QUICK STARTS FOR THANKSGIVING
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Make turkey handprints on paper. |
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Make paper feather headbands. |
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Sing turkey songs. |
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Make square paper quilt murals. |
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Make colored play dough turkey dinners. |
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Make corn prints using dried corn cobs and paint. |
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Make pumpkin pudding. |
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Dance to drum music. |
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Read “Stone Soup” |
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Make bead necklaces.
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HARVEST PLACEMAT
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Give your child a piece of yellow or orange construction paper. |
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Help him tear or cut out pictures of fruits and vegetables from magazines or grocery store ads. |
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Invite him to arrange the pictures on the paper and glue them in place to make a collage. |
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Cover the collage with clear Contact Paper or have it laminated at a copy shop. |
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TURKEY PUPPETS
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Take some heavy brown paper and have your child put their hand on the paper (fingers spread) |
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Draw around your child’s hand and then cut out the hand. |
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Help your child draw a face on the thumb and have him use bright markers to color the others fingers for feathers. |
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Give your child a large craft stick and some glue or paper and have him attach the paper turkey to the craft stick to make a stick puppet. |
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Let your child use their turkeys when singing turkey songs or reading Thanksgiving stories.
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THANKSGIVING PLACE CARDS
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Fold unlined index cards in half so that they will stand tent-like on your table. |
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On the front of the cards, write the names of the guest who will be at your Thanksgiving dinner. |
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Let your child decorate the cards by attaching turkey stickers or rubber-stamping on seasonal prints. |
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FALL LEAF WREATH
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Take a paper plate (white or colored) and cut out the center of the plate. |
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Set out some dried fall leaves and some glue. |
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Show your child how to cover her plate with glue and then gently press fall leaves all around the plate. |
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These look great in windows or on doors.
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LEAF TURKEYS
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You will need a large turkey cutout for this activity. |
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Cut your turkey out of heavy brown paper. |
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Again, set out some dried fall leaves and some glue. |
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Have your child glue the leaves onto their paper turkey, for feathers. |
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Add facial features with marking pens. |
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FAMILY PHOTO GAMES
Use photos of family members to prepare your child for the guests she will see at your Thanksgiving gathering.
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Go through a photo album and talk about the people in some of the pictures. Can your child identify the same people in other photos? |
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Cut individual figures out of the photos and turn them into puppets by attaching craft stick handles. Use the puppets to “introduce” the people to your child. |
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NUT GAMES
Set out a bowl of unshelled mixed nuts and play these games with your child.
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Sort the nuts by kind or color. |
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Count the number of pecans, the number of almonds, and so forth. |
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Line up the nuts from smallest to largest. |
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STUFF THE TURKEY
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Give your child a paper bag and some sheets of newspaper. |
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Have your child crumble up the paper sheets and stuff them into the bag, pretending that they are stuffing the turkey. |
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How many sheets did it take to fill up the sack?
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THANKSGIVING BOOKS
Check your local children’s bookstore or local library for these and other books about Thanksgiving.
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One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims by B.G. Hennessy |
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What is Thanksgiving? By Harriet Ziefert |
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Thanksgiving Is For Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland |
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The Extra-Thankful Thanksgiving by Kim Watson
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RHYMING TURKEY WORDS
Have your children listen for the rhyming words in the following turkey rhyme.
The turkey is a funny bird,
It’s head goes bobble – bobble;
And all he knows is just one word…
Gobble, gobble, gobble!
Traditional
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There are many science related things that you can do with young children based on Thanksgiving items or activities. Such as:
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Discuss and explore the many food items made from corn. |
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Let your children help you measure ingredients for cooking projects. |
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Let your children help you weigh a turkey (or other food item) at the store. |
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Help your child discover the changes that occur while food is cooking or freezing. |
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Let your child learn how to make butter. |
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Let your child divide items that are fruits from items that are vegetables. |
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Here are some ideas for Thanksgiving snacks.
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Fruit salad |
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Pumpkin custard |
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Apple tarts |
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Rolls and butter |
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Vegetables and dip |
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WE ARE THANKFUL
Tune: “Frere Jacques”
It’s Thanksgiving, It’s Thanksgiving.
Let’s give thanks, let’s give thanks
For our friends and family,
For our home and food.
Let’s give thanks, let’s give thanks.
Elizabeth Scofield
Sing the song again, naming other things you and your children are thankful for.
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I LOVE PIES
Tune “Three Blind Mice”
Pies, pies, pies,
I love pies.
Thanksgiving pies,
That’s no lie.
Mince meat, pumpkin and pecan, too.
Apple, berry to name a few.
Chocolate, lemon, how about you?
I love pies!
Jean Warren
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TURKEY POKEY
Tune: “Hokey Pokey”
You put your right wing in, you take your right wing out,
You put your right wing in and you shake it all about.
You do the Turkey Pokey and you gobble as you shout,
“That’s what it’s all about.”
Continue with putting in, left wing, right leg, left leg, head, And finally your whole self.
Adapted Traditional
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ADDITIONAL THANKSGIVING SONGS
Can be found at the Music Station. |
THANKSGIVING
