FACT #1: Thanksgiving brings whole families together like no other holiday.
FACT #2: Turkeys take a very, very long time to cook.
Put those facts together, and it’s clear that you’ll need some fun activities to keep the whole family engaged. What better way to promote family harmony than to share great Thanksgiving traditions of music and song?
1. Thanksgiving Meal-Themed Instruments, Music and Movement
Rhythm games with drumsticks are perfect for a holiday that is all about a turkey dinner. Kids are always excited to play with percussion instruments, but the fun is doubled when they can make “punny” connections between the music and the upcoming meal.
To ratchet up the rhythmic fun and burn off some pent-up energy, sing some classic oldies that celebrate the elements of the feast and make everyone want to get up and move. Continue the turkey theme with dancing to “Surfin’ Bird,” but don’t forget the side dishes—it’s “Mashed Potato Time,” after all! When everyone needs a breather, the guitar strummer in the house can lead a sing-along of “American Pie.”
2. No Football Game Is Complete Without a Halftime Marching Band!
The backyard touch football game is a Thanksgiving tradition for many families. It is also an opportunity to give aspiring musicians in the family a chance to shine by putting together a “halftime show.” Whether they play instruments like the violin and trumpet or more use simple items like shakers, letting the kids plan and perform a marching band routine during a break in the big game will have them glowing with pride!
3. Music the Pilgrims’ Way: The Joy of Rounds
For the most part, Pilgrims favored singing over playing instruments, and they especially loved rounds. “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” nicely and humorously connects a Thanksgiving Day sing-along to the story of the Mayflower. If you are feeling competitive and know lots of people, you can try beating the current Guinness World Record for singing a nursery rhyme in a round. The current record was set in 2013 at the Richmond Maritime Festival in Richmond, British Columbia with a group of 180 singers!
4. Fun Family Musical Craft Project: Traditional Wampanoag Water Drum
If there were any musical instruments at the First Thanksgiving, they were most likely brought by Native Americans from the Wampanoag Nation. Learning how to make a version of the traditional Wampanoag water drum is a fascinating group craft activity.
You can find instructional videos online on how to make a water drum. Involve your kids in its construction and playing. Children, both young and old, are enthralled by the way the tone of the drum changes with the water level.
Hear how the traditional Wampanoag water drum sounded.
5. Turkey Trots Through the Years — A Century of Song and Dance!
For musical Thanksgiving family fun, the Turkey Trot reigns supreme. This musical activity has it all—dancing, turkey-themed lyrics to sing together, and the opportunity to click drumsticks in time with a lively rhythm.
There are multiple songs and dances called Turkey Trot. The original dance was developed in the early 1900s to ragtime music. It is a lively, athletic dance similar to the later Charleston, featuring big, bird-like kicks and wing-like arm movements. Composer Joseph M. Daly wrote the piano rag “Turkey Trot” in 1912 at the height of the dance’s popularity. Daly’s infectious, upbeat melody will inspire any young piano players in the house to search music books for ragtime sheet music.
Over five decades later, the Turkey Trot soared in popularity again when Motown’s Little Eva (of “Locomotion” fame) recorded the single, “Let’s Do the Turkey Trot.” Her live performances of the hit featured dancers re-creating the original ragtime dance. The bouncing beat also fit the popular dance styles of the 1960s, ensuring that the Turkey Trot was indeed back and here to stay.
Today, there is yet another Turkey Trot dance, created just for kids and perfect to get them through that last hungry half-hour of torment as irresistible aromas fill the house. It is set to the tune of the Hokey-Pokey, with human body parts replaced by turkey body parts like wings, tail feathers, and of course, drumsticks.
Music Is the Best Reason to be Thankful
Thanksgiving musical activities unite families in a spirit of fun, but they mean so much more than that. The ragtime Turkey Trot can be traced back to the mingling of African and Irish music, and dance traditions in the Piedmont region of the Eastern U.S. The Wampanoag water drum dates back centuries, while the Pilgrims carried the European round singing tradition to America’s shores. Music truly is the universal language that unites us all. That is definitely something to be thankful for, all year round!
Aaron Hansen is an experienced K-6 General Music educator, passionate about bringing music to life through the Orff Approach. He holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Northern Iowa. Aaron has completed comprehensive Orff Teacher Training, including three levels at the University of St. Thomas and an Orff Master Class. His dedication to the Orff method took him to the Summer International Course at the Orff Institute in Salzburg, Austria. Aaron also shares his expertise by teaching movement at various Orff Teacher Training Courses and conducting workshops for local Orff Chapters.
