As we enter this season of harvest and Thanksgiving, it’s the perfect time to gather our families around inspiring tales—stories that remind us of God’s provision, courage in hard times, and the joy of home
Our Playful Pioneers New England Guide focuses on brave people who lived hopeful lives and includes a list of books filled with history, imagination, and gratitude—themes that fit beautifully around the Thanksgiving table.
Whether you’re cuddled up with picture books, exploring early American history, or reading chapter books together, these stories can help spark meaningful conversations about gratitude, perseverance, and God’s faithfulness to make Thanksgiving homeschool lessons full of beauty and fun.
📚 Thanksgiving Book List
👶 Young Children (Picture Books)
P is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet by Carol Crane
On the Mayflower — Kate Waters
Squanto’s Journey — Joseph Bruchac
The Thanksgiving Story — Alice Dalgliesh
Many Hands: A Penobscot Indian Story — Angeli Perrow
Over the River and Through the Wood by Lydia Maria Child
📖 Elementary & Early Readers
The Pilgrims of Plimoth — Marcia Sewell
N.C. Wyeth’s Pilgrims by Robert San Souci
The Landing of the Pilgrims — James Daugherty
Who’s that Stepping on Plymouth Rock? by Jean Fritz
Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims — Clyde Robert Bulla
Hiawatha and the Peacemaker — Robbie Robertson (note: some illustrations may be intense for little ones)
Squanto and the First Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxas
Pilgrim Voices: Our First Year in the New World by Connie and Peter Roop
🌲 For Teens and Parents
Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford
The Last of the Mohicans — James Fenimore Cooper (early American literature)
The Collected Works of Phillis Wheatley (poetry by a Colonial African American woman)
🍂 Thanksgiving Crafts to Try
Add some hands-on fun to your fall homeschooling with simple, memorable projects:
✨ Walnut Shell Mayflower Boats
Split walnut shells in half, add a little clay or wax inside, and add a toothpick mast with a paper sail. Float them in a dish of water for a playful reminder of the Pilgrims’ journey.
✨ Leaf Garlands
Press colorful autumn leaves, then string them with twine to hang across a mantle or dining table.
✨ Handprint Turkeys
A classic craft for little ones—trace hands, color in feathers, and add a beak and wattle.
✨ Thankful Tree
Draw a tree on poster board. Cut out leaf shapes and let children write things they are thankful for on the leaves and then paste them to the tree leading up to Thanksgiving.
🥧 Thanksgiving Recipes to Cook Together
Cooking is one of the most meaningful ways to connect and pass down traditions. A few simple, kid-friendly ideas for Thanksgiving recipes from the Peaceful Press Cookbook:
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Pumpkin Pie from Scratch — Let kids help measure, mix, and stir. Talk about how pumpkins were a staple food for early settlers.
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Cornbread Muffins — Easy for little hands to help stir and pour.
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Roasted Root Vegetables — Celebrate the harvest with carrots, potatoes, and parsnips roasted with olive oil and herbs.
🍂 Thanksgiving Play
Add some hands-on fun to your week with engaging play:
✨ Make Believe Mayflower
Pretend you are on the Mayflower as you read some of the stories aloud. Choose an area such as a porch or area rug to be the ship and serve simple split pea soup and crackers to mimic the pilgrim journey across the ocean.
✨ Squanto's Wisdom
Plant a fall garden. Add fish fertilizer to some of the plants and see if they grow faster than the non fertilized plants.
✨ Bringing It All Together
This Thanksgiving, slow down, light a candle, and enjoy a cozy afternoon of stories, crafts, and cooking. May these simple traditions inspire gratitude, spark conversations about God’s provision, and draw your family closer together.
You can purchase the New England Guide for an engaging Thanksgiving study, or grab the full Playful Pioneers Volume 2 to enjoy a year of delightful American history and geography.
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