5 Fun November Staff Morale Activities to Show Your Team You’re Grateful

November is one of those months that feels like it's over before it started. Teachers are rushing to squeeze in valuable learning before break; custodial and cafeteria staff are working hard to keep everyone healthy and fed; support staff are juggling extra behavioral excitement; and everyone looks like they could use about three more hours of sleep. The Thanksgiving break is getting closer, but there are still plenty of school days to get through before everyone gets a chance to slow down. That's when a little dose of November staff morale fun can make all the difference!

I've rounded up five simple November staff morale activities that don't require a huge budget, hours of preparation, or another complicated event on your calendar. Because sometimes the little things mean the most! 

November Is the Perfect Time to Show Some Appreciation

By November, you've had plenty of time to see just how much your staff does every single day. You've watched teachers stay late to prepare lessons, seen your office staff handle one thing after another, and probably noticed countless little acts of kindness happening throughout your building.

November gives you a great opportunity to pause and say, “I see you, and I appreciate you.” And you don't have to wait for Thanksgiving to do it! 

A quick surprise in a mailbox, a little friendly competition, or a treat delivered during a busy afternoon can give your staff something to smile about. Even better, these ideas are simple enough to actually fit into your November schedule.

Let's take a look!

1. Surprise Staff With November Scratch-Off Tickets

Everyone loves a little surprise, especially when that surprise comes with a prize! November Scratch-Off Tickets are an easy way to give your staff a little pick-me-up during those busy weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.

You can hand them out at a staff meeting, tuck them into mailboxes, or use them as an unexpected reward when you notice someone going above and beyond.

These November Scratch Offs include eight different pre-programmed tickets with prizes such as:

• A jeans pass
• Prime parking for a week
• A special treat
• Copies made for the week
• 30-minute class coverage
• Lunch provided
• A book of their choice

There are also blank tickets included, so you can write in prizes that make sense for your particular school. This is one of those activities where you can make it as simple as you need it to be. Print the tickets on cardstock, add your scratch-off stickers or scratch-off paint, and you're ready to go.

Sometimes it's the unexpected “You've won!” that makes someone's whole day.

2. Start a Friendly Rock, Paper, Scissors Challenge

Want to get your staff laughing and interacting without adding another event to the school calendar? Try a school-wide game of Rock, Paper, Scissors Challenge!

This is such a fun November staff morale activity because it can happen throughout the day. Your staff doesn't have to stop everything and gather in one place.

Everyone starts the day wearing a necklace. Then, whenever two staff members cross paths, they can challenge each other to a round of Rock, Paper, Scissors. The winner gets to take the loser's necklace.

You can keep the rules simple, or make things a little more competitive by allowing the winner to take all of the loser's necklaces. At the end of the day, whoever has collected the most necklaces wins.

My November Rock Paper Scissors resource gives you everything you need to organize the activity, including a reminder flyer, directions and rules, necklace holders, and certificates for your first-, second-, and third-place winners.

You'll just need some inexpensive necklaces and prizes for your winners. It's quick, it's silly, and it gives everyone a reason to stop and have a little fun.

3. Give Everyone a Mini Pie

If there's one thing November does really well, it's giving us an excuse to eat pie! A mini pie makes a simple and thoughtful Thanksgiving staff appreciation gift. You can pick them up from a local grocery store or bakery, add a cute gift tag, and you're ready to make your staff feel appreciated.

The Mini Pies & Gift Tags resource includes four colorful Thanksgiving and November designs with messages such as “Happy Thanksgiving! Thankful to have you on staff!” and “No matter how you slice it...you are simply the best.”

You can place the pies in staff mailboxes or set them out in the staff lounge. If you have a little extra time, I recommend delivering them yourself. Imagine walking into someone's classroom with a mini pie and saying, “I just wanted you to know how thankful I am for everything you do.”

That takes about 30 seconds, but it's the kind of moment people remember!

Don't feel like you need to spend a fortune on this idea. Shop around for individually packaged mini pies, buy in bulk, or ask your local bakery if they offer a school discount.

It's simple, seasonal, and guaranteed to make a busy November day a little sweeter.

4. Let Staff Guess How Much a Turkey Weighs

Ready for a staff morale activity that gets everyone talking? Bring in a turkey and let your staff guess how much it weighs! This is such a fun Thanksgiving activity because everyone gets to participate, and you can adjust it to fit your budget.

You might purchase one turkey for your entire staff to guess, or you could provide several turkeys if your budget allows. You could even reach out to a local grocery store to see if they're willing to donate a turkey or two.

Before you get started, label each turkey with a number, remove the price tag, and record the actual weight. Then give staff members a ballot and let them submit their best guess.

My How Much Does the Turkey Weigh? resource includes turkey cards, ballots, and recording sheets to make the whole process easy to organize.

Set the turkeys up somewhere staff members will see them and give everyone a deadline for submitting their guesses. Once everyone has made their estimate, compare the guesses with the actual weights and announce your winner. The person with the closest guess gets to take the turkey home for Thanksgiving!

You can even make this a little event in the staff lounge. Put out the turkeys, some coffee, and maybe a few Thanksgiving treats while everyone makes their guesses. It's a simple activity, but it gives your staff something fun to talk about during an otherwise ordinary school day.

5. Create a Thanksgiving Turkey Full of Prizes

Want an activity that lasts throughout the month instead of just one day? Create a turkey display where your staff can “pluck” feathers to reveal prizes! This is one of my favorite activities!

This November Staff Prizes Turkey Bulletin Board gives you an easy way to create a fun Thanksgiving display for your staff lounge, office, or another area where staff members will see it.

The resource includes the turkey pieces, several gratitude messages, and 12 prize coupons.

You get to decide how staff members earn the opportunity to choose a feather. Maybe someone gets to pick one after going above and beyond. Maybe you draw a name during a staff meeting. Maybe you recognize someone who helped a colleague or handled a particularly challenging situation. Or maybe you simply choose someone at random and say, “You've been working so hard. Pick a feather!”

The prizes can be completely customized to your school and your budget. You might offer a jeans pass, a special treat, extra planning time, a duty-free lunch, or gift cards if you have room in your budget.

I especially love this idea because it keeps the appreciation going throughout November. Every time someone chooses a feather, you have another opportunity to tell a staff member that their hard work has been noticed.

Staff Morale Doesn't Have to Be Complicated

If there's one thing I hope you take away from these November staff morale activities, it's that appreciation doesn't have to be complicated. You don't need to plan a huge Thanksgiving luncheon or to spend hundreds of dollars. And you definitely don't need to add another stressful event to your already packed November calendar.

Instead, stick with little things that really do remind staff how grateful you are for them. A scratch-off ticket in someone's mailbox, or a mini pie waiting in the staff lounge. Even five minutes of laughter over a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors can go a long way. 

Those little moments can remind your staff that they're more than the endless list of things they have to accomplish each day. They're valued members of your school community, and their hard work matters.

So pick one idea that works for your staff and give it a try this November!

Looking for More November Staff Morale Activities? 

I've got another great post with even more November Staff Morale Activities right here. You'll find tons of fun ideas to celebrate Thanksgiving with your staff, so be sure to take a peek before you plan your month!

Want Even More Easy Staff Morale Ideas?

If you love the idea of having simple staff appreciation activities ready to go throughout the school year, you'll definitely want to check out the Ultimate Staff Morale Bundle.

Instead of having to come up with a new idea every time you want to surprise your staff, you'll have a whole collection of ready-to-use morale boosters, games, appreciation activities, and fun surprises at your fingertips.

It's the perfect resource to keep on hand for those weeks when you can tell your staff needs a little something extra. Plus, this is a growing bundle, so purchasing now will allow you to have all available resources and anything new in the future for a great price!

Check out the Ultimate Staff Morale Bundle and make it easier to celebrate, encourage, and appreciate your amazing staff all year long!

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November Staff Morale Activities to Celebrate Thanksgiving

The month of November can feel like a whirlwind in schools. Between parent conferences, shortened schedules, holiday programs, and preparing students for a long break, staff members often find themselves running on empty. That’s why it’s the perfect time to sprinkle in some extra joy and gratitude to boost morale. Simple, intentional staff morale activities can go a long way in showing appreciation and keeping spirits high as the holidays approach. That's why I'm sharing seven fun and meaningful November staff morale activities you can use to bring laughter, connection, and a whole lot of thankfulness to your team!

1. Guess the Weight of the Turkey Giveaway

Bring a little excitement to your staff lounge with this engaging and hilarious activity! Provide one or more turkeys and let staff members guess the exact weight. Use the included recording sheets, turkey cards, and ballots to keep things organized. The person with the closest guess wins the turkey. 

This activity is not only festive but also flexible, too! You can give away one turkey or twenty, depending on your budget or donations. Make sure to check with local grocery stores to see if any are willing to donate turkeys. You may be surprised how many are willing to help out your school. Try this activity at your November staff meeting before Thanksgiving for a fun way to boost morale and connect. 

2. Mini Pie Gift Tags

There’s nothing sweeter than pie. . . except being reminded how much you’re appreciated! This next resource falls perfectly in line with the Thanksgiving theme and is really easy to put together. Purchase mini pies from a local bakery or grocery store and attach thoughtful tags with appreciative messages. This resource includes 4 different colorful tags with fun sayings such as, "No matter how you slice it, you’re simply the best" and "Happy Thanksgiving! Thankful to have you on staff!".

Once you've got all your pies labeled with the cute tags, deliver them on a cart, place them in staff mailboxes, or hand them out personally. It’s an affordable gesture that leaves a big impact, especially during such a busy season! Plus, who doesn't love pie?! 

3. Your Turkey Name Game

Ready to laugh with your staff? This November staff morale resource is just the thing! The Turkey Name Game is a quick, low-prep way to spark laughter. To use, you will print and post the colorful game chart in a high-traffic area and print nametags for staff to fill in their silly "turkey names." They use the code on the chart to find the two words provided for the first letter of their name, as well as the month of their birth. When combined, this creates a super silly and fun turkey name to write on their tag. 

It’s a lighthearted way to break up the day and create shared moments of fun. Place it by the sign-in sheet, copier, or staff lounge on the last day before Thanksgiving break, or right before your staff meeting. You’ll hear giggles all day long!

4. November Post-It Notes

A kind and thoughtful sticky note can truly brighten someone’s day. With this resource, you’ll get 18 fall-themed designs that print right onto Post-It notes. They're so simple to use, too! Just open the template on your computer, load sticky notes into your printer by following the directions, print, and you're ready to go. No cutting required! 

Once they are printed, leave them on desks, doors, or mailboxes to spread cheer and encouragement throughout the month of November. You can even mix it up with seasonal colors such as orange, yellow, brown, and green. It’s quick, easy, and powerful in showing staff that they’re valued!

5. Gratitude & Wellness Staff BINGO

My Staff Morale BINGO is such a huge hit in schools that I knew I HAD to create a version specifically for November! With this resource, you'll be able to encourage gratitude, wellness, and self-care with a fun round of Staff BINGO. Here's how it works:

1. Choose 25 tasks from the 35+ included options
2. Print the colorful cards, and arrange them as a BINGO board on a wall in a high-traffic area
3. Let your staff complete challenges throughout the month and sign their name to each BINGO card as they do.
4. The goal is to get at least one BINGO horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. 

For each BINGO that a staff person gets, they will receive a raffle entry for prizes. These can be as simple as a prime parking spot, a jeans pass, or a free lunch. This is a great way to involve all the staff in your school, not just teachers, and promote positivity across the building. Just let your teachers know when the BINGO board is open, collect raffle entries, and raffle off prizes before break. This will be such a memorable activity that you will want to use it year after year!

6. Turkey Toss Challenge

Kids can't have all the fun at school! Get ready for laughter and a little friendly competition with this Turkey Toss Challenge. Using hula hoops, you'll set up a few different toss stations. Inside the resource, you'll find printable Thanksgiving-themed targets to place inside. Staff members will stand behind a spot marked on the floor with painter's tape and use bean bags or stuffed turkeys to toss at the target. This is a great activity to set up in the gym, or even outside on the playground if you live in a warm area. Staff take turns tossing into targets and earning points for their team. 

It’s active, silly, and guaranteed to bring people together! Finish it off with prizes for the winning team, like snacks, gift cards, or fun privileges. The best part about this activity is that you can choose the prizes to fit your budget! 

7. Turkey Hunt

The last November Staff Morale activity on this list is another active, fun game. To get started, you will print out the invitation that gives staff members the details. This activity is done every day for a week, and staff are put in teams to "hunt". On the first day of the event, hide a stuffed turkey somewhere in your school and let the hunt begin! 

Staff members will search throughout the day with their team and notify the leader of the game if they spot the hidden turkey. A point is awarded to the first team that finds it, and an extra bonus is given if they find it before noon. This repeats each day, and at the end of the week, points are tallied and the highest scoring team at the end of the week wins! You can choose the type of prizes you award, but one thing is for sure: this will be a hit! It’s a fantastic way to create energy and camaraderie in the weeks before break.

Bundle and Save on November Staff Morale Activities 

Loving all of these November staff morale activities? The good news is that you don't have to choose which one to use at your school! Check out this bundle to find many of the activities mentioned here, plus one more! Here's what's included:

• Turkey Name Game
• Gratitude BINGO 
• Turkey Hunt 
• November Post-It Notes
• Turkey Toss
• Gratitude Jar 

Grab the Thanksgiving Staff Morale Bundle to get these 6 activities, and don't forget to snag the Mini Pie Gift Tags and Guess the Turkey Weight Giveaway as well to secure plenty of Thanksgiving fun for your staff! With all of these fun and unique staff morale boosters in your back pocket, you'll be all set for a great November with your team. 

Have Fun Celebrating Thanksgiving with Your Team!

November is the season of gratitude, and these activities make it easy to celebrate the hardworking staff who keep your school thriving. Whether you’re gifting pies, sparking laughter with a silly turkey name, or encouraging wellness through BINGO, each small act adds up to a staff culture where people feel seen and appreciated. Take a moment this November to pause, give thanks, and spread joy. You’ll be amazed at the positive ripple effect it creates across your building!

Looking for More Staff Morale Activities?

Check out these posts next to get all set up for the months to come!

• More November Staff Morale Activities
• December Staff Morale Activities 
• January Staff Morale Activities
• Planning a Year of Staff Morale Activities

The Ultimate Staff Morale Bundle

Whether you're a principal, sunshine committee member, instructional coach, or PTA volunteer, finding fresh ways to celebrate staff can be challenging. That's exactly why I created the Staff Morale Ultimate Bundle. Packed with budget-friendly ideas, printable resources, gift tags, team-building activities, and appreciation events that appeal to a variety of personalities and preferences, this bundle helps you create a positive school culture without spending hours planning. Plus, since it's a growing bundle, you'll automatically receive future additions as they're released.

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November Pocket Chart Fun for the Primary Classroom

November is the perfect month to engage your students with festive, hands-on activities that build literacy and phonemic awareness while keeping learning fun. Pocket charts are an excellent way to create interactive lessons that students can explore independently, and they’re perfect for the primary classroom. In this post, I’m sharing some must-have November pocket chart activities that are ready to use, low prep, and incredibly effective!

Why Pocket Charts Work So Well in the Classroom

Pocket charts are one of the easiest centers to establish in your classroom. They’re compact, easy to store, and simple for students to use independently. Once students learn how to interact with a pocket chart, they can practice skills on their own or in small groups. When finished, all the pieces can be tucked into an envelope or small container for safekeeping until next year, making organization a breeze. Plus, pocket charts are versatile, too! They can be used on the tabletop, floor, or even as a shared reading space. Now, let's talk pocket chart fun for November!

Pocket Chart Poetry Activities for November 

Poetry is a wonderful way to develop phonemic awareness in kindergarten, first, and even second graders. Not to mention, kids think it's a lot of fun! In my room, I liked to use two different Thanksgiving-themed poems that are perfect for pocket charts, tabletop activities, or floor practice. One is about being thankful, and one is all about those silly turkeys. You'll start by teaching the poem orally and then let students practice reading, rhythm, and rhyme independently. Each poem pack includes:

• Poem split into pocket chart word cards (2 colors included for matching)
• Printed version - perfect for student reference 
• Instructions and ideas for using in your classroom

How to Teach the Poem (Step by Step)

If you’re brand new to teaching with poetry, here’s a simple routine you can try:

Model the Poem Orally: First, read the poem aloud with lots of expression, so students hear the rhythm and rhyme. Then, invite them to echo you line by line. For example, read:“Turkeys big, turkeys small” and have the whole group repeat it back three times.

Add Movement or Gestures: Young learners love actions! As you read together, flap your arms like a turkey or gesture big and small. Movements make the words easier to remember.

Point and Read Together: Display the pocket chart words and track each word with a seasonal pointer (a fun leaf, turkey, or even just a craft stick with a sticker). Move left to right, pointing under each word as the class reads along. This models voice-print pairing and reinforces one-to-one correspondence.

Student Practice in the Pocket Chart: When you're ready, place the cut-apart word cards in a basket and let students rebuild the poem. At first, they can simply match words on colored paper to the black-and-white chart you’ve pre-assembled. Later, challenge them to put the poem in order independently. This is a great way to differentiate the activity for all of your learners.

By repeating this same structure with both the Thankful Poem and the Turkey Poem, you’ll give students the comfort of routine while keeping things fresh with seasonal content. These poems are a wonderful way to practice fluency daily, and the pocket chart format makes it easy and versatile to use in a variety of ways. 

Pocket Chart Poems for the Whole Year

I know once you give these a try in your room, your students will be hooked, so be sure to check out the Year-Long Pocket Chart Poem Bundle, too! This includes 12 different poems, so you can continue the poetry pocket chart center all year long!

With these poetry pocket chart activities, your students will strengthen a wide range of early literacy skills in a fun and interactive way. They’ll practice essential reading behaviors such as left-to-right progression, return sweep, and one-to-one correspondence, while also building voice-print pairing and sight word recognition. 

Each poem reinforces phonemic awareness through rhythm, rhyme, and repetition, and gives students the chance to work on beginning sounds, rhyming words, and overall reading fluency. Together, these skills provide a strong foundation for growing confident, independent readers all year long.

More Uses for the Poems 

Beyond the pocket chart center, you can also use the included printed poems in "I Can Read Notebooks". Using this resource continues to reinforce top-to-bottom, left-to-right reading and return sweep. This resource includes 10 different sample pages to get you started, as well as everything you need to make the binders themselves, including cover pages and binder spines. Then, each month, as you introduce new poems, you can add them to the notebooks for continued, independent practice. Students will love reading the poems at their desks and illustrating them. 

Colorful Turkeys Pocket Chart

Learning colors has never been this fun! This Colorful Turkeys November Pocket Chart activity is perfect for students working on color recognition and reading color words. The adorable turkey graphics make matching exercises engaging, while students practice reading simple color words or sentences. Here's what's included:

• Turkey picture cards 
• Color word cards 
• Color sentence cards (This turkey is....)
• Color or Black Text options
• Bonus color gameboard and spinner

To play, place all cards in a basket near the pocket chart. Students match picture cards with the correct color word or sentence. You can choose the option that best fits the skill level of your students. For students who have not mastered color words, start with the color text options that allow them to match colors while also practicing reading these words. For more of a challenge, use the black text option. Consider using a seasonal pointer to use as students read the sentences or identify color words for an extra layer of fun. 

Next, use the spinner game to move pawns to matching turkeys as a follow-up activity. This game is perfect as a companion to the pocket chart activity that will extend learning and give kids more opportunities to practice color recognition and color words! They will love "racing" to the finish line as they spin, identify the color, and move their game marker!

Thanksgiving Nonsense Word Activity

Looking for a way to boost fluency and decoding skills this November? This Nonsense Word November Pocket Chart Activity engages students while practicing CVC words. Kindergarten and first graders will love sorting turkey-themed cards into real words and nonsense words. Plus, it's far more exciting than a plain word list! This resource includes:

• 60 turkey-themed cards 
• Header cards for sorting "Real Words" and "Nonsense Words"
• Optional student recording sheet for additional accountability 

Students will choose a card, read it, and sort the cards under the correct heading based on whether they are real or nonsense words.  The activity covers all short vowels, making it a comprehensive, engaging center for small groups or whole group instruction. Not to mention, this one is always full of giggles as students decode the words and determine if they are real or not! You can also use the optional recording sheets for some additional accountability and have students write the words as they sort. 

November Pocket Chart Fun for Everyone!

Pocket chart activities are a simple, low-prep way to build essential literacy skills in the primary classroom while keeping students engaged and independent. From Thanksgiving poems and color matching to nonsense word fluency, these November resources will help you create meaningful, hands-on centers your students will love. Head on over to TPT to snag these and many other activities that can be used in pocket charts in your classroom.

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