things in my life…friends, family, home, and those of you who are reading this, too!

Printable Thanksgiving Writing Prompts for Kids

Printable Thanksgiving Writing Prompts for Kids

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Elementary Assessments

Elementary Assessments

41 Thanksgiving Writing Prompts: Fun Ideas to Write About

Celebrate turkeys, family traditions, gratitude, and all things related to Thanksgiving using these fun Thanksgiving writing prompts.

Not only do these prompts reduce writer’s block, they sharpen writing skills, instill a love for writing, and help students express their ideas.

That’s why they make a great addition to your collection of Thanksgiving writing activities.

So schedule a few of these delightful Thanksgiving writing prompts into your instruction this week.

Related: turkey writing prompts , pumpkin writing prompts

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts

Even reluctant writers will respond well to these Thanksgiving writing prompts!

1. You’re helping the lunch staff plan the menu for the school’s Thanksgiving dinner feast. Besides turkey, what other foods would you like on the menu and why?

2. Write a story about a turkey that escapes from a Thanksgiving dinner.

3. Describe your favorite Thanksgiving foods.

4. You plan to host a sweet potato pie contest. Write a letter persuading families in the local area to sign-up.

5. Compare and contrast Thanksgiving to another holiday.

6. The newspaper headline reads … Two Families at a Local Diner Get Into Thanksgiving Food Fight . How?). Create the news story.

7. Brainstorm ten words related to Thanksgiving. Now write a story that includes these words.

8. Explain the history of Thanksgiving.

9. Persuade your parents to take you to a Thanksgiving Day parade.

10. Write a Thanksgiving story centered around these words: cornucopia, grandparents, harvest, vegetables, and autumn

11. Compose a haiku about Thanksgiving.

12. Tell about the things and people that you are most thankful to have in your life. Why do these people and things mean so much to you?

13. Summarize a favorite Thanksgiving read aloud book that you read or heard recently.

14. Write an acrostic poem using the word Thanksgiving.

15. Describe how to make your favorite Thanksgiving craft.

Thanksgiving writing prompts

16. Convince your parents to take you to the pumpkin patch this weekend.

17. Share the details of a family tradition that you do every Thanksgiving.

18. Provide examples and non-examples of someone showing gratitude.

19. Characters: Pilgrims, Setting: Mayflower, Plot/Problem: ?, Solution: ? Complete the story, providing a problem along with the solution.

20. Describe Thanksgiving Day from a turkey’s perspective.

21. Describe Black Friday to someone not familiar with the phenomenon.

22. Your “pet turkey” has gone missing. Write a “Turkey Lost” advertisement describing what it looks like. Include any information that would help a stranger identify your pet.

23. Write a diary entry from the perspective of the Mayflower.

24. Create and solve two math word problems that relate to Thanksgiving.

25. Put yourself in the shoes of a turkey. How do you feel about Thanksgiving?

26. Write a story about a piece of corn on the cob that takes an adventure with a sweet potato.

27. I am most thankful for…

28. The best Thanksgiving I ever had was…

29. A typical Thanksgiving Day with my family…

30. I’m in the living room relaxing with my family on Thanksgiving Day when all of a sudden we smell something burning in the kitchen…

31. As I start to carve the turkey, it yells, “Please, stop!”…

32. Some things that make my family’s Thanksgiving traditions unique are…

33. The best Thanksgiving feast consists of…

34. In the land of Thanksville, residents show gratitude daily by…

35. As I walked past the scarecrow in the cornfield, he slowly turned his eyes towards me…

36. Describe what a kitchen or dining room likes and feels like after Thanksgiving dinner.

37. Design a bumper sticker to advertise Thanksgiving.

38. Write a “recipe for gratitude.” Share the ingredients, measurements, and instructions.

39. Convince your family to have ham instead of turkey for Thanksgiving.

40. Would you rather have apple pie or pumpkin pie for dessert? Why?

41. Create a Thanksgiving greeting card.

Final Thoughts

Now you have a ready-supply of Thanksgiving writing prompts to use for various writing activities.

If you liked these prompts, you may be interested in … Thanksgiving reading activities

The Write Practice

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts: 20 Creative Prompts to Practice Gratitude

by Abigail Perry | 0 comments

It's Thanksgiving week! During this holiday, are you hoping to find some extra practice time for writing? Or maybe you're looking for some great Thanksgiving writing prompts that can help you express your gratitude?

thanksgiving writing prompts

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of the year for you to take a breath and slow down. You have a lot to do, I'm sure! However, sometimes taking a few minutes—even just fifteen minutes—in your day to show your gratitude can rejuvenate your holiday spirit.

In this article, you can have some quick and quiet writing time to reflect on what you're thankful for—by using one fo these twenty creative writing prompts and exercises.

Writing is Something to Be Grateful For

I have long admired writers and the stories they gift to the world. While writing can be hard and tedious work, it also offers endless ways to creatively express ourselves. In many cases, writing has therapeutic value. (It's not just for elementary students—although a fun writing prompt like the ones in this article do practice essential writing skills for elementary-aged students or homeschool students!)

For instance, taking the time to write can slow a person's mind down. When this happens, they are more likely to consider what is important to them, especially when they take the time to reflect on what is special in their life.

That's why, for today, I would like to invite you to try out one of the following writing prompts. Although there are undeniable hardships in the world, it's important to also remember the good things.

Use a daily writing prompt like the ones in this article to help express your gratitude . Perhaps they'll even put you into the spirit of giving!

20 Thanksgiving Writing Prompts to Spark Your Gratitude

Short story thanksgiving writing prompts.

If you're hoping to write a short story over the holiday break, these five prompt ideas are a wonderful place to start. Short story writer and author Sarah Gribble recommends writing a short story in one sitting. Take one of these ideas and set your clock, then run with your own narrative!

Poem Thanksgiving Writing Prompts

You don't need to write a short story or novel to practice writing. Try one of these five Thanksgiving writing prompts to inspire a poem.

Journal Thanksgiving Writing Prompts

Journaling is an incredible way to reflect on what we are thankful for—and boost out happiness in the process. Try journaling about one of these five Thanksgiving writing prompts to elevate your mood.

Card Thanksgiving Writing Prompts

There's no better time of the year to take some time to write cards to those we are thankful for! Grab a blank card, piece of white paper, or thank you card to write a special note. You might be surprised, but sometimes a thoughtful note is an unexpected and perfect gift.

Take Time to Write, and Be Thankful

Thanksgiving is a busy time of year, but even taking a few minutes in your day to write can make a difference for your mental health—or in the life of someone you love, and to whom you wrote a special note.

Whether you write stories or poems, or prefer journaling or writing a quick card, touching people with our words is a great way to express ourselves creatively. It also is a wonderful way to build relationships and put joy and love back into the world.

I hope you take a few minutes to try out one of these writing prompts! And Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you most thankful for this year? Let us know in the comments .

Happy Thanksgiving! For today's writing practice, pick one of the twenty writing prompts from the article. Start by choosing the type of writing you want to explore, and then pull your favorite prompt from the list.

Spend fifteen minutes to work on this. When you're done, we'd love to see what you picked and why! Let us know in the comments , or if you'd like, share a piece of what you wrote!

I'd also be grateful for you to continue these conversations by commenting on what another writer shared. I'm thankful for this community of writers!

Enter your practice here:

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Abigail Perry

Abigail Perry is a Certified Story Grid Editor with professional teaching, literary agency, and film production experience. In addition to writing Story Grid masterwork guides, she works as a freelance editor and is the Content Editor for The Write Practice. Abigail loves stories that put women and diverse groups at the center of the story—and others that include superpowers and magic. Her favorite genres include: Smart Book Club Fiction, Women's Fiction, YA Fantasy, Historical Fiction, and unique memoirs. She also has a B.S. in TV, Radio, and Film and loves working on screenplays that are emotionally driven and/or full of action. You can learn more about Abigail on her website.

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The Best Thanksgiving Writing Prompts for Elementary Students

Don’t you wish you could teach fun Thanksgiving writing prompts and activities that both celebrate the holiday and academically challenge students?

These fun turkey crafts, writing prompts and graphic organizers are your answer.

Get everything you need for your Thanksgiving lesson plans while pairing it with fun books and stories about Thanksgiving.

Don’t Eat Turkey! (opinion)

Need a fun opinion writing prompt for Thanksgiving? Try, Don’t Eat Turkey, Eat …..

Let students practice the art of persuasion by having them persuade you to eat their favorite food on Thanksgiving instead.

Let’s save the turkeys and bring the joy of the holiday into the classroom.

Pair this Save the Turkey! activity with the read aloud Turkey Trouble .

The funny story and easy to use graphic organizers and templates are sure to get pencils moving in your classroom!

Thanksgiving Gone Wrong (narrative)

Have you ever had a day where it just felt like EVERYTHING was going wrong?

What about a holiday?

Let students imagine up the most creative, funny holiday with this fun Thanksgiving Gone Wrong writing prompt and craft .

Students will use graphic organizers to go through the writing process and will top it off with a fun craft and bulletin board.

How to Make Thanksgiving Dinner (procedural)

Do YOU need a laugh this holiday season?

Nothing is funnier than listening students describe how they think that Thanksgiving dinner should be made.

Allow students to plan their family’s Thanksgiving dinner with this exciting writing project and flip book .

Students will use different worksheets to plan their pieces, then publish a fun flip book and craft to take home to their families.

My Turkey in Disguise

Disguising a turkey is a fan favorite Thanksgiving project in the classroom.

Bump up the academics by having students not only disguise their turkey, but DESCRIBE their turkey.

They can describe the turkey’s disguise, as well as come up with different interests, likes and dislikes that their turkey has.

This fun project will have students giggling and pencils moving in no time.

How to Catch a Turkey (procedural)

What happens when a turkey gets on the loose?

Well of COURSE students need to catch it!

Students will love reading the book How to Catch a Turkey and then coming up with how they would catch a turkey at their own house.

This fun writing prompt, project and flip book makes a great project to do during the week or month of Thanksgiving.

Macy’s Day Parade (informative writing project – digital)

Do you want to add some fun but educational writing into your November lesson plans?

Have students read Balloons Over Broadway , learning about the history of the Macy’s Day Parade.

Then, give students time to compile notes on how the floats have changed over time.

Finally, have students compile their knowledge into an informative piece about the parade .

You can top off this fun project by allowing students to create a float of their own and share it with the class.

November Writing Journal

Looking for a quick and easy daily routine?

Get students writing (or typing) every single day with this fun November Writing Journal .

Students will spiral through writing informative, narrative and opinion pieces all centered around fun fall and Thanksgiving topics.

This makes a great warm up, early finisher activity, bell work, or daily morning work.

Final Thoughts

What are your favorite Thanksgiving writing prompts or activities in your classroom?

Drop your ideas in the comments below for us to check out!

*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.

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