There are many things to celebrate and recognize about Thanksgiving. Delicious food, family gatherings, and a complicated history, to name a few! Check out our list of recommended resources for teaching about Thanksgiving here. Another way to spark a conversation is with this collection of Thanksgiving poems for kids of all ages. Oh, and we heard poetry goes great with pumpkin pie, so enjoy a slice (or two)!
Elementary School
1. Dear Mr. Turkey by Michele Meleen
“I love the way you gobble.”
2. Five Little Turkeys by Unknown
“…standing at the door.”
3. Time for Turkey by Lori Soard
“…gobble, gobble.”
4. Thank You, Thanksgiving by Kenn Nesbitt
“We’re glad that you’re here.”
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5. Thankful by Gathered Again
“I am thankful for my family…”
6. Albuquerque Turkey by Unknown
“And he’s feathered and he’s fine…”
7. A Thanksgiving Dinner by Maude M. Grant
“Take a turkey, stuff it fat…”
8. All in a Word by Aileen Fisher
“T – for time to be together”
9. I’m Thankful for Turkey by Kenn Nesbitt
“I’m thankful for yams.”
Middle & High School
10. Thanksgiving by Bill Volkov
“The wind pushes down the road, a warm breeze.”
11. Thanksgiving by Edgar Guest
“Gettin’ together to smile an’ rejoice…”
12. Fourth Thursday Of November by Patricia L. Cisco
“Ever since I can remember…”
13. To All My Friends by May Yang
“That I could be this human at this time…”
14. King For A Day by Jo McNally
“I’m resting here quite regally…”
15. Home by Bruce Weigl
“I didn’t know I was grateful…”
16. The Harvest Moon by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“Deserted, on the curtained window-panes…”
17. Butter by Elizabeth Alexander
“My mother loves butter more than I do…”
18. The Traveling Onion by Naomi Shihab Nye
“When I think how far the onion has traveled…”
19. She Was Fed Turtle Soup by Lois Red Elk
“The willows were turning green…”
20. The Dream of Knife, Fork, and Spoon by Kimiko Hahn
“I can’t recall where to set the knife and spoon.”
21. Perhaps the World Ends Here by Joy Harjo
“The world begins at a kitchen table.”
22. The Bean Eaters by Gwendolyn Brooks
“They eat beans mostly, this old yellow pair.”
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