Gratitude, quality time with friends and family, and sharing love through food are top of the list for us. These family-friendly Thanksgiving traditions and events can make your time together special. This year, when I count my blessings, I include the Kidlist readers among them! We have a really special community, both online and in-person.
Keep reading for fun camps and events going on the week of Thanksgiving, as well as Kidlist team traditions we share with our own families.
Events Celebrating Thanksgiving 2025
Are your children off school all week? Our events calendar is packed with family-friendly fun to fill your days.
Events in the Western Suburbs
Gobbler Hobbler 10K and Mashed Potato Mile (Fox Chase Elementary School, Oswego)
November 9, 2025 | 8:30am – 10:30am
Join this festive run through charming downtown Oswego.
Thankful Creations (Community Park District of La Grange Park, La Grange Park)
November 15, 2025 | 10:00am – 11:30am
Celebrate the season with fall crafts, treats, and more.
Let’s Talk Turkey (Hidden Oaks Nature Center (Bolingbrook), Bolingbrook)
November 15, 2025 | 10:00am – 11:00am
Discover fascinating facts about turkeys, explore their natural history, and learn the key differences between wild and farm-raised birds.
Thanksgiving Bingo (Three Stories Books, Lemont)
November 15, 2025 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Join the festive fun and win prizes at the book store.
Turkey Pretzel Craft (Santori Library (Aurora), Aurora)
November 19, 2025 | 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Make a delicious Thanksgiving snack.
Craft: Clay Turkeys (Three Stories Books, Lemont)
November 20, 2025 | 11:30am – 5:30pm
Create your own turkey at the bookstore.
Thankful Story Night (Downers Grove Public Library, Downers Grove)
November 20, 2025 | 6:30pm – 7:15pm
Celebrate family reading night at this Thanksgiving programming.
Talkin’ Turkey (Downers Grove Public Library, Downers Grove)
November 21, 2025 | 10:00am – 10:30am
Join the Thanksgiving fun at this toddler storytime.
Turkey Tumble Time (Big Gymnastics, Burr Ridge)
November 21, 2025 | 11:00am – 12:00pm
Explore Thanksgiving-themed fitness fun.
Turkey Bingo (Village Commons (North Riverside), North Riverside)
November 21, 2025 | 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Join the BINGO fun at this sell-out event.
Drop-In Craft: Turkey Time (Batavia Public Library, Batavia)
November 22, 2025 | 10:00am – 5:00pm
Visit the library for drop-in crafting.
Drop-In Craft: Turkey Time (Batavia Public Library, Batavia)
November 23, 2025 | 12:00pm – 4:30pm
Visit the library for drop-in crafting.
Kids’ Thankful Yoga (La Grange Park Public Library, La Grange Park)
November 23, 2025 | 2:00pm – 2:45pm
Explore gratitude through yoga.
Crafts to Go: Thanksgiving (Warrenville Public Library, Warrenville)
November 24, 2025 | 9:30am – 9:00pm
Pick up a craft kit.
Turkey Trouble Escape Box (St. Charles Public Library, St. Charles)
November 24, 2025 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Visit the library to solve escape-room puzzles.
Turkey Handprint Art (Hinsdale Public Library, Hinsdale)
November 25, 2025 | 10:00am – 10:45am
Make a thanksgiving craft at the library.
Snoopy’s Thanksgiving (Riverside Public Library, Riverside)
November 26, 2025 | 11:00am – 11:30am
Register in advance for Thanksgiving fun at the library.
Nutty Buddy Acorn Pot (Woodridge Public Library, Woodridge)
November 26, 2025 | 2:30pm – 3:15pm
Make a creative centerpiece for fall festivities.
Turkey Trot 4-Mile Run (Lake Ellyn Park, Glen Ellyn)
November 27, 2025 | 8:00am – 10:00am
Break a sweat before feasting on Thanksgiving.
Dan Gibbons Turkey Trot (Elmhurst Turkey Trot, Elmhurst)
November 27, 2025 | 9:00am – 12:00pm
Held annually on Thanksgiving day, this is a family favorite.
Annual Turkey Trot Hike (Trailside Museum of Natural History, River Forest)
November 28, 2025 | 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Work off your holiday feast.
Events in the Northwest Suburbs
Turkeys (Poplar Creek Public Library Sonya Crawshaw Branch, Hanover Park)
November 12, 2025 | 3:00pm – 3:30pm
Join for Thanksgiving crafts and stories.
Crafternoon: 3D Paper Turkey (Hoffman Estates Branch, Hoffman Estates)
November 12, 2025 | 3:30pm – 4:15pm
Create a turkey for your dining table centerpiece.
Polish Storytime: Thanksgiving (Prospect Heights Public Library, Prospect Heights)
November 12, 2025 | 6:30pm – 7:15pm
Visit the library for a festive storytime.
Turkey Trot (Poplar Creek Public Library, Streamwood)
November 21, 2025 | 11:00am – 11:30am
Register in advance for a toddler dance party.
Family Bingo – Thankful for You (Community Recreation Center (Wheeling), Wheeling)
November 21, 2025 | 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Join the festive fun.
Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt (Indian Trails Public Library – Indian Trails Branch, Prospect Heights)
November 24, 2025 | 1:00pm – 8:00pm
Receive a prize when you finish this scavenger hunt.
Family Feast Story Time (Barrington Area Library, Barrington)
November 25, 2025 | 10:00am – 10:45am
Celebrate Thanksgiving at this themed storytime.
Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt (Indian Trails Public Library – Indian Trails Branch, Prospect Heights)
November 25, 2025 | 1:00pm – 8:00pm
Receive a prize when you finish this scavenger hunt.
Growing Gratitude Storytime (Mount Prospect Public Library, Mount Prospect)
November 25, 2025 | 1:30pm – 2:15pm
Learn about gratitude at this special programming.
Simply Science: Turkey Rockets (Prospect Heights Public Library, Prospect Heights)
November 25, 2025 | 4:00pm – 4:45pm
Make turkey rockets at the library.
Growing Gratitude Storytime (Mount Prospect Public Library, Mount Prospect)
November 25, 2025 | 6:00pm – 6:45pm
Learn about gratitude at this special programming.
Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt (Indian Trails Public Library – Indian Trails Branch, Prospect Heights)
November 26, 2025 | 1:00pm – 8:00pm
Receive a prize when you finish this scavenger hunt.
Turkey Trot and Sammy Scurry (Harper College Campus, Palatine)
November 27, 2025 | 8:00am – 11:00am
Enjoy a family run on Thanksgiving.
Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
Simply click or tap on the image below and a printable version will load.
Ideas for Thanksgiving Traditions from the Kidlist Team
From Annie’s family…
“Each of us writes a list of the things they are and were thankful for over the last year. We have been making our lists and discussing them during our Thanksgiving feast every year! We actually have a binder of all the lists from past years to be able to look back at all our blessings. And now it’s even more exciting to write the thankful lists with my kids… sometimes they come up with the most hilarious things to be thankful for, small things that I would never even think of, immensely profound things, and sometimes they say things that I’m so glad I have written down and will warm my heart forever.”
From Taylor’s family…
“We follow our wonderful meal on Thanksgiving by adventuring to Brookfield Zoo’s Holiday Magic lights with both sides of the family. It’s so special for our girls to have both sets of grandparents there!”
From Kaitlyn’s family…
“One that’s most special to me is sharing a cup of hot chocolate and marshmallows with my Mom while we watch the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade. She usually makes chocolate croissants and never forgets to serve the hot chocolate in our holiday mugs. We have been doing this since I was little and even though I have my own house now, I still drive to hers on Thanksgiving morning – it’s actually my favorite part of the day because it’s usually the calm before the storm (and yes, we always put up our trees mid-November in this Family!)”
From Katie’s family…
“After we eat, we all sit together and watch the same Thanksgiving episode of an old 90’s sitcom (anyone remember “Mad About You”?)”
From Elyse’s family…
“In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, my kids add one feather each day to our “Thankful Turkey,” with something on it that they are grateful for. It’s a sweet way to focus on our blessings!”
More Family Thanksgiving Tradition Ideas
The following ideas were shared from past members of the Kidlist team. We love them (and their ideas)!
A few years ago, we started a “Today, I am thankful for….” chalkboard that sits right on my kitchen counter. For the month of November, we take turns writing what we are thankful for, whether it is something big or little. And usually something funny from my husband pops up there from time to time. You can buy a Turkey On The Table to achieve something like this, or purchase a whiteboard and some dry erase markers at your local office supply store. If you already have paper, you can achieve this for free! Just make a paper loop chain to “Countdown to Thanksgiving” and each day, when your child(ren) tears off a loop, have them write something for which they’re thankful on it and read those slips of paper out during your family meal. – Jill
Each year, we stamp the kids’ handprints on Thanksgiving table cloths and draw in legs, a beak, and gobbler to make them into turkeys with the year under it. We gave one to each grandparent the first thanksgiving and collect them back each year to add this year’s handprint turkey. As more of our siblings have kids, we pass around the table cloth each November for the kids to add their handprints to. On Thanksgiving, we place it on the dinner table and we see how much the kids have grown and our family has expanded. – Nicole
Write things you are thankful for on paper leaves and attach them to a tree in the center of your table. – Claudia
We like to go run a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning! The day after Thanksgiving, we put up our Christmas decorations while drinking hot cocoa and listening to carols. -Rachel
Print out a favorite photo from that year for each person that will sit at your table and place each photo under their plate. Everyone goes around and shares the photo and it turns into a great way to remember special times together that year! -Meghan
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
