A placemat for every seat at the kids’ table
A placemat with a child’s own name on it says the seat is theirs, and the puzzles keep them at the table while the grown-ups finish eating. Type one name per line: every child gets their own placemat, and their name is one of the words hidden in their word search, so the first thing they look for is themselves.
Because every child’s word search and maze is made fresh, two siblings next to each other have different puzzles. Click “New puzzles” for another set; the answer page always matches the placemats in the same download.
Making it last through dinner
Print on card stock, or on plain paper with a sheet of card behind it. Crayons work better than markers on a placemat that will meet gravy. If the grown-ups’ table needs names too, the place card maker types your guest list into fold-over cards, and the leftover labels send everyone home with the dish and its use-by date.
Questions
What is on each placemat?
The child's name in the title, a word search, a maze from the turkey to the pie, a turkey to color, two tic-tac-toe boards, four lines for what they are thankful for and a plate to draw their dinner on. One placemat a page, landscape.
Can I hide our own words in the word search?
Yes. The child's name is always hidden in their own search, and up to six words of yours join it: the dog, grandma, the dish everyone waits for. Thanksgiving words fill the rest of the list. Letters only; an accent is printed without it, so Zoë is hidden as ZOE.
What is the difference between Easy and Harder?
Easy is a 10 × 10 word search with eight words, written only across and down, and an 8 × 8 maze. Harder is 13 × 13 with twelve words in every direction, backwards and diagonally too, and a 12 × 12 maze. Easy suits early readers, Harder older kids.
What size do they print?
Landscape on US Letter or A4, or on 11 × 17 in paper, the size of a real placemat, if your printer takes it. Print at 100 % (actual size). Card stock holds up best under a plate, and a sheet of contact paper over it makes it wipeable.
Are the answers included?
Yes, on a last page for the grown-ups: every child's word search with the words marked and every maze with the way through drawn in, six children a page. Untick “Add the answer page” to leave it out.
When is Thanksgiving 2026?
Thursday, November 26, 2026, the fourth Thursday of November. The placemats print with that date under the title.
Is anything uploaded from this page?
No. The puzzles and the PDF are made in your browser. The names you type are kept in this browser for next year, and no request carries them anywhere.