Thanksgiving is a time for family, togetherness, and creating moments that warm the heart long after the leftovers are gone. And if your home is anything like ours, the real stars of the holiday aren’t just the turkey or pumpkin pie…
They’re the stuffed animals who bring magic, imagination, and personality to every celebration.
This year, make your Thanksgiving even more unforgettable with activities that feature your plush companions as co-hosts, helpers, and hilarious entertainers. Whether you’re spending the day with kids, relatives, or your own inner child, these activities will bring laughter, creativity, and adorable photo opportunities.
Below is a full guide to fun, engaging, and heartwarming Thanksgiving activities starring the plushies you love most.
🧸🎭 1. Host a Plush Puppet Show: “The Great Thanksgiving Tale”
If there’s one activity guaranteed to spark imagination, giggles, and lots of “encore!” moments, it’s a plushie puppet show.
Kids love it. Adults secretly love it. Plushies definitely love it.
You can set up a Thanksgiving-themed performance using your stuffed animals as the cast:
Ideas for Your Thanksgiving Puppet Plot
- The Story of the First Plushgiving: A group of stuffed toys work together to prepare a feast made entirely of pretend carrots, toy donuts, and imaginary marshmallows.
- The Search for the Missing Pumpkin Pie: A detective plush (preferably one with a hat!) must solve the mystery of the disappearing dessert.
- The Plushie Who Wanted to Be a Turkey: Follow a brave plush who dreams of starring in the holiday parade and goes on an adventure to earn its feathers.
How to Set Up Your Puppet Theater
- Use a cardboard box as a stage
- Drape a blanket for curtains
- Add fairy lights for the “theatre lighting”
- Assign each family member a plush character
- Give every plushie a personality: dramatic, shy, silly, heroic, sleepy, etc.
Why Kids Love It
Puppet shows give children a chance to express creativity, practice storytelling, and hear their plushies’ voices come to life through imagination.
Why Parents Love It
It keeps everyone entertained for hours — especially while the Thanksgiving meal is still cooking.
🔎🐾 2. Thanksgiving Indoor Plush Scavenger Hunt
Ready for a burst of energy before or after Thanksgiving dinner?
A stuffed animal scavenger hunt is the perfect indoor adventure.
This works for:
- Kids
- Guests
- Entire families
- Couples
- And even solo plush collectors who want to add some fun to the holiday!
How to Host a Thanksgiving Plush Scavenger Hunt
Hide plush toys around the house, then create themed clues like:
- “I hide where socks disappear… come find me if you have no fear!” (Laundry room or hamper)
- “I’m near something warm that cooks the feast — but not too close or I’d become roast beast!” (Kitchen counter nearby)
- “Your shoes rest here… and so do I!” (Shoe rack or closet)
- “Find me where you watch your favorite shows. I’m snuggled where everyone goes!” (Couch)
For extra Thanksgiving flair, hide little paper “turkey feathers” near each plush. Whoever collects the most feathers wins a small prize — like choosing the first slice of pie.
Fun Variations
- Glow-in-the-dark hunt: dim lights and use glow sticks
- Timed challenge: 3 minutes to find as many plushies as possible
- Plush rescue mission: pretend plushies are lost explorers waiting to be saved
Why Families Love This
It burns off energy, encourages teamwork, and creates hilarious memories — especially when adults get too competitive.
🎀🧸🦃 3. DIY Pilgrim Hats & Thanksgiving Costumes for Plushies
There’s cute…
Then there’s “stuffed animals wearing tiny handmade Thanksgiving costumes,” cute.
Make Thanksgiving extra fun with a family crafting session where everyone designs festive accessories for their plush friends.
Easy Craft Ideas
Mini Pilgrim Hats
Materials:
- Black construction paper
- White paper strips
- Gold or yellow crayon for the buckle
- Tape or glue
Steps:
- Cut a small rectangle for the hat body
- Roll it into a tube
- Add a brim circle
- Decorate with a white band and buckle
- Attach gently to your plushie’s head
Tiny Turkey Feather Headbands
Materials:
- Felt or paper feathers
- Ribbon or string
Steps:
- Cut 3–6 colorful feathers
- Glue them onto a small strip of paper
- Attach the strip to the ribbon
- Tie around your plush’s head
Plushie “Chef” Aprons
Use scrap fabric or paper to create mini aprons so plushies can “help” cook Thanksgiving dinner.
Why This Activity Is a Hit
- Encourages creativity
- Easy for all ages
- Creates adorable photos
- Gives every plushie a unique holiday personality
- Makes kids feel like their plushies are part of the celebration
📸🧸🏆 4. Host a Family Plush Photo Contest
This one turns a normal Thanksgiving afternoon into a full-blown event.
Each family member chooses a stuffed animal and enters them into a Thanksgiving-themed photo contest.
Category Ideas
- Best Dressed Plushie
- Funniest Pose
- Most Thanksgiving Spirit
- Cutest Photo
- Best Plushie Group Portrait
Photo Shoot Ideas
- Plushie sitting in front of a mini pumpkin
- Plushie “sharing” a tiny Thanksgiving meal
- Plushie reading a book to other plushies
- Plushie standing in a colorful pile of fall leaves
- Plushie wearing a pilgrim, turkey, or chef outfit
- Plushie holding a “Happy Thanksgiving!” sign
You can even create a plush “red carpet” with:
- A scarf or ribbon runway
- Flashlight “spotlights”
- Family members taking photos like paparazzi
Award Ideas
Make simple certificates such as:
- “Most Huggable Star”
- “Best Turkey Impersonation”
- “Most Dramatic Plush”
- “Crowd Favorite”
This creates priceless photos and memories — and the kids will talk about it until next year.
🧡🍂 Bringing Magic to Thanksgiving With Plushies
Stuffed animals aren’t just toys — they’re:
- Friends
- Storytelling partners
- Sources of comfort
- Symbols of childhood joy
And adorable additions to every holiday celebration
When you include them in your Thanksgiving traditions, something special happens:
You create memories filled with creativity, laughter, cuddles, and magic that children will remember for years.
Whether you're hosting a puppet show, crafting tiny pilgrim hats, staging a photo contest, or adventuring through a scavenger hunt, plushies help bring out the best part of Thanksgiving:
Togetherness.
And at Morismos, we believe every holiday is better when it’s shared with something soft, cuddly, and full of love.
