November is here, and it’s the perfect time to bring some fun, seasonal activities into your classroom! Between the excitement of fall, Thanksgiving, school breaks, and the busy weeks ahead, keeping students engaged can be challenging…but I’m here to help!!
I’ve rounded up 8 fun November activities for 1st grade that are easy to use, reinforce important skills, and keep little learners excited about learning! 🦃🍂
1. Class Turkey Family Thanksgiving Project
This is one of my favorite November activities for 1st grade! Each student takes home a paper turkey feather to decorate with their family however they choose. I just cut out some large feathers from white cardstock and send them home with simple directions.
When the feathers come back, we put them all together to create one big, colorful class turkey! I love seeing everyone’s creative ideas, and the finished turkey makes an adorable November classroom display! The kids love it!
2. November Poems for 1st Grade
Bring some seasonal fun to your literacy lessons with November Poems! These engaging poems are a great way to build reading fluency, practice rhyming, and strengthen vocabulary. I love using poetry for shared reading, repeated reading, and our weekly poetry station. It’s an easy, low-prep way to sneak in important literacy skills while celebrating November!
👉🏽 Get your November Poems today!
3. Pumpkin Pie in a Cup
Pumpkin Pie in a Cup is one of my absolute favorite November activities for 1st grade! It’s a fun and delicious way to celebrate Thanksgiving with your students. I use a recipe from Primarily Speaking, and it is SO good!
My students love making their own little pumpkin pie treats, and of course, eating them is the best part! Last year, a former student of mine who was in 3rd grade would come by my room each morning and talk about that pie. So, I worked with his teachers and he got to come in and have a cup! He was so happy and his teacher said he talked about it for the rest of the day. 🧡
I also love to do a pumpkin pie spices “sniff test” with my students. They love smelling the different spices that we use to make our little pies.
4. November Writing Prompts
With all the days off we have in November, it’s important to keep students practicing important writing skills while still adding a fun seasonal twist! I have a fun November Writing Prompts pack to give students engaging, fall-themed topics to write about while continuing to build their writing skills. They’re an easy, low-prep way to keep writing instruction consistent while bringing a little November fun into the classroom!
5. Thanksgiving Foods and Opinion Writing
What’s the best food to serve at a family feast? This fun November opinion writing activity gets students thinking about their favorite feast foods and explaining why they’re the best! I also love making this chart together so we can see all of the foods that are enjoyed by families. It’s a great time to read the book No Turkey for Thanksgiving, too!
6. Thanksgiving Activities Book
The days leading up to Thanksgiving can be busy, so I love having fun, low-prep activities ready to go! My Thanksgiving Booklet is packed with engaging activities, including a Thanksgiving poem, a game, writing activities, a word search, and more! The activities focus on food, family, and giving thanks rather than the history of Thanksgiving. It’s a great way to keep students learning and having fun before the holiday break!
7. Fun Turkey and Thanksgiving Books
A few of my favorite Turkey and Thanksgiving books to read aloud…
- A Plump and Perky Turkey
- No Turkey for Thanksgiving
- Turkey Trouble
- There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey
- 10 Fat Turkeys
8. November Math and Literacy Activities for 1st Grade
My November Math and Literacy pack is filled with fall-themed activities that give students extra practice with the skills and concepts we’re working on in 1st grade. Instead of adding something completely new, I can easily work these activities into our regular math and literacy routines for stations, small groups, independent practice, morning work, or extra review throughout the month.
⭐⭐⭐ Be Ready with October and November Sub Plans
When those fall germs hit, having something ready to go can make an unexpected day off a whole lot easier! My October and November Sub Plan materials are filled with print-and-go activities that focus on skills and concepts 1st graders are already working on. Just print the pages you need, leave them for your sub, and know your students will have meaningful practice while you’re away.
November is such a fun time in the first grade classroom! Between seasonal reading and writing activities, creative projects, and a few special treats, there are so many ways to keep students engaged and learning. I hope these fun November activities for 1st grade give you some easy ideas to try with your own students. Enjoy all the fall fun before the busy holiday season begins!
Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Teaching!
Jennifer ~ Practical Primary Teacher 🍏🍎
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Hello, I’m Jennifer! I teach 1st grade. I've been teaching for over 20 years. I love to design engaging and rigorous activities for my students and help them develop a love for reading. 
