Need a giggle before the big feast? These 50 Thanksgiving jokes for kids are clean, silly and easy enough for young children to tell. Use them at the dinner table, in a classroom, or tucked into a lunchbox with our free printable joke cards.
Ages 4–10 · 50 jokes in 6 categories · Includes printable lunchbox cards.
Jokes are more than fun. Telling a joke builds confidence, vocabulary and timing, and understanding a pun is a great early-reading skill. Read a few aloud and watch the whole family groan and laugh.
Printable tip: Want a paper copy? Use your browser’s Print option (Ctrl+P on a computer, or Share → Print on a phone) to print this page for home, class or the dinner table.
Turkey Jokes for Kids
- Why did the turkey cross the road? It was the chicken’s day off!
- What do you call a running turkey? Fast food!
- Why did the turkey join the band? Because it had the drumsticks.
- What sound does a turkey’s phone make? Wing, wing!
- Why don’t turkeys ever get invited to parties? They use fowl language.
- What’s a turkey’s favorite dessert? Peach gobbler!
- Why was the turkey so full? It was already stuffed.
- What do you get when a turkey lays an egg on top of a barn? An eggroll!
- Which side of a turkey has the most feathers? The outside.
- Why did the turkey cross the road twice? To prove it wasn’t a chicken!
- What did the turkey say to the computer? Google, google, google!
- What do you call a turkey on the day after Thanksgiving? Lucky!
Pilgrim and History Jokes
- What did the Pilgrims wear to the feast? Har-vest!
- If the Pilgrims were alive today, what would they be famous for? Their age!
- Why did the Pilgrims’ pants keep falling down? Because they wore their belt buckles on their hats.
- What kind of music did the Pilgrims like? Plymouth Rock!
- Where did the Pilgrims park the Mayflower? In the harbor-lot.
- What’s the Mayflower’s favorite subject in school? History, because it was there!
- How is a Pilgrim like a puzzle piece? They both came looking for a place to fit in.
- What did the Mayflower say to Plymouth? “Shore is nice to see you!”
Thanksgiving Food Jokes
- What did the mashed potatoes say to the gravy? “You’re the best thing on my plate!”
- Why did the cranberries turn red? Because they saw the turkey dressing!
- What do you call a stolen yam? A hot potato!
- Why did the corn blush? It saw the salad dressing.
- What did the green bean say to the casserole? “Let’s stick together!”
- Why did the bread roll cry? Its mom had been a little crusty.
- What do you call corn that joins the army? Kernel!
- Why are potatoes good detectives? They keep their eyes peeled.
- What is the stuffing’s favorite song? “Stuff-ing in the Name of Love!”
- Why did the gravy go to school? To become a little thicker.
- What do you call a scary vegetable? A boo-cumber! (It’s still hanging around from Halloween.)
- What did the baby corn say to the mama corn? “Where’s pop corn?”
Pumpkin Pie and Dessert Jokes
- What’s the best thing to put into a pumpkin pie? Your teeth!
- Why did the pie go to the dentist? It needed a filling.
- What did the pumpkin say after Thanksgiving? “Thank goodness that’s over, I’ve been pie-ing to relax!”
- What’s a pumpkin’s favorite sport? Squash!
- How do you fix a broken pumpkin? With a pumpkin patch.
Thanksgiving Knock-Knock Jokes
- Knock, knock. Who’s there? Turkey. Turkey who? Turkey the door, it’s locked!
- Knock, knock. Who’s there? Gladys. Gladys who? Gladys Thanksgiving, aren’t you?
- Knock, knock. Who’s there? Arthur. Arthur who? Arthur any leftovers?
- Knock, knock. Who’s there? Butter. Butter who? Butter hurry up, dinner’s getting cold!
- Knock, knock. Who’s there? Phillip. Phillip who? Phillip my plate, please, I’m hungry!
- Knock, knock. Who’s there? Ida. Ida who? Ida nother slice of pie, please!
- Knock, knock. Who’s there? Dewey. Dewey who? Dewey have to wait for dessert?
- Knock, knock. Who’s there? Pecan. Pecan who? Pecan somebody your own size!
Family, Football and Leftovers Jokes
- Why did the football player bring a turkey to the game? He heard there would be a lot of stuffing in the end zone.
- What did the leftover turkey say? “Thanks for having me… again!”
- Why did Grandma put wheels on her rocking chair? She wanted to rock and roll after dinner.
- What do you call a Thanksgiving nap? A turkey snooze!
- What are you most thankful for on Thanksgiving? Stretchy pants!
Thanksgiving Joke Games for the Whole Family
Turn these jokes into games that keep everyone entertained while the turkey is in the oven.
Joke Relay
Split into two teams. One player from each team reads a joke card, and the other team has ten seconds to guess the punchline. Each correct guess earns a point. The team with the most points picks the first dessert.
Try Not to Laugh
Players take turns telling a joke to the person next to them. The listener must keep a straight face. If they laugh, they swap places and become the joke teller. This one is perfect for silly grandparents!
Joke Charades
Pick a joke and act out the punchline without speaking. For “What do you call a running turkey? Fast food!”, you might flap your arms and run in place while pretending to eat. Everyone else guesses the joke.
Pass the Pie
Sit in a circle and pass a paper pie plate while music plays. When the music stops, whoever is holding the plate tells a joke from the list.
How to Write Your Own Thanksgiving Joke
Kids love making up their own jokes, and it is a brilliant creative-writing exercise.
- Pick a Thanksgiving word: turkey, pie, corn, gravy, Pilgrim, leaves.
- List words that sound similar: pie and “pi”, corn and “kernel”, gravy and “grave-y”.
- Ask a question that uses both meanings: “What does a math teacher eat on Thanksgiving? Pumpkin pi!”
- Test it on a grown-up. If they groan, you’ve done it right!
How to Use the Printable Lunchbox Joke Cards
Our printable cards make it easy to bring a little laughter to school every day in November.
- Print and cut: Print the PDF on card stock, cut along the dotted lines, and fold each card in half so the answer is hidden inside.
- Lunchbox surprise: Slip one card into your child’s lunchbox each day leading up to Thanksgiving. Twenty-four cards cover most school days in November.
- Dinner table game: Put the cards in a bowl. Each guest picks one and reads it aloud. Whoever gets the biggest laugh wins the first slice of pie.
- Classroom joke wall: Teachers can pin a new joke card on the board each morning as a fun warm-up.
- Write your own: Two blank cards are included for kids to invent their own Thanksgiving jokes.
Why Jokes Are Good for Kids
Laughter is healthy, but jokes also help children learn. To “get” a pun like “peach gobbler”, a child has to understand that one word can sound like another. That is called phonological awareness, and it is an important early-reading skill. Telling jokes in front of others also builds confidence and social skills, and knock-knock jokes teach turn-taking in conversation.
If your family loves jokes, try our Halloween jokes for kids, our Easter jokes and riddles for kids, or test your brain with these Halloween riddles for kids.
Tips for Telling a Great Joke
- Pause before the punchline. A little wait makes the answer funnier.
- Look at your audience. Smile and make eye contact.
- Practice once or twice. Saying it out loud helps you remember.
- Laugh at yourself. If a joke flops, a giggle makes it funny anyway!
FAQ: Thanksgiving Jokes for Kids
What is the funniest Thanksgiving joke for kids?
Kids usually love “What do you call a running turkey? Fast food!” and “Why did the turkey join the band? Because it had the drumsticks.” They’re short, easy to remember and easy to tell.
Are these Thanksgiving jokes appropriate for school?
Yes. Every joke on this list is clean and family-friendly, so they work well for classrooms, Sunday school and family gatherings.
How do I print the Thanksgiving joke cards?
Click the download button, open the PDF, and print on card stock or regular paper. Use “actual size” in your printer settings so the cards fit the cutting lines.
What age are these jokes for?
Most jokes suit children ages 4–10. Younger kids enjoy the knock-knock jokes, while older kids appreciate the puns and wordplay.
