Thanksgiving Dinner Scratch-Off Cards for Kids
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Add a little surprise to Thanksgiving dinner with these printable Thanksgiving Dinner Scratch-Off Cards!
Kids scratch away the covered spaces to reveal different Thanksgiving foods underneath. It turns the meal into a simple interactive activity and gives kids something fun to do while everyone is gathered around the table.
Even better, the cards can be reused year after year. Laminate the printable first, then add homemade scratch-off paint over the food pictures. After Thanksgiving, remove the remaining paint, store the cards, and add a fresh layer next year.
Thanksgiving Table Activity for Kids
Thanksgiving dinner can feel very long when you’re one of the youngest people at the table!
These scratch-off cards add a little game to the meal without requiring a lot of supplies or setup on Thanksgiving Day.
Prepare the cards ahead of time and put one at each child’s place setting.
As different foods are served—or simply throughout the meal—kids can scratch off the spaces to discover which Thanksgiving foods are hiding underneath.
You could also turn it into a guessing game. Before scratching a space, have kids predict which food they think might be underneath.
Thanksgiving Foods on the Cards
The printable features 16 different Thanksgiving foods:
- Apple pie
- Brussels sprouts
- Cherry pie
- Corn
- Cranberry sauce
- Gravy
- Green beans
- Ham
- Mashed potatoes
- Pecan pie
- Pumpkin pie
- Rhubarb pie
- Rolls
- Stuffing
- Sweet potatoes
- Turkey
Some might be on your Thanksgiving table and others might not—which can make the activity even more fun.
Which foods does your family eat every year? Which ones have your kids never tried?
How to Make Thanksgiving Scratch-Off Cards
Making your own scratch-off cards is surprisingly easy.
Supplies
You’ll need:
- Printable Thanksgiving Dinner Scratch-Off Cards
- Laminating sheets or laminating pouches
- Black acrylic paint
- Dish soap
- Small paintbrush
You’ll also need a coin or another small object for scratching off the dried paint when you’re ready to play.
1. Print and Laminate the Cards
Print the Thanksgiving food cards and laminate them.
You can use self-adhesive laminating sheets or a laminator and laminating pouches.
The slick laminated surface is important because it allows the scratch-off paint to come away without damaging the printable underneath.
2. Make the Scratch-Off Paint
Mix 2 parts acrylic paint with 1 part dish soap.
For one printable, I used:
2 tablespoons acrylic paint + 1 tablespoon dish soap
Stir until thoroughly combined.
3. Cover the Thanksgiving Foods
Use a small paintbrush to paint the mixture over each food picture.
Don’t worry if your edges aren’t perfect. You can clean them up after the paint dries.
Depending on how opaque your paint is, you may find that an additional coat helps conceal the pictures completely. Let the paint dry between coats.
4. Let the Paint Dry
Allow the scratch-off paint to dry completely.
Once it’s dry, carefully scrape away any excess paint around the edges to tidy up the rectangles.
Now your Thanksgiving scratch-off cards are ready!
How to Use the Scratch-Off Cards at Thanksgiving
Set a card at each child’s place before dinner.
Then give each child a coin and let the scratching begin!
You can keep it completely open-ended or make up your own family rules.
For example:
Scratch & Try: Scratch off a food and try it if it’s being served.
Guess Before You Scratch: Predict which food is hidden underneath.
Thanksgiving Food Hunt: See how many foods on the card are actually on your family’s table.
Family Favorites: After revealing all the foods, have everyone choose their favorite Thanksgiving dish.
Younger kids may simply enjoy the surprise of scratching away the paint—and that’s perfectly fine, too.
Reuse Them Next Thanksgiving
One of my favorite things about this activity is that you don’t necessarily have to print a new set every year.
Because the printable is laminated, you can clean off the remaining scratch-off coating after the holiday and save the cards with your Thanksgiving decorations.
Next November, add fresh scratch-off paint and use them again!
Get the Thanksgiving Dinner Scratch-Off Cards
Want to add them to your Thanksgiving table?
The printable Thanksgiving Dinner Scratch-Off Cards are available in my shop. Grab them here!
Prepare them before Thanksgiving Day, and you’ll have an easy interactive activity ready to put right at the kids’ table.
More Thanksgiving Activities for Kids:
Gratitude Game
Thankful Jar
Thanksgiving Writing Activity
This is the Feast Story Sticks
Thanksgiving Turkey Tag
