We Are Thankful: Activity Suggestions

We Are Thankful

Finger plays, Flannel Board and Group Time Fun

General goals of the unit…
What does being thankful mean?

Explain that we should be thankful that we have:

Shelter: Describe the different kinds of homes that people live in.
Clothing: The seasonal changes of clothing we have and why.
Water: Not any kind of water, but clean water to drink, it doesn’t make us sick.
Food: Good food to keep us strong and healthy.
Friends and family: To support us and to share our lives with.
Jobs: To keep a roof over our heads, clothing on our bodies, fresh water to drink, food to eat and to provide us with everything else we need for our safekeeping.
Education: To help us get good jobs.


How many scoops…
Gather three or four assorted sized containers and a one-cup measuring cup. Have the children predict how many scoops it will take to fill each container.
Ask questions like which one of the containers has more?
Less?
Why.

Sharing what we are thankful for…
Let the children each draw a picture of what they are thankful for. Share with the children the pictures that were drawn during art time.


Centers

Water Table Fun…
Set out assorted measuring cups, bowls and containers for the children to practice pouring and scooping water into.

Food picture to seed match…
Cut out pictures of vegetables and fruit; photocopy each of the pictures once. Glue the original to one blank index card and laminate. Find the seeds that produce the vegetable or fruits that you have cut out. Some examples: apple/seeds, cantaloupe/seeds, beans/seeds. Using a blank index card glue the seeds to one side and the photocopied picture to the back. Have the children try and match the seed to the correct matching food. To check their work they simply flip the card over to see if they are correct.

Grocery label match…
Cut off two identical can and box labels from the food items in your house. Make several matching pairs. Have the children match them.

Seasonal Match…
Provide several choices of seasonal clothing on small cards that are laminated such as shorts, winter jackets, pants, sandals, rain jacket, winter hat, baseball cap etc. Then make a graph with the top categories being a sun with a full tree, cloudy with half the leaves on the tree, no leaves on the tree and sunning with colored leaves on the tree Have children sort clothes into proper season.

Clothing for every season…
Provide clothing that zip, snap and winter seasonal clothing changes. Gives the children practice getting on their winter gear, snapping and zipping those winter jackets.

Art Projects

The gift of giving…
Have the children make a card for someone that is one of the local nursing homes. Around this time of the year is a good time to start this project and spread some kindness.

Cookie Cutter Prints…
Use turkey and leaves cookie cutters to make interesting printed collages.

Leaf the Turkey alone…
Cut a large frontal body of a turkey out of brown construction paper. Have the children collect leaves the day before (press over night) to glue onto the turkey to make its great wingspan.

Texture Walk…
Have the children take rubbing (crayon rubbed over paper, which is laid on top of a material it make an imprint) of different materials that homes are made out of brick, stone, wood…any others?


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