This Is the Feast Story Sticks: A Thanksgiving Retelling Activity for Kids

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Looking for a meaningful Thanksgiving activity that combines literacy, history, and hands-on learning? These free This Is the Feast story sticks are a fun way to help children engage with the story, practice sequencing skills, and retell the events of the first Thanksgiving.

One of our favorite Thanksgiving picture books is This Is the Feast by Diane Z. Shore and illustrated by Megan Lloyd. The beautiful illustrations and rhythmic storytelling make it a wonderful read-aloud for families, classrooms, and homeschool lessons during the Thanksgiving season.

To extend the learning, we created a set of printable story sticks that children can use to follow along with the book, retell the story, or even perform their own Thanksgiving puppet show!

About the Book This Is the Feast

This Is the Feast tells the traditional story of the Pilgrims’ journey to the New World and the celebration commonly known as the First Thanksgiving.

The story is written in a rhythmic, rhyming style that makes it enjoyable to read aloud. The illustrations are rich with historical details and provide lots of opportunities for discussion about life in colonial America.

Because the story is a bit longer than many picture books, it works especially well for elementary-aged children who enjoy listening to more detailed stories.

What Are Story Sticks?

Story sticks are simple picture cards attached to craft sticks that help children follow and retell a story.

As you read, children can:

• Find the matching picture
• Sequence story events
• Retell the story in their own words
• Act out scenes
• Practice listening comprehension

Story sticks are wonderful for visual learners and help make stories more interactive.

How to Use These Thanksgiving Story Sticks

Print the story stick pages and cut out each picture.

Attach the pictures to:

• Popsicle sticks
• Craft sticks
• Jumbo craft sticks

As you read the book, invite children to find the picture that matches each part of the story.

Some images appear more than once to make the activity easier for younger children.

Turn It Into a Thanksgiving Puppet Show

One of our favorite ways to use these story sticks was to create a simple puppet show.

Children can:

• Hold up the characters as the story is read
• Take turns narrating
• Act out scenes
• Retell the story from memory

Using the book as a script makes this a fun family activity, classroom presentation, or homeschool project.

Educational Benefits of Story Retelling Activities

Retelling stories helps children develop important literacy skills.

Story stick activities encourage:

• Listening comprehension
• Sequencing skills
• Story structure awareness
• Vocabulary development
• Oral language skills
• Reading readiness

For younger children, this activity also strengthens:

• Fine motor skills
• Visual discrimination
• Memory
• Attention to detail

Extend the Learning

Want to go beyond the story?

After reading This Is the Feast, try discussing questions such as:

• What challenges did the Pilgrims face?
• Why was the harvest important?
• What foods may have been shared?
• How was life different in colonial America?
• What are some ways we celebrate Thanksgiving today?

You can also compare the events in the story to modern Thanksgiving traditions.

For younger learners, pair this activity with a Thanksgiving Then and Now lesson to discuss how daily life has changed over time. You could also use my Historical Early America Coloring Book alongside this activity.

More Thanksgiving Books That Pair Well With This Activity

If your children enjoy This Is the Feast, they may also like:

• Squanto’s Journey by Joseph Bruchac
• Sarah Morton’s Day by Kate Waters
• Samuel Eaton’s Day by Kate Waters
• The Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving by Ann McGovern

These books provide additional opportunities to learn about early American history and Thanksgiving traditions.

Download the Free This Is the Feast Story Sticks

Ready to bring the story to life?

Download the free printable story sticks, attach them to craft sticks, and enjoy a fun hands-on Thanksgiving literacy activity with your children.

Whether you use them for story sequencing, retelling, dramatic play, or a puppet show, these Thanksgiving story sticks are a wonderful way to make reading more interactive and memorable.

More Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

Looking for more Thanksgiving learning ideas? Be sure to check out:

• The Gratitude Game
• Thanksgiving Then and Now
• Thanksgiving Turkey Activity Pages
• Thanksgiving Writing Prompts
• Thanksgiving Conversation Starters
• M&M Gratitude Game: A Sweet Thanksgiving Activity
• Cups and Classics: November – Gratitude & Giving

These activities help children explore gratitude, history, literacy, and family traditions during the Thanksgiving season.