Your Kids Will Love These Thanksgiving Poems & Songs

I remember this kindergarten turkey poem from when I was a kid, I’m glad to see it still being circulated. It’s simple and sweet while relaying what it’s like to be a turkey on Thanksgiving Day.

I’m a little turkey,

My name is Ted.

Here are my feathers,

Here is my head.

“Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,” is what I say.

Run, run, run because it’s Thanksgiving Day!”

This sweet little turkey poem is perfect for kindergarteners to memorize because it’s so short. It can be recited while doing a turkey craft, or, to be really meta, you can even have your child write this poem onto the turkey craft itself.

The Turkey is a funny bird, its head goes bobble-bobble.

And all he knows is just one word…and that is GOBBLE-GOBBLE

A fun little Thanksgiving poem for preschool kids through kindergarten. I don’t know of a little kid who doesn’t love to count, do you?

How thankful am I

Let me count the ways

One thanks goes out to the turkey we eat

Two thanks for Mom and Dad

Three thanks for potatoes, stuffing, and corn

Four thanks to the desserts I had

Five thanks to my teachers for giving so much

Six thanks to the rooms in my house

Seven thanks for our ancestors

Eight thanks for spills that stayed off my blouse

Nine thanks to my friends who share

Ten thanks to Thanksgiving everywhere

This sweet little verse would make a great pre-Thanksgiving meal “blessing” if you don’t do any traditional prayers or cheers before diving into the feast.

The year has turned its circle

The seasons come and go

The harvest is all gathered in

And chilly north winds blow

Orchards have shared their treasures

The fields their yellow grain

So open wide the doorway — Thanksgiving comes again!

On the way to the grandparents’ house for Thanksgiving? Pull a page from the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving movie and sing this song all the way to the grandparents’ house for Thanksgiving. Though hopefully, you’re not all piled in the back of a station wagon with no seatbelts.

Over the river, and through the wood

To Grandmother's (Grandfather's) house we go

The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh

Through the white and drifted snow

Over the river, and through the woods

To Grandmother's (Grandfather's) house away

We would not stop for doll or top

For it's Thanksgiving Day!

Over the river, and through the woods

Oh, how the wind does blow

It stings the toes and bites the nose

As over the ground we go

Over the river, and through the woods

And straight through the barnyard gate

We seem to go extremely slow

It is so hard to wait

Over the river, and through the woods

When Grandmother (Grandfather) sees us come

She (he) will say/O, dear, the children are here

Bring a pie for everyone

Over the river, and through the woods

Now Grandmother's (Grandfather's) cap I spy

Hurrah for the fun/Is the pudding done

Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

Baking an apple pie for Thanksgiving dinner with the kids this year? Perhaps you can all sing this song — sort of like when Rose, Blanche, Sophia, and Dorothy sing the stuff the chicken song while stuffing the chicken when they were randomly wedding caterers on The Golden Girls.

Oh, the Lord is good to me

And so I thank the Lord

For giving me the things I need

The sun and the rain and the apple seed

The Lord is good to me

Johnny Appleseed!

Oh, and every seed I sow

Will grow into a tree

And someday there'll be apples there

For everyone in the world to share

Oh, the Lord is good to me

Johnny Appleseed!

Oh, the earth is good to me

And so I thank the earth

For giving me the things I need

The sun and the rain and the apple seed

The earth is good to me

Johnny Appleseed!

This Thanksgiving poem is almost like it was written specifically for a turkey hand craft, am I right?

This isn’t just a turkey, as you can plainly see.

I made it with my hand, which is a part of me.

It comes with lots of love, especially to say.

I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving Day!

I think a sweet little early holiday gift could be teaching your littles to recite this Thanksgiving poem for kids when they arrive at Grandma’s for dinner. She’ll love it.

I like the taste of turkey any time throughout the year

But it never seems to taste as good as when Thanksgiving is here

Could it be it’s all the trimmings

That are cooked with it to eat

But I think it’s eating at Grandma’s house

That makes it such a treat

I remember reciting this Thanksgiving poem for kids when I was a kid in elementary school. My second grade teacher had those felt pictures of turkeys that she pulled off one by one. Since I don’t think they make that particular craft anymore, you can make this 5 Little Turkeys Craft from The Activity Mom featuring puppets on popsicle sticks and have the same effect.

5 little turkeys standing by door

One waddled off

And then there were 4

4 little turkeys under a tree

One waddled off

And then there were 3

3 little turkeys with nothing to do

One waddled off

And then there were 2

2 little turkeys in the noon sun

One waddled off

And then there was 1

One little turkey better run away

For soon will come; Thanksgiving day!

Probably not the best idea to recite this long poem right before digging into the feast — because that’s a good way to have cold macaroni and cheese on Thanksgiving, and who wants that? However, this Thanksgiving poem for kids can be recited at bedtime the night of Thanksgiving, or even the night before if you choose.

‘Twas the night of Thanksgiving, but I just couldn’t sleep

Tried counting backward, tried counting sheep

The leftovers beckoned — the dark meat and white — but I fought the temptation with all of my might

Tossing and turning with anticipation…the thought of a snack became an infatuation

So to the kitchen I did race, flung open the door

And gazed at the fridge full of goodies galore

I gobbled up turkey and buttered potatoes

Pickles, carrots, beans, and tomatoes

I felt myself swelling so plump and so round

‘Til all of the sudden, I rose off the ground

I crashed through the ceiling, floating into the sky

With a mouthful of pudding and a handful of pie

But I managed to yell as I soared past the trees, “Happy eating to all, pass the cranberries, please!

Does your child love to play dress-up? Do they have a turkey costume? They can put on a show wearing said costume and reciting this Thanksgiving poem for kids. Or, they can make up hand motions to go along with it if there’s no turkey costume.

I’m a turkey, I’m a turkey

I’m a turkey big and strong

But to eat me for Thanksgiving is simply, simply wrong

Eat some chicken, eat some veggies, eat a slice of pumpkin pie

Is it really any wonder why I prefer the Fourth of July?

The perfect preschool poem for the younger kids learning their colors and learning about Thanksgiving.

Orange is a pumpkin

Yellow is the corn

Brown is the turkey

With stuffing to adorn

Red are the cranberries

Green are the beans

Five delicious colors

In a feast of my dreams

I think we can all relate to this Thanksgiving poem for kids after eating so much delicious food on Thanksgiving Day.

I’m thankful for turkey

I’m thankful for yams

I’m thankful for cranberries, biscuits, and hams

I’m thankful for pumpkins

I’m thankful for cheese

I’m thankful for gravy, potatoes, and peas

I’m thankful for stuffing

I’m nuts for the stuff

I’m thankful for eggnog and marshmallow fluff

I’m thankful for whipped cream and ice cream and pies

I’m thankful for dad’s double-chocolate surprise

I’m thankful, Thanksgiving, for good things to eat

But mostly I’m thankfuI still see my feet

To be sang to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat, singing or reciting this simple little Thanksgiving poem for kids can be a fun way to “bless” the Thanksgiving meal as well.

Give, give, give them thanks

For sharing all their food

Yummy, yummy, yummy, yummy

Everyone we must include

Give, give, give them thanks

For being kind today

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you

For making Thanksgiving Day!

This perfect Thanksgiving poem for first graders will surely elicit a giggle.

A turkey at on the backyard fence

And he sang a sad sad tune

Thanksgiving Day is coming

Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobbe, gobble

And I know I’ll be eaten soon.

Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble

I don’t like Thanksgiving Day-ay-ay-ay

Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble

I think I’ll run away-ay-ay-ay.

This Thanksgiving poem for kids can be sung to the tune of Darling Clementine and it will be a fun one to sing (or recite) during the holiday. And there’s even a happy ending for the turkey.

Albuquerque is a turkey

And he's feathered and he's fine

And he wobbles and he gobbles

and he's absolutely mine.

He's the best pet that you can get.

Better than a dog or cat.

He's my Albuquerque turkey

And I'm awfully proud of that.

He once told me, very frankly

He preferred to be my pet,

Not the main course at my dinner,

And I told him not to fret.

And my Albuquerque turkey

Is so happy in his bed,

'Cause for our Thanksgiving dinner..

We had egg foo yong instead.