let’s talk turkey! last minute Thanksgiving faves… Little style!

Our Grand Lives
2 hours ago
7 min read

Friday, November 21, 2025

Welcome back to Our Grand Lives!

Thanksgiving is almost here,

and it's definitely one of our favorite holidays of the year!

We’re counting down to Turkey Day

and the food and time with loved ones that awaits!

But, before we get started…

Last week, we celebrated our third blogiversary!

It’s been really special for both of us

to look back and reflect on all we’ve shared these past few years

and to see all the connections we’ve made!

Laurie put together this short IG reel that captures many

of our GRAND moments together!

(Take a look, if you’d like, by tapping the link above.)

THANK YOU so much for the “CONGRATS” you’ve sent our way this past week

and the ways you support us with every post we write.

To our families, our friends and our blogging community…

Now on to today’s topic!

When we realized that we’ve created four Novembers worth of content since we published our first blog post, we took a closer look at the Thanksgiving games, activities, crafts, snacks and more that we’ve collected and written about!

So many FAVES to consider!

Today, we’re sharing a few THANKSGIVING FAVES that are fun for everyone…

and, most especially so, for the Littles in our lives!

Plus, each is simple enough that you can pull it together before Turkey Day arrives!

Are you ready to talk turkey?

Today, we’re sharing three ideas below,

- a craft, a game and some treats -

to help make your holiday gathering kid-friendly and extra fun!

Plus, keep scrolling and you’ll see a few bonus activities, too!

A Thanksgiving Craft…

Coffee Filter Turkeys!

Over the years, we’ve enjoyed a lot of Thanksgiving crafts with Littles!

Here’s an all time favorite!

The supplies you’ll need include coffee filters, washable markers or dot paints, a spray bottle, clothespins, google eyes (or a black marker), colored construction paper, scissors and glue.. (We also had a circle die cut but you can use the bottom of a glass to trace the shape, too.)

We tried two variations… We painted with dot paints which seemed easiest for young Littles (photo on the left) and then we used markers to color the other coffee filters - older Littles seemed to like this method a lot (photo on the right).

Next, we filled a spray bottle with water and sprayed away! Our Littles always LOVE this step as the colors bleed together!

While the coffee filters dried, we made turkey faces out of construction paper (as shown) and added googly eyes (or you could also draw the eyes on with a black marker).. We glued the turkey faces to the clothespins (again, as shown - glue the turkey face to the end of the clothespin that opens and closes not to the one you pinch).

The last step was to fold the dry coffee filters in half and attach the clothespin turkey face along the folded edge.

We’ve used our coffee filter turkeys as placecards at our holiday table

and they’ve also become puppets!

A Thanksgiving puppet show is always a treat!

A Thanksgiving Game…

Bag The Turkey!

We don’t know about you and your family on Thanksgiving Day,

but we always look forward to playing a game with loved ones

and our Littles do, too!

Check out this one - it’s become a favorite!

Decorate ten paper or plastic cups to look like turkeys… you can also decorate the cups with turkey stickers or google and copy turkey clipart and print, as shown.

To play, stack the cups into a pyramid shape at the end of the table. Each player must try to knock the cups off the table by shooting rubber bands at the cups. Whoever knocks the most cups off the table in 60 seconds wins! (Feel free to vary the time limit, based on the age and skill of those playing.)

You can find more fun Thanksgiving games

in this post from 2023 and in this post from 2024!

Thanksgiving Treats…

Edible Turkeys!

Sweet or savory…

our Littles love helping us make (and eat) these nibbles on the big day!

How about a Donut Turkey?

These are fun to make on Thanksgiving morning!

Sooooooo simple to make!

Some mini donuts (we used glazed), toothpicks, fruit loops, a bit of cream cheese, nutella or frosting and a few edible eyes (or mini chocolate chips) is all you need.

Laura bought edible eyes from Amazon and loves having them on hand for a variety of baking projects - They last forever!

The eyes and beak and waddle (both made using Fruit Loops) were attached to the donut turkey using a small dollop of cream cheese, nutella or frosting, whatever I had on hand!

Little L had fun creating patterns with her rainbow Fruit Loop feathers and she had just as much fun eating them soon after, too!

A Veggie Turkey is always a welcome addition on Thanksgiving Day!

Your Littles will have fun - especially older ones -

helping you create this festive veggie tray!

(The one above was created by Little L’s other GRAND at a past gathering!)

Isn’t that red pepper turkey body cute? And the radish eyes, too?

One more Festive Touch!

Your Littles will feel so special,

if you serve their holiday beverage in this fun glass!

Simply take a plastic glass and decorate with a turkey face.

(We added googly eyes, and a beak and waddle made from paper.)

Your Littles will love to join you in a holiday toast!

CHEERS!

During the past week, Laurie has been busy

adding new Thanksgiving posts to our Instagram and/or Facebook sites!

Let’s take a look!

A Turkey Centerpiece!

The cutest Thanksgiving centerpiece ever! You can find the post here!

Fine Motor Turkey Time!

Fine motor work at its best… and so festive, too!

Your Littles will love it!

You'll find this IG post here!

We've also got more Thanksgiving inspired fine motor activities in this blog post, too!

Memorable Place Cards!

Are you having loved ones over for Thanksgiving?

Check out this special IG post here!

Here is a fun way to create family nostalgia for your guests! . Find and print pictures of family members from when they were young (or find funny current pictures of guests). Make and fill poppers with candy or chocolates and attach the pictures to them, as shown.

Set them at your place settings and watch people browse as they walk around the table, laughing and guessing who each picture belongs to.

At the end of dinner, pull hard on both ends of the popper and enjoy the treats that pop out!

How fun is that?

Don't forget, you can always follow us on Instagram and/or Facebook!

We love it when you pop in for a visit!

We’ve loved talking turkey with you all today!

We hope some of the thoughts we’ve shared here,

have given you an idea or two to add to your own Thanksgiving celebration!

After all… there’s nothing better than

And, don’t forget….

we love it when you share your ideas with us, too!

You inspire us!!!

If any idea sparked a thought or a memory of your own Turkey Day fun,

please share by commenting at the end of this post.

You can also reach out to us directly at ourgrandlives@gmail.com!

THANK YOU!

Yes, Thanksgiving is, most definitely, one of our favorite times of the year! We look forward to a house full of good smells and happy hearts as we enjoy our once-a-year favorite dishes, from the turkey and stuffing to all those delicious pies! It’s a holiday full of family stories, memories and moments that get passed down, from year to year and generation to generation!

A sweet memory from three years ago…

Little L’s first Thanksgiving, 2022

Thanksgiving also feels like a calm before we switch into high gear with the arrival of December. It gives us a moment to breathe and reflect before the hectic season takes over! Thanksgiving allows us to slow down, and appreciate the blessings in our lives. When we gather with those we love next Thursday, may we each pause with gratitude for God’s goodness in every season and may we savor life's blessings, big and small!