The Ultimate Guide to Thanksgiving Movies and TV Episodes for Every Age
It seems like there’s an endless number of Christmas and Halloween movies and TV shows, but for some reason, Thanksgiving episodes are a little harder to find. There’s nothing better than snuggling up after a big Thanksgiving meal or during the days leading up to the holiday and turning on something cozy to watch together. Whether you’re searching for Thanksgiving movies and TV episodes for the kids or nostalgic classics that make you laugh until your sides hurt, this guide has something for everyone, including toddlers, tweens, and adults.
Below you’ll find a complete roundup of Thanksgiving specials, movies, and classic TV episodes sorted by age group so you can create the perfect after-dinner watch list.
🧸 Thanksgiving Specials for the Littles (Toddler–Preschool Age)
Short, colorful, and full of gentle gratitude lessons for the youngest viewers.
- Bear in the Big Blue House: “The Best Thanksgiving Ever” (S3 E21) – Bear and friends prepare for the big meal and share what they’re thankful for.
🎬 Watch on Disney+ - Blue’s Clues: “Thankful” (S3 E29) – Blue and Steve share everything they’re grateful for. 🎬 Watch on Paramount+
- Clifford’s Thanksgiving Visit – Clifford travels home to see Emily Elizabeth for the holiday. 🎬 Watch on PBS Kids or YouTube
- Dora the Explorer: “Dora’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” (S7 E12) – Dora saves the parade when things go wrong. 🎬 Watch on Paramount+
- Llama Llama: “Thanks for Giving” (S2 E9) – Llama learns that sharing and helping are what Thanksgiving’s all about. 🎬 Watch on Netflix
- Peppa Pig: “Thanksgiving” (S10 E38) – Peppa and her family celebrate with Auntie Dottie. 🎬 Watch on AppleTV
- Paw Patrol: “Pups Save Thanksgiving” (S5 E19) – The pups save Adventure Bay’s Thanksgiving feast. 🎬 Watch on Paramount+
- Sesame Street: “A Sesame Street Thanksgiving” – The neighborhood celebrates kindness and community. 🎬 Watch on PBS Kids or Max
- VeggieTales: “Madame Blueberry” – A musical story about being thankful for what you have. 🎬 Watch on YouTube
- Winnie the Pooh: “Seasons of Giving” – Pooh and friends share a sweet Thanksgiving meal. 🎬 Watch on DailyMotion
🦉 Thanksgiving Cartoons for the Bigger Kids (Elementary–Tween)
- A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving – Charlie Brown hosts a chaotic yet heartwarming dinner. 🎬 Watch on Apple TV+
- A Thanksgiving Tale – A classic animated story about friendship and gratitude. 🎬 Watch on Tubi
- Animaniacs: “Turkey Jerky” – The Warner siblings cause hilarious trouble at the first Thanksgiving. 🎬 Watch on AppleTV
- Care Bears: “Grams Bear’s Thanksgiving Surprise” – Grams Bear teaches everyone to share and care. 🎬 Watch on Roku or YouTube
- Fantastic Mr. Fox – The clever fox outsmarts the farmers in this fall-perfect animated adventure. 🎬 Watch on Disney+
- Free Birds – Two turkeys travel back in time to try and stop Thanksgiving. 🎬 Watch on Prime Video
- Garfield’s Thanksgiving – Garfield faces his biggest fear — a holiday diet. 🎬 Watch on Tubi or YouTube
- Hey Arnold!: “Arnold’s Thanksgiving” (S3 E16) – Arnold discovers that family comes in many forms. 🎬 Watch on Paramount+
- The Berenstain Bears “Meet Bigpaw” – The Berenstain Bears learn about the Thanksgiving Legend of Bigpaw 🎬 Watch on YouTube
- Olivia the Pig: “Talks Turkey” – Olivia helps her family plan the perfect Thanksgiving meal. 🎬 Watch on YouTube
- Rugrats: “The Turkey Who Came to Dinner” (S4 E9) – The babies try to save the family turkey. 🎬 Watch on Paramount+
- The Thanksgiving That Almost Wasn’t – A forgotten gem about friendship and forgiveness. 🎬 Watch on YouTube
- The Wild Thornberrys: “Family Tradition” (S4 E19) – The Thornberrys celebrate Thanksgiving in the wild. 🎬 Watch on Paramount+
- Turkey Hollow – Two siblings uncover a magical mystery during Thanksgiving. 🎬 Amazon Prime
🧡 Family-Friendly Thanksgiving Movies (Rated G–PG)
- An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving – A Hallmark classic about family, forgiveness, and gratitude. 🎬 Watch on Tubi
- Beethoven – The lovable St. Bernard adds chaos and laughter to Thanksgiving dinner. 🎬 Watch on Prime Video
- Chicken Run – A brave flock of chickens plan their escape from becoming Thanksgiving dinner. 🎬 Watch on Netflix
- Jack and Jill – Twin siblings clash over the holidays when Jill visits for Thanksgiving. 🎬 Watch on Pluto
- Paul Blart: Mall Cop – A mall security guard turns hero over the Black Friday weekend. 🎬 Watch on Starz or Prime Video
- The Great Turkey Town Miracle – A small town’s faith-filled Thanksgiving outreach brings hope and kindness. 🎬 Watch on Tubi or Prime Video
- The Walton’s Thanksgiving (2022) – A modern continuation of the beloved family, centered on faith and gratitude. 🎬 Watch on Prime Video
🍂 Thanksgiving Movies for Teens & Adults (Rated PG-13–R)
- Planes, Trains and Automobiles – Two mismatched travelers try to make it home for Thanksgiving. 🎬 Watch on Pluto
- Home for the Holidays – A heartfelt, chaotic look at returning home for Thanksgiving. 🎬 Watch on AppleTV or Prime Video
- Dutch – A working-class man drives his girlfriend’s spoiled son home for Thanksgiving. 🎬 The availability of this one varies quite a bit.
- Pieces of April – A young woman hosts Thanksgiving for her estranged family in her tiny apartment. 🎬 Watch on Tubi or Prime Video
- Dan in Real Life – A widowed father’s Thanksgiving weekend turns complicated when he meets someone unexpected. 🎬 Watch on Disney+
- Friendsgiving – Two best friends host a wild adults-only Thanksgiving. 🎬 Watch on Prime Video
- Son in Law – A college girl brings her eccentric friend home for Thanksgiving. 🎬 Watch on Prime Video
- Addams Family Values – Wednesday steals the show in her unforgettable Thanksgiving play. 🎬 Watch on Paramount+ or Pluto
- Tower Heist – A group plans a heist during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 🎬 Watch on Netflix
- The Blind Side – A moving Thanksgiving dinner scene brings two families together. 🎬 Watch on Prime Video
🧣 Honorable Mentions (Thanksgiving-Adjacent Fall Favorites)
- You’ve Got Mail – Cozy New York romance featuring Thanksgiving shopping and fall charm. 🎬 Watch on Prime Video
- Little Women (1994) – A timeless family classic filled with gratitude and warmth. 🎬 Watch on Prime Video
📺 Classic Thanksgiving TV Episodes Worth Re-Watching
Perfect for relaxing after dinner, nostalgic sitcoms, family favorites, and timeless laughter. Whether you love classic comedies or more modern shows, these Thanksgiving movies and TV episodes capture the spirit of food, family, and fun.
Friends (All 10 Thanksgiving Episodes)
No show does Thanksgiving quite like Friends – from turkey heads to football games, every episode is a gem of holiday chaos and heart.
- S1 E9 — The One Where Underdog Gets Away
- S2 E8 — The One With the List
- S3 E9 — The One With the Football
- S4 E8 — The One With Chandler in a Box
- S5 E8 — The One With All the Thanksgivings
- S6 E9 — The One Where Ross Got High
- S7 E8 — The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs
- S8 E9 — The One With the Rumor
- S9 E8 — The One With Rachel’s Other Sister
- S10 E8 — The One With the Late Thanksgiving
🎬 Watch on Max.
Everybody Loves Raymond
Family dinners never go smoothly in the Barone household, and Thanksgiving brings out everyone’s funniest and most relatable moments.
- Turkey or Fish (S1 E10)
- No Fat (S3 E10)
- No Thanks (S4 E9)
- Fighting In-Laws (S5 E9)
- Older Women (S6 E9)
- Marie’s Vision (S7 E10)
🎬 Watch on Peacock or Paramount+.
The King of Queens
Doug and Carrie’s holiday traditions are never simple, but they are always hilarious.
🎬 Watch on Paramount+.
Gilmore Girls
Lorelai and Rory try to juggle multiple Thanksgiving dinners with fast-talking humor and heart.
🎬 Watch on Netflix.
Will & Grace
Four Thanksgivings in one day – this two-part adventure proves friendship can survive even the busiest holiday.
🎬 Watch on Hulu (availability varies by season).
Frasier
Frasier and Lilith team up for an unforgettable dinner full of wit and awkward family moments.
🎬 Watch on Paramount+.
Seinfeld
George buys Jon Voight’s old car while the gang navigates Macy’s Parade chaos.
🎬 Watch on Netflix.
Modern Family
From turkey mishaps to heartfelt chaos, the Dunphys and Pritchetts make Thanksgiving feel all too real.
- Three Turkeys (S6 E8)
- Thanksgiving Jamboree (S8 E7)
- Winner Winner Turkey Dinner (S9 E7)
- The Last Thanksgiving (S11 E7)
🎬 Watch on Hulu.
The Office
Not a traditional Thanksgiving plot, but WUPHF.com (S7 E9) hits the same holiday-season chaos we love from Dunder Mifflin.
🎬 Watch on Peacock.
The Big Bang Theory
The gang’s Thanksgiving at Mrs. Wolowitz’s takes an unexpected turn when Penny and Sheldon bond.
🎬 Watch on Max.
How I Met Your Mother
From slap bets to chaos, this series delivers a new tradition every Thanksgiving.
- Belly Full of Turkey (S1 E9)
- Slapsgiving (S3 E9)
- Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap (S5 E9)
- Blitzgiving (S6 E10)
- The Rebound Girl (S7 E11)
- Slapsgiving 3: Slappointment in Slapmarra (S9 E14)
🎬 Watch on Hulu.
Home Improvement
Tim “The Toolman” Taylor tackles family, football, and feasts with trademark humor.
- A Frozen Moment (S3 E10)
- My Dinner With Wilson (S4 E9)
- The Wood, the Bad and the Hungry (S6 E10)
- Thanksgiving (S7 E9)
- Thanks, but No Thanks (S8 E10)
🎬 Watch on Disney+ (also currently licensed to Netflix in the U.S.).
Boy Meets World
The Matthews and Hunters combine their families for one heartfelt and funny dinner.
🎬 Watch on Disney+.
That ’70s Show
Thanksgiving brings confessions, food, and plenty of laughs to the Forman basement.
🎬 Watch on Peacock.
The Waltons
A heartwarming Thanksgiving story from one of America’s most beloved TV families.
🎬 Watch on Peacock.
Availability can change by region and date. If a link opens a show hub, use that platform’s episode list to find the specific Thanksgiving episode.
💬 Final Thoughts
Whether you’re watching Thanksgiving movies and TV episodes with toddlers giggling at Bluey, or revisiting Monica’s turkey-on-her-head moment from Friends, there’s something comforting about seeing gratitude, chaos, and love on screen. Grab a blanket, slice another piece of pie, and make your own family tradition out of one (or all) of these Thanksgiving classics.
After watching your favorite Thanksgiving movies and TV episodes, explore my Holiday Crafts category for some fun seasonal DIY projects.
