Thankville is a paper countdown town that leads to Thanksgiving. I’ve seen paper Advent villages before, and I just love them — but rather than losing all our fall holidays in the tumble towards Christmas, I wanted to focus my attention on another holiday that deserves anticipation and love. Thanksgiving’s focus on gratitude and togetherness is something I love, and for that reason, I thought it would be fun to make that the central theme of this project. I want this to bring families together, both literally and not, which is why the Thankville story is appropriate for all ages.

The story unfolds as our main character, Dot, explores her world — and every week, as she wanders through a new part of town and finds a new clue, you get a printable craft to follow along. As Dot discovers Thankville, you bring it to life, collecting town buildings to fill in your map and bring the town together in time for Thanksgiving. Check it out here!