11 Funny Thanksgiving Poems For Kids

Thanksgiving, in the eyes of the poets on this list, is a humorous and family-oriented holiday that allows for equal parts of thankfulness and entertainment. Some poets chose to approach these young reader-oriented poems through the lens of a child-speaker, while others chose to speak more broadly about Thanksgiving in a funny way. Each poem takes a unique look at the holiday and some of the many reasons why people love to celebrate it.

Thankful by Mandy Cidlik 

‘Thankful’ is another quite short poem. In it, the speaker declares that “you,” likely a young reader, are not going to get treats, tricks, flowers, or presents. Instead, “just be THANKFUL,” she says, for life. Although young readers might not think that this is fair, it is a thoughtful message to share. 

No gifts to buy or presents to give,

Just be THANKFUL for the life that you live.

The Turkey Shot Out of the Oven by Jack Prelutsky 

In this very funny poem, the speaker describes a ricocheting and bouncing turkey that flies out of the oven and attaches to the ceiling, somewhere “there’d never been a turkey before.” The ending is meant to surprise those reading it when it’s revealed that the turkey exploded in the over because the speaker, obviously a young child, filled it with unpopped popcorn.

The turkey shot out of the oven

and rocketed into the air,

it knocked every plate off the table

and partly demolished a chair.

I’m Thankful for Turkey by Ken Nesbitt 

This light-hearted Thanksgiving poem is five stanzas long. It all uses a perfect, very entertaining rhyme scheme that ends with the four lines featured below. The poet’s speaker expresses his thankfulness for all the food around him that builds up and up until the last lines when he decides he’s thankful that he hasn’t gained so much weight that he can’t see his feet. This poem is perfect for kids to hear or read themselves. 

I’m thankful, Thanksgiving,

for good things to eat.

But mostly I’m thankful

I still see my feet.

Oh, What a Feast! by Deborah P. Cerbus 

‘Oh, What a Feast!’ is another entertaining poem about the food family members share on the holiday. The speaker uses easy language and phrases like “I can’t wait” and “what a feast for me” that help convey her excitement over the coming meal in a relatable and humorous way. This poem is certainly meant for young readers to enjoy and perhaps agree with. 

Oh, what a feast for me.

I love Thanksgiving

Fill up my plate.

Oh, what a feast for me!

Butter by Elizabeth Alexander

‘Butter’ is a poem about family relationships, food, and how the two can come together to create a wonderful experience. The poet spends time talking about her mother’s love for butter, which is even greater than her own, and how they cook. The poem should remind readers of all ages that spending time together as a family is the most important thing. One should strive to make memories that are going to last a long time.

My mother loves butter more than I do,

more than anyone. She pulls chunks off

the stick and eats it plain, explaining

cream spun around into butter!

Thanksgiving Prayer by Susan D. Anderson 

‘Thanksgiving Prayer’ is another short poem that starts out quite earnestly and then ends with a funny conclusion, as many children’s poems do. The first part of the poem goes into all the family members the speaker is thankful for, and then she declares that she’s thankful that she isn’t a turkey. 

I’m thankful for my mother, and

I’m thankful for my dad.

I’m thankful for my sisters, and

for all the fun we’ve had.

Thanksgiving Day Parade by Jack Prelutsky 

Slightly longer than some of the poems on this list, ‘Thanksgiving Day Parade’ alludes to the tradition of Thanksgiving parades without naming any precisely. The speaker observes a variety of wonderful floats and balloons with many different characters on them. Santa is on one, waddling as he stands, a very entertaining sight. Like other poems on this list, the ending has a twist. 

It’s pouring now, but not on me,

I’m just as dry as I can be,

I watch and watch, but don’t get wet,

I’m watching on our TV set.

A Thanksgiving Alphabet by Linda Marie Child 

‘A Thanksgiving Alphabet’ is an example of an acrostic. This means that the first letter of each first word on every line spells out another word, in this case, “Thanksgiving.” Rather than telling a specific story about the holiday, the lines go into several different things one might experience. For example, autos and uncles coming on, remembering the “Indians and Pilgrims” as well as thinking about future snowfalls. 

T…Turkeys, tablespreads, being together,
H…Happiness and homes to protect us from all weather,
A…Aunts and uncles, a reunion in Fall,
N…Nieces and nephews, family members all!
K…Kind-hearted kin coming over for dinner,

A Thanksgiving Dinner by Maude M. Grant

‘A Thanksgiving Dinner’ has a few wonderful rhymes in it that paint a picture of the foods one might find on thanksgiving day. The speaker describes the cranberries, the turkey, the pumpkin pie, and more. Each of these things should read as quite appetizing and remind anyone hearing about them of their own Thanksgiving. 

Pickles-yes-and then, oh my!

For a dessert a pumpkin pie,

Golden brown and spicy sweet.

What a fine Thanksgiving treat!

Turkey by Meish Goldish 

‘Turkey’ is a very amusing poem in which readers can find examples of onomatopoeia when the poet uses words like “gobble” and “wobble.” She wants to “talk turkey” and share in the joy of this strange creature and how celebrated it is on Thanksgiving. 

Let’s talk turkey,

What a shaky wobble!

Strut about, strut about,

Gobble, gobble, gobble!

I Ate Too Much Turkey by Jack Prelutsky 

This is yet another funny poem from the skilled poet Jack Prelutsky who has written other humorous Thanksgiving day pieces. In this poem, he uses repetition in order to emphasize how much his speaker ate on Thanksgiving day and how it makes him feel. His “buttons are starting to pop,” and he uses hyperbole to suggests he’s “probably going to die.” 

I’m full of tomatoes

and french fried potatoes,

my stomach is swollen and sore,

but there’s still some dessert,

so I guess it won’t hurt

if I eat just a little bit more.