FUN ART ACTIVITIES FOR NOVEMBER

Have fun exploring Fall and Thanksgiving in your classroom with these imaginative Art Activities for November! These printable resources are perfect for Grades 3-7: Upper Elementary and Middle School teachers, homeschoolers, and parents.

November art activities collage of images

Here at Imagination Box HQ, I love creating print-and-go, inclusive November art activities that are a great solution when you want some important screen-free, reflective space in your classroom or homeschool. Art is more than a fun project—it’s a tool for self-expression, community-building, and finding calm. By engaging in these fun art activities for November, you can motivate your students and build excitement for this season of gratitude through creativity and connection!


Color image of November Bulletin Board for the classroom with leaves, apples and toadstools

Hello November! Grab your FREE November Thankful Bulletin Board Kit. Your students will love this nature-inspired classroom transformation kit! Inviting students to take part can help build community and encourage teamwork.


Celebrate Bonfire Night / Guy Fawkes Night, the Fifth of November, with this hands-on, experimental art activity. Invite students to create fireworks and flames over the historic London Houses of Parliament. This easy-to-use creative activity involves coloring, painting, cutting, tearing, gluing and mark-making. The lyrics to the song, ‘Remember, Remember the Fifth of November,’ and a collection of interesting facts about this historic celebration suitable for younger children are included to expand the activity.

Learn More Here

Fireworks art over houses of parliament kid art

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Kelly says,
“I really like this resource. What a simple yet effective idea. It can be used with a range of media: paint, chalk, pastels to create a differentiated display rather than a display of near identical looking pieces of work.”


colorful thanksgiving turkey image

Celebrate Thanksgiving with this no-prep turkey coloring and writing activity. These eye-catching, abstract turkey art and writing templates are fun to do and really challenge students to think about color and shape. Encourage kids to experiment and explore their sense of color using marker pens, oil pastels, colored pencils, or watercolor paints. The objective is to see if the cheeky turkey stands out from the background when the activity is finished.

Learn More Here

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tracey says,
Used as a Brain Break activity. Students enjoyed working with this resource.


Watercolor leaf doodles

Bring all the fun and color of Fall and Thanksgiving into your classroom. Students respond really enthusiastically to these leafy doodle coloring pages and ‘I am thankful for’ writing prompts. These easy-to-use templates encourage students to explore color and pattern and to expand their descriptive vocabulary by creating seasonal poetry.

Learn More Here

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Denise says,
This was awesome! I used it for Thanksgiving but it serves many purposes.



tree silhouette with fall colored fingerprint leaves

Celebrate the rich colors of fall with this low-prep creative ‘Fall Fingerprint Trees’ painting activity, suitable for all artistic abilities. Kids love to paint using their fingers, and this is a quick and easy fall art project to bring some sensory fun into the classroom.

Learn More

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Owen says,
Easy to prep, and all of my kiddos were able to successfully attend to this art project which is somewhat rare in my room!


A soccer ball shape filled with fall-themed doodles

This delightful ‘Ball About Fall’ is an engaging way to celebrate fall and Thanksgiving. You can easily create a colorful and imaginative seasonal classroom display to be proud of. Only basic materials are needed for these print-and-go coloring pages and writing activities.

Learn More

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Elizabeth says,
“I loved this craft for my door! Students were excited about activity! Love the differentiation for the words or pictures! Thank you!”


A collage of abstract fall doodle art activities. oak leaves, apples and acorns

Engage students in a creative and experimental way. Encourage the exploration of color stories, geometric shapes, abstract patterns, mark making, and doodling. Popular fall-themed shapes include acorn, oak leaf, maple leaf, apple and pumpkin.

Learn More

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Celeste says,
These are great arts and crafts activities! Well laid out and extremely easy to follow.
I was looking for some fall fun to add to our routine and this is perfect.


Fly agaric spotted toadstool artwork with green geometric background

This is a simple, print-and-go coloring activity. Explore color and experiment with oil pastels to create this fun abstract fly agaric toadstool picture.
Choose from a selection of worksheets according to age and ability.
It is a fun October art activity to leave for a sub or to occupy early finishers.

Learn More

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tammy says,
Thank you so much for this resource!


Kid painted hedgehog on a green painted background

This adorable fall hedgehog art project enables students of all abilities to experiment with color and mark-making. Your students will love this easy hibernating hedgehog painting activity! You can use a brush or fingertips for the spines or quills.

Learn More

(awaiting reviews)


Pop Art Acorn shape filled with brightly colored squares

Transition into fall with this engaging pop art-inspired acorn art activity. The finished abstract acorn coloring pages will make a fantastic display in your classroom. Choose from marker pens, colored pencils, watercolor paints, oil pastels or collages – or use a mix of these for a fun, multi-media experiment.

Learn More Here

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jessica says,
This was a lot of fun to do with my students. I loved that each child, no matter their ability was able to participate and had a final project to display.


abstract animal doodles

This creative and mindful art and writing activity resource is ideal for transitioning into winter. These print-and-go coloring pages and templates are inspired by folk art around the world. Students of all artistic abilities can create beautiful artworks using bold, simplistic geometric and floral shapes and bright colors, highlighted against black and white.

Learn More Here

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Krystina says,
My students were so engaged with this resource! It was wonderful to see them actively participating and enjoying the activities. I also appreciated not having to spend extra time prepping—everything was ready to go, which made my life so much easier. This was a fantastic resource, and I’ll definitely be using it again!.


  1. 🎇 Bonfire Night Fireworks – a hands-on, fun collage and mark-making activity
  2. 🍗 Thanksgiving Turkey Fun – explore color and give thanks
  3. 🍂 Thanksgiving Leafy Doodles – seasonal poetry and mindful doodles
  4. 🎨 Fingerprint Trees – for kids of any age or ability
  5. ⚽ A Ball About Fall – making mini doodles can be less daunting
  6. 🍁 Abstract Fall – explore the shapes and patterns of nature
  7. 🍄 Magical Toodstools – fun with collage and oil pastels
  8. 🦔 Hibernating Hedgehogs – who doesn’t love hedgehogs?!
  9. 🌰 Pop Art Acorns Freebie – experiment with color and shape
  10. 🦌 Winter Animals Doodle Art and Poetry – a magical way to transition into winter

BONUS! Don’t forget the FREE November Bulletin Board Kit


🍄 You can browse all resources and freebies on this website. Click the pink ‘Buy on TPT’ button on any product page to purchase safely via my TPT Store (Teachers Pay Teachers)

🍄 You can download and re-access all TPT resources by setting up a free membership account. Your purchases will be available for digital access immediately after you make a purchase.


The Imagination Monthly Membership

The Imagination Box Monthly Membership shown on multiple digital devices

The Imagination Monthly Membership is a fun, flexible and affordable way to build more creativity into your classroom or homeschool curriculum.

Would you love to do more art activities, but you’re short on time or unsure where to start?

Here’s an overview of what you can access inside the membership for the month of November:

Every month, you will receive:

  • Door & Bulletin Board Decor
  • Brain Break Coloring Pages
  • Seasonal Vocabulary
  • Seasonal Acrostics
  • Inspiring Quotes
  • Writing and Planning Templates

PLUS:

  • Weekly Art Activity 1
  • Weekly Art Activity 2
  • Weekly Art Activity 3
  • Weekly Art Activity 4
  • Join the community
Classroom November bulletin board image
The Imagination box november monthly membership content

Teachers and homeschoolers! Welcome each new month with a bulletin board and door decor kit, mindful coloring pages, vocabulary games, writing templates, quotes and more.

The Imagination box november monthly membership content

Skyrocket the creativity in your classroom with these detailed weekly art and writing prompt activities for November.


Planning for the end of the year and beyond?
You might also like to see:

Winter and Christmas Art and Writing Activities

New Year Art and Goal-Setting Activities

Stay in touch!

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December is just around the corner! ❄️

See you soon,
Diane

Diane Pagan, Founder, The Imagination Box

Thanksgiving Art and Writing Activities for the Classroom

I love to create imaginative Thanksgiving art and writing activities to help students celebrate the richness of Fall and Thanksgiving in the classroom or at home. This time of year is perfect for exploring color, shape, abstract patterns, poetry, and metaphor! We are never too old to collect leaves!

Here are some of my popular Thanksgiving art and writing activities, perfect for busy upper elementary and middle school teachers who want low-prep art lessons in the classroom.

Read on, too, for some fun facts about Thanksgiving that you might find interesting to share with your students alongside these art activities.


1. Create Beautiful Leafy Doodles, Poetry, and Thankful Writing Prompts

Bring all the fun and color of Fall and Thanksgiving into your classroom. Students respond really enthusiastically to these leafy doodle coloring pages and ‘I am thankful for’ writing prompts.
These easy-to-use templates encourage students to explore color and pattern, and to expand their descriptive vocabulary by creating seasonal poetry. The watercolor and marker pen doodle leaves make beautiful frames for written work and bulletin boards.


2. Make a Ball All About Fall!

This soccer ball-inspired resource, with a mix of doodle and writing prompts, can help to engage students who may be fearful of expressing themselves creatively or those who are reluctant to write.


3. Thanksgiving Turkey Coloring and Thankful Writing Task

These eye-catching, abstract turkey art and writing templates are fun to do and really challenge students to think about color and shape.

Encourage students to experiment and explore their sense of color using marker pens, oil pastels, colored pencils, or watercolor paints.

The objective is to see if the cheeky turkey stands out from the background when the activity is finished.


4. Free Fall Art Activity – Fun Pop Art Acorns!

Transition into fall with this engaging pop art-inspired acorn fall art activity. The finished abstract acorn coloring pages make an excellent display in your classroom.


Read on for some interesting Thanksgiving facts.

You can use these Thanksgiving facts as starting points for group discussions around family, food, celebrations, culture and traditions, turkeys, and history.


Thanksgiving and Family

  • Thanksgiving is the busiest ‘travel’ day of the year in America. Family and friends move across the country to be with loved ones, to celebrate the day together.  
  • Breaking the turkey’s wishbone and making a wish is used by some families as part of their celebrations.
  • Some families decorate their homes with a fall wreath and fresh or dried flowers.

Thanksgiving and Food

  • Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cornbread, cranberry sauce, and pies filled with pumpkin, pecan, or apple are all traditional foods eaten at a Thanksgiving feast.
  • Turkey is native to North America.
  • Often, families will prepare the food for Thanksgiving Day together.

Thanksgiving and Celebrations

  • In 1896, the first Turkey Trot race (8km) took place in Buffalo, New York on Thanksgiving Day.
  • Since 1924, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has showcased itself in New York, and its’ infamous floats and balloons have been a staple feature since 1927. 
  • Watching an American Football Match on Thanksgiving Day is a popular activity for the family to do together.
  • Some people like to give back on Thanksgiving Day by donating food or funds and/or volunteering at a food bank or local soup kitchen to help those less fortunate.

Thanksgiving, Culture, and Tradition

  • Thanksgiving Day was originally a day to give thanks to The Almighty for the harvest and other blessings received from the last year – it was associated with religion.
  • Thanksgiving Day is still very much a day of expressing our gratitude for such things as close friends and family, good health, opportunities, or even a good harvest. 
  • Since 1989, the president has pardoned a hand-selected Turkey on Thanksgiving Day to live out its life on a farm.
  • The colors associated with Thanksgiving Day are orange, yellow, brown, green, and red – similar to the colors of foods served up at the Day’s feast, yellow like corn and red like cranberries.

Thanksgiving and Turkeys

  • At a turkey trot in Dallas, Texas, the world record for the largest gathering of people dressed as turkeys is 661 (in 2011).
  • There are four towns named ‘Turkey’ in the U.S. – Arizona, Louisiana, North Carolina & Texas.
  • Only male turkeys gobble – they do so to attract female turkeys during the breeding season.
  • Canadians celebrate their own Thanksgiving every October.

Thanksgiving History

  • In 1621, a three-day feast between 50 Mayflower Pilgrims in Plymouth Colony, Mass., and 90 Wampanoag Native Americans is considered as the first Thanksgiving Day.
  • In 1789, President George Washington issued a proclamation for November 26 to be a national day of thanksgiving.
  • In 1863 Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that the nation should recognize the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day.
  • In 1870, Congress passed legislation making Thanksgiving a national holiday, allowing the president to choose the actual day. 
  • Between 1939 and 1941, Thanksgiving Day was moved to the penultimate Thursday in November for commercial reasons by Franklin Roosevelt – this change was not well received.
  • From 1942 onwards Thanksgiving Day has been celebrated on the Fourth Thursday in November. 

20 Thanksgiving Words for the Classroom

THANKSGIVING, APPRECIATION, CELEBRATION, TURKEY TROT, GATHERING, GRATITUDE, WAMPANOAG, PLYMOUTH, NOVEMBER, PILGRIMS, LINCOLN, BANQUET, FOOTBALL, PUMPKIN, FAMILY, MAYFLOWER, HARVEST, TURKEY, TRAVEL, PARADE


Browse at The Imagination Box

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Valentine’s Day Art and Writing


Want to hear more from The Imagination Box?

Sign up to my newsletter for freebies, offers, and creative ideas for kids straight to your inbox, and you will get to download this cool 22-page printable ‘Watch About Me’ activity for FREE!

make a wearable watch all about me printable art activity for kids

How to purchase resources and download freebies:

You can browse all resources and freebies on this website. Click the pink ‘Buy on TPT’ button on any product page to purchase safely via my TPT Store (Teachers Pay Teachers)

You can download and continue to re-access all resources on TPT by setting up a free membership account. Your purchases will be available for digital access immediately after you make a purchase.


Download this fun FREE Halloween Door Kit!


Or Sign up here for my newsletter to get this FREE Seriously Spooky Door Decor Kit 🕷️⬇️

Classroom door decorated for Halloween with Keep Out tape and spiders

Would you love to do more art activities, but you’re short on time?

Here’s the solution I’ve got for busy 3rd–7th grade educators – get a full set like this every month!

worksheet images included in the monthly art subscription

You might also like to see:

Winter and Christmas Art and Writing Activities

New Year Art and Goal-Setting Activities

Instagram

Pinterest

See you soon!

Diane

Diane Pagan, Founder, The Imagination Box

10 ART ACTIVITIES FOR OCTOBER

Explore Fall and Halloween in your classroom with these imaginative Art Activities for October!
Perfect for Grades 3-7: Upper Elementary and Middle School Teachers, Homeschoolers, and Parents.

October art activities collage of ideas for kids

Fall is a magical season of rich color and change. This October, encourage your students to celebrate the transition into fall with art and writing activities that explore Mother Nature. Experiment with abstract art projects to reflect on this season’s natural beauty. 🍂 🦔. And as Halloween draws near, what a fabulous time to get really imaginative!

This October, give your students or your own kids (and yourself!) a creative brain break from screens with these low-prep, high-interest print-and-go art activities from The Imagination Box. Art is so much more than just a fun activity—it’s a vital tool for self-expression and building community. Engaging in art can enhance our emotional well-being, improve fine motor skills, and foster focus. Let’s go!


Read on for 10 engaging ways to experiment with creativity at home or in the classroom this October – including a freebie for fall and a freebie for Halloween!

1. Fingerprint Trees

tree silhouette with fall colored fingerprint leaves

Celebrate the rich colors of fall with this low-prep creative ‘Fall Fingerprint Trees’ painting activity, suitable for all artistic abilities. Kids love to paint using their fingers, and this is a quick and easy fall art project to bring some sensory fun into the classroom.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Owen says,
Easy to prep, and all of my kiddos were able to successfully attend to this art project which is somewhat rare in my room!


2. A Ball About Fall

A soccer ball shape filled with fall-themed doodles

This delightful ‘Ball About Fall’ is an engaging way to celebrate fall and Thanksgiving. You can easily create a colorful and imaginative seasonal classroom display to be proud of. Only basic materials are needed for these print-and-go coloring pages and writing activities.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Elizabeth says,
“I loved this craft for my door! Students were excited about activity! Love the differentiation for the words or pictures! Thank you!”


3. Abstract Fall Doodles

A collage of abstract fall doodle art activities. oak leaves, apples and acorns

Engage students in a creative and experimental way. Encourage the exploration of color stories, geometric shapes, abstract patterns, mark making, and doodling. Popular fall-themed shapes include acorn, oak leaf, maple leaf, apple and pumpkin.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Celeste says,
These are great arts and crafts activities! Well laid out and extremely easy to follow.
I was looking for some fall fun to add to our routine and this is perfect.


4. Magical Toadstools

Fly agaric spotted toadstool artwork with green geometric background

This is a simple, print-and-go coloring activity. Explore color and experiment with oil pastels to create this fun abstract fly agaric toadstool picture.
Choose from a selection of worksheets according to age and ability.
It is a fun October art activity to leave for a sub or to occupy early finishers.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tammy says,
Thank you so much for this resource!


5. Hibernating Hedgehogs

Kid painted hedgehog on a green painted background

This adorable fall hedgehog art project enables students of all abilities to experiment with color and mark-making. Your students will love this easy hibernating hedgehog painting activity! You can use a brush or fingertips for the spines or quills.

(awaiting reviews)


6. Pop Art Acorns (freebie)

Pop Art Acorn shape filled with brightly colored squares

Transition into fall with this engaging pop art-inspired acorn art activity. The finished abstract acorn coloring pages will make a fantastic display in your classroom. Choose from marker pens, colored pencils, watercolor paints, oil pastels or collages – or use a mix of these for a fun, multi-media experiment.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jessica says,
This was a lot of fun to do with my students. I loved that each child, no matter their ability was able to participate and had a final project to display.


7. Spooky Halloween Potions

Halloween themed jars with eyeballs, spooky label and a potion guide for spells

Grades 4-7 students will love these Halloween art activities. Invite your class to concoct their own spooky potions, create gruesome, bloodshot eyeballs, and respond to creative writing prompts to pen some really chilling spooky stories! This highly engaging activity yields outstanding results in both drawing and writing.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Danielle says,
My students loved creating their potions and I was impressed, and maybe even a little concerned, with their creativity. Highly recommend!


8. A Spooky Ball

A soccer ball template filled with halloween themes doodles

Celebrate Halloween creatively with this easy-to-use and imaginative ‘Spooky Ball’ art and writing prompt activity. The soccer ball template invites students to respond to prompts using Halloween-themed doodles. The ‘art ball’ has prompts for 16 spooky sketches. The ‘word ball’ has prompts for 16 spooky answers and ideas


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Delaney says,
This was the perfect resource to wrap up our week before Halloween! The kids were taking a benchmark, and I needed something fun for them to do once they finished. I loved that the kids were engaged and that I did not have to create something from scratch. I will definitely keep using this resource!


9. Doodle Bats

A bat outline filled with colorful patterns and shapes

Grades 4-7 students love these doodle bat art activities and spooky story writing prompts. Learn about warm and cool colors, explore lines, patterns, and shapes. Create some really amusing spooky stories with a bat theme. This highly engaging activity will make a wonderful collaborative display for your October classroom.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Mellissa says,
Great resource to leave with a substitute! Looks great in the hallway too!


10. Halloween Pumpkin (freebie)

Halloween pumpkin image with face and geometric shapes inside

Create a spooktacular display with this engaging free Halloween art activity. This free pumpkin coloring challenge encourages the exploration of color and shape. Bulletin board decor is also included. The aim of this multi-level challenge, is for the pumpkin shape to stand out from the background, with careful selection of color.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sylvia says,
This resource was invaluable for my students! They were able to demonstrate their knowledge independently.


  1. 🎨 Fingerprint Trees – for kids of any age or ability
  2. A Ball About Fall – making mini doodles can be less daunting
  3. 🍁 Abstract Fall – explore the shapes and patterns of nature
  4. 🍄 Magical Toodstools – fun with collage and oil pastels
  5. 🦔 Hibernating Hedgehogs – who doesn’t love hedgehogs?!
  6. 🌰 Pop Art Acorns Freebie – experiment with color and shape
  7. 🫙 Spooky Potions – kids will let their imaginations go wild!
  8. 👻 A Spooky Ball – fun doodles and hilarious writing prompts
  9. 🦇 Doodle Bats – have bat-tastic fun with warm and cool colors
  10. 🎃 Halloween Pumpkins Freebie – make a collaborative display

How to purchase resources and download freebies:

You can browse all resources and freebies on this website. Click the pink ‘Buy on TPT’ button on any product page to purchase safely via my TPT Store (Teachers Pay Teachers)

You can download and continue to re-access all resources on TPT by setting up a free membership account. Your purchases will be available for digital access immediately after you make a purchase.


Download this fun FREE Halloween Door Kit!


Or Sign up here for my newsletter to get this FREE Seriously Spooky Door Decor Kit 🕷️⬇️

Classroom door decorated for Halloween with Keep Out tape and spiders

Would you love to do more art activities, but you’re short on time?

Here’s the solution I’ve got for busy 3rd–7th grade educators – get a full set like this every month!

worksheet images included in the monthly art subscription

You might also like to see:

Winter and Christmas Art and Writing Activities

New Year Art and Goal-Setting Activities

Instagram

Pinterest

See you soon!

Diane

Diane Pagan, Founder, The Imagination Box

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