Thanksgiving

Crafts

*Paper plate turkeys - cover plate in feathers, add a brown body (wooden spoon shape) on top of the feathers, then add two eyes and a red wattle.

*Cut and paste food pictures onto a cornucopia shape. shape

*Make paper maché fruit - scrunch up newspaper and tape into fruit shapes such as bananas, oranges, and apples. Cover with paper maché. Paint when dry. Roll a piece of brown construction paper into a cone shape. Cut yellow construction paper into very thin strips for straw and place in the cornucopia. Arrange the fruit inside the cornucopia and use for a centerpiece.

*Hand print turkey - paint each finger a different colour (these will be the turkey's feathers), paint thumb and palm brown - press onto paper with thumb extended (that will be the head), paint the other thumb red and use to add a wattle to the head of the turkey, draw feet with an orange marker.

*Hand print turkey - this is a new twist on an old favourite - paint child's fingers and thumb with different coloured paints for the turkey's feathers, paint the palm brown; make a hand print on paper without extending the thumb (as you usually do for the traditional hand print turkey). Cut a circle and a 1" long strip from brown paper, draw eyes and glue a beak and a wattle to the circle for the turkey's head. Bend the strip of paper like a fan then attach one end of the strip to the circle and the other to the palm part of the print. The turkey's head will wobble around because of the strip of paper.

*Make place mats - cut out a placemat shape from bristle board and let children decorate with paints or markers. Use stickers or have the children spell out HAPPY THANKSGIVING on the mat. Laminate when dry.

*Food stamping - dip different foods into paint and make prints on paper with them.

*Paint with feathers.

*Make pilgrim hats.

*Napkin rings - cut a paper towel tube in 2 inch sections and have children paint orange or brown. add a construction paper turkey or pumpkin to the ring. Place napkin through the ring when dry.

*Paint with corn on the cob.

*Paper Plate Turkey - trace child's foot (no toes) on brown construction paper and cut out - this will be the head/neck of the turkey. Paint a small paper plate brown. Have children cut out feather shapes from coloured construction paper - older children can fringe them, younger children can just rip strips. Glue the feathers to the back of the plate sticking up. Add the head to the front of the plate and add eyes, beak and wattle.

*Coffee Filter Turkey - Have children use eye droppers and food colouring to colour several coffee filters. Let dry. Cut out a head and body shape for a turkey (foot tracing works well for this). Have children fold the filters like a fan and attach to the back of the turke for feathers. Add eyes, beak, and wattle.

Science

*Do a mould experiment with food.

*Have a tasting table set up - blindfold children and see if they can identify foods by their taste alone.

*Feely box with different fruits and vegetables in it.

Block Area

*Add families and large cars to the block area.

Dramatic Play

*Add plastic food, table cloths, cloth napkins and placemats for "formal" family dining.

Circle Time

*Mrs. Duck went to visit Mr. Turkey

*Always on Thanksgiving

*Way up high in an apple tree

*Thanksgiving in Strawberryland

Clifford's Thanksgiving Visit

Blue's Thanksgiving Feast

The Best Thanksgiving Ever (Bear in the Big Blue House)

*Act out Mrs. Duck song using duck beak and feathered hat for turkey

*Pin the wattle on the turkey

*Match the coloured feathers to the turkey - cut out a turkey with coloured feathers. Give each child a feather and they match the feather that they have to the cutout turkey.

Water & Sand Play

*Add farm animals to the sand.

Outdoor Play

*Paint a large red box for a barn.

*Add blankets and picnic baskets with plastic food to the play area.

Field Trips / Special Days

*Visit a grocery store and discuss the decorations and fall foods that the children see.

*Visit a farm or apple orchard.

*Have a Thanksgiving lunch.

*Cornucopia catch - make a cornucopia shaped cone from construction paper. Use foam balls that are the colours of fruits. Children can toss the 'fruits' to each other to catch in their cornucopia or children can each have their own fruit to toss up and catch in their cornucopia (easier for younger children).

Songs

Mr. Turkey

Mr. Turkey's tail is big and wide
He swings it when he walks
His neck is long, his chin is red
And he gobbles when he talks.

We Eat Turkey

(sung to: Frére Jacques)

We eat turkey, we eat turkey
Oh so good, Oh so good
Always on Thanksgiving, always on thanksgiving
Yum, yum, yum. Yum, yum, yum.

Mashed potatoes, etc.

Baked yams, etc.

Yellow corn, etc.

Apple pie, etc.

Apple Crisp

(sung to: Peanut, peanut butter)

First you take the apples
And you peel em, you peel em,
You peel em, peel em, peel em
For the apple, apple crisp and iceceam
The apple, apple crisp and icecream

Then you take the knife
And you cut em, you cut em,
You cut em, cut em, cut em
For the apple, apple crisp and iceceam
The apple, apple crisp and icecream

Then you take the Sugar
and you pour it, you pour it, etc

Then you take the oats
And you mix it, etc

Then you take the cinnamon
And you sprinkle, you sprinkle, etc

Then you take the oven
And you bake it, you bake it
You bake it, bake it, bake it
For the apple, apple crisp and icecream
The apple, apple crisp and ICECREAM!

Printouts

Related Sites

Idea Box - Seasonal Activities

Perpetual Preschool

The Chalkboard

Activity Cupboard - Crafts

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