Here are some ideas for making your Thanksgiving unit special.
Please check out the alternatives
to the traditional Thanksgiving Feast in the activities section.
Books
Teacher Resources
Music
Music is an important part of
any Early Childhood program.
Songs/Fingerplays
The
Sharing Song
5
Little Turkeys
Fingerplay
**See words & big book
instructions below**
Where is the Mayflower? Fingerplay
**See words below**
For links to the
musical artists click here to go to the music
page.
Where is the
Mayflower?
(tune:
Where is Thumbkin?)
Where is
the Mayflower?
Where is
the Mayflower?
Here it
is,
Here it
is,
Sailing
across the ocean,
Sailing
across the ocean,
Long
ago,
Long
ago.
5 Little
Turkeys
Five
little turkeys sitting on a gate
The
first one said, "My it's getting late"
The
second one said, "Who goes there?"
The
third one said, "There are farmers everywhere!"
The
fourth one said, "Let's run, and run, and run!"
The
fifth one said, "It's just Thanksgiving fun!"
Make Your Own 5 Little Turkeys Big Book
Materials: 6 sheets of 9 x 18 construction paper,
Carson Dellosa turkey shapes, glue
stick, scissors, brown construction paper, binding materials
(combs, rings etc), words to fingerplay typed out and cut to
fit each page.
Directions:
Cut
strips of brown construction paper and glue to 5 pages to
make a fence on each page.
Glue one
turkey to the top of each page so it appears to be sitting
on the fence. Make sure to space the turkeys out so
that they will appear side by side when the book is closed.
Type out
the words in a large sized font, cut out, and glue to each
page.
Laminate
pages for durability
Bind
your book using your choice of binding method.
Math
Activities
Activity
Click on the pictures below to
enlarge
Instructions
Thanksgiving Board Game
Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Objective: 1:1, number sense
Materials: cardstock,
thanksgiving stickers, round sticker dots, playing pieces (see
resources section), tape, foam die.
Directions:
Take two pieces of white cardstock
and tape them together in the middle to create your game board.
Be careful to leave a small gap between the two pieces so the
game board will fold easily for storage. Take thematic
stickers and place them around the board for decoration. Affix
the round sticky dots to the game board and laminate. Give
each player a playing piece. The turkeys pictured are from
Oriental Trading, see resources below for similar product.
Players take turns rolling the die and moving their playing
piece. If all playing pieces are the same, as in the
picture at left, take different colored Sharpie markers and make
a large dot on each one so players can easily identify which
piece is theirs.
Thanksgiving Feast Numbers
Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Objective: 1:1, number sense
Materials: one paper
plate per child, crayons, scissors, grocery store flyers, glue
stick.
Directions:
Give each child a paper plate, scissors, glue stick, and a
Thanksgiving grocery store flyer. You can pick them up for
free at your local grocery store. Have each child cut out
the food items they think they will be eating on Thanksgiving
day and glue them to their plate. In the picture to the
left we were learning about the number 4 so I asked the children
to find 4 things they wanted to eat at their feast. Have the
child write the number of the items in the middle of plate.
These also make a great bulletin
board display. Using your glue stick, attach each plate to
the middle of a large sheet of construction paper. Glue
plastic knives, forks, spoons, and paper napkins to the paper to
make it look like a place setting. Attach the placemats to
the wall to create your bulletin board display and title it
"Mrs. ______'s Class is Having a Feast" or similar.
Directions:
Give each student a Thanksgiving 1-5 stamping grid. Have
students stamp the appropriate number of stamps next to each
number. This is much more difficult than it looks!
Turkey Tail
Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Objective: Number Sense
*Crossover Activity* This activity incorporates fine
motor skills
Materials: Thanksgiving paper plates,
clothespins, Sharpie marker
Directions:
Write one number in the middle of each paper plate with a
Sharpie. Have students attach the correct number of
clothespins to each plate.
Feed the Turkey
Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Objective: Number Sense
Materials: empty Pringles cans, tape, brown
construction paper, Sharpie marker, X-acto knife, colored
construction paper for feathers, scissors, glue stick, unpopped
popcorn kernels.
Directions:
Cover each Pringles can with brown paper and secure with tape.
Cut turkey bodies from the brown paper and attach to the front
of each Pringles can with tape. Cut feathers from the
colored construction paper and attach to the back of each turkey
with glue stick or tape. Cut through the turkey's mouth
and can using the X-acto knife. Write one number on each
turkey with a Sharpie. Place the un-popped popcorn in a
pie pan or bowl. Place the Pringles can turkeys and the
pan of popcorn at a table and have students count the correct
number of kernels into each turkey's mouth.
Turkey 1:1
Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Objective: 1:1 correspondence, number sense
Materials: one ice
cube tray per student, foam die, turkey manipulatives (from
Scholastic), OR brown pom-pom's.
Directions:
Give each student in the small group an ice cube tray.
Place the turkey manipulatives or brown pom-pom's in the center
of the table in a bowl or other container so they are easily
accessible to all students. Each student takes a turn
rolling the die and putting the corresponding number of
turkeys/pom-pom's in their ice cube tray.
Turkey Roll & Stamp Game
Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Objective: 1:1 correspondence, number sense
Materials: recording
sheet, Do-A-Dot markers, one foam die,
white cardstock or paper, Sharpie marker, tape
Directions:
Give each child in your small group a recording sheet.
Each child takes a turn rolling the die and stamps the
corresponding number on their turkey with a Do-A-Dot marker.
Since the turkey only has numbers 1-4 on it
make sure to cover the sides of your die that have 5 and 6
with white paper and draw dots 1-4 on the blank sides with a
Sharpie. Attach the white paper to the die with clear
packing tape.
Thanksgiving 1-5 Roll & Stamp Game
Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Objective: number sense, number recognition
Materials:
1-5
stamping sheet, Do-A-Dot markers or turkey stamp, foam die
Directions:
Give each student in the small group a 1-5 stamping sheet.
Have students take turns rolling the die. The students
will identify the correct number of dots on the die and stamp
the corresponding number on their sheet. Since the die has
numbers 1-6 cover the side with 6 and replace it with another
number using white paper, tape, and a Sharpie marker.
Counting Turkeys
Setting: Small Group, Math Centers
Objective: 1:1 correspondence, number sense
Materials: 5
Thanksgiving cups, number stickers, brown pom-pom's or turkey
manipulatives
Directions:
Have students place the correct number of turkeys or brown
pom-pom's into the
cups.
Directions: Print
the Where is the Turkey? book on your printer (available
in printables section). Cut out the farmer and attach him
to the popsicle stick with tape or glue. Assemble the book
and staple, read to class.
Literacy
Activities
Activity
Instructions
Gobble Game
Setting: Small or Large Group, Literacy Centers
Objective: Alphabet Recognition
Materials: Carson Dellosa turkey cut-outs, ABC stickers OR Sharpie marker, plastic tub or
basket to put die-cuts in.
Directions: This game is a modified
version of the
Bang Game. Write one letter of the alphabet on
each turkey using the Sharpie marker or place one letter sticker
on each turkey. On the 27th turkey write the words "Gobble
Gobble!" with the Sharpie marker. Place all the turkeys in
a basket or plastic tub. This game can be played in
large or small groups. Have the students sit in a circle
and pass the basket around. Each student closes his eyes and
removes one turkey, then "reads" the letter on the turkey aloud.
If the student can read the letter he keeps the turkey. If
not, then he may ask a friend to help read the letter. If
a student gets the turkey that says "Gobble! Gobble!" all the
students stand up and gobble like turkeys. After the
gobble turkey is chosen the person who selected it must put all
of his turkeys back in the basket.
Turkey Fishing Game
Setting: Small Group, Literacy Centers
Objective: Alphabet Recognition
Materials: turkey die-cuts or Carson Dellosa
turkey cut-outs (see below), ABC stickers OR Sharpie marker,
paper clips, recording sheet, Do-A-Dot markers- one per child,
fishing poles
Directions: Laminate several sheets of
brown construction paper and die-cut 26 turkeys. If you do
not have a die-cut machine or a turkey die at your school then
you can use a turkey shaped notepad. Write one letter on
each turkey using the Sharpie marker or place one letter sticker
on each turkey. Place paper clips on each turkey and
put turkeys in a plastic tub or container of some sort.
Students use their fishing poles to "catch" the turkeys and
highlight the letters on the recording sheet. The
recording sheet has a large turkey outline on it with all the
letters of the alphabet written inside. Students use
Do-A-Dot markers to mark the letters they have caught.
Fishing poles:
12 inch dowels, string, hot glue gun, round magnets
Tie the string to the end
of the dowel and use the hot glue gun to secure it to the dowel.
Next, hot glue the round magnet to the end of the string.
Thanksgiving Path Game
Setting: Small Group, Literacy Centers
Objective: Alphabet Recognition, 1:1
Materials: turkey die-cuts or Carson Dellosa
turkey cut-outs (see below), ABC stickers OR Sharpie marker,
recording sheet, Do-A-Dot markers- one per child
Directions:
Give each child a recording sheet. Write the letters of
the alphabet on turkey cut-outs with a Sharpie or use ABC
stickers. Place the turkey cut-outs in a basket or
container in the middle of the table. Each child takes
turns selecting one turkey from the container. When they
select a turkey they identify the letter and mark it on their
recording sheet with a Do-A-Dot marker. The objective of
the game is to fill all the circles on their paper.
Materials: blackline master of Old Lady Who
Swallowed a Pie, construction paper, blackline master of foods
the Old Lady eats in the story, crayons or markers, X-acto
knife, tape, Pringles can.
Directions:
Tape a piece of construction around a Pringles can. Copy,
color,
and cut out a blackline master of the Old Lady from the story.
Attach the old lady to the can with tape. Use the X-acto
knife to cut a hole through the blackline and the can where the
Old Lady's mouth is. Next, copy and color the pictures of
the food the Old Lady eats in the story. Cut the pictures
out and have students re-tell the story by "feeding" the old
lady the pictures through the hole in her mouth.
Feed the Turkey
Setting: Small Group, Literacy Centers
Objective: Alphabet Recognition
Materials: Turkey Beanie, magnet, glue (hot or
E6000), magnet, magnetic letters, recording sheet (not
pictured), Do-A-Dot markers.
Directions:
Glue a magnet to the turkey's nose using a glue gun, E6000, or
similar.
Give each child a recording sheet with the alphabet on it.
Next, place the magnetic letters in the middle of the table, you
could use a bowl or plastic container to hold them.
Students will take turns holding the turkey and helping him
"eat" the magnetic letters as pictured at left. When the
turkey "eats" a letter the students may locate it on their
recording sheet and mark it with a Do-A-Dot marker.
Fun Activities
Activity
Instructions
Pumpkin Pie
Materials: pumpkin pie spice, orange construction paper,
scissors, glue, cotton ball.
Copy circles on orange
construction paper and let the children cut them out.
Next, "paint" glue on the circle and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice
on top of the glue. Finally, glue a cotton ball to the
middle of the pie to represent the whipped cream and pull it out
a bit to puff it up. If you cannot find pumpkin pie spice
you can mix nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon.
Coffee Filter Turkey
Materials: one regular coffee filter per child, regular Crayola
watercolor markers, brown construction paper, white construction
paper, glue, water.
Have each child color the coffee filter using the Crayola
watercolor markers. Next, spray the coffee filters gently
with water. The colors will bleed together to create a beautiful
tail for your turkey. Next, cut large brown circles of
construction paper for the turkey's body. Cut another
smaller brown circle for the head. When dry, glue the coffee
filter on the white paper, then the body, and finally the head.
These turkeys are really something to look at!
Handprint Turkey
Materials: brown, yellow, orange, and red paint, white
construction paper, and the following poem printed on each piece
of paper: "This isn't just a turkey, As anyone can see, I made
it with my hand, Which is a part of me. It comes with lots of
love, Especially to say, I hope you have a very, HappyThanksgiving Day!"
Paint each student's palm
and thumb brown and brush red, yellow, and orange across the
other four fingers. Press the painted hand onto the white
paper and you have an instant gift that parents will treasure
for years to come!
Sharing Salad
(alternative to
Thanksgiving Feast)
Materials: brown sugar
cones or waffle cones, raisins, Cheerios, grapes, apples,
bananas, *optional* strawberry yogurt*.
Cut the apples and
bananas into bite size pieces. Mix the Cheerios, raisins,
and all the fruit in bowl. Have the children come to you
in small groups and help you stir the "Sharing Salad". Put
a scoop of the salad into each "cornucopia" (cone) and place on
a plate. If you think your students won't eat the
salad you might want to try mixing it with strawberry yogurt
first. I have found that most of my students will eat it
if the fruit is covered in strawberry yogurt :) If your students are able to bring
the ingredients for the salad it is even more meaningful.
We use this activity in place of the more traditional and
controversial Thanksgiving Feast.
Pumpkin Pie in a Cup
Materials:
1 can Libby's Pumpkin Pie filling, 2 boxes vanilla instant
pudding, milk, 1 container of Cool Whip, graham cracker crumbs,
3 oz size paper or plastic cups
Prepare the vanilla pudding
according to directions and refrigerate.
Mix the can of Libby's pumpkin pie filling (not plain pumpkin)
with the chilled pudding.
Fill a 3 oz. cup with a layer of graham cracker crumbs or
vanilla wafer crumbs
Spoon
pumpkin/pudding mixture into each cup
Top each cup with a spoonful of Cool Whip
Favorite Thanksgiving food graph
(alternative to Thanksgiving
Feast)
Materials: large piece of butcher paper, clip art of
various thanksgiving foods, glue, markers, instant mashed
potatoes, instant stuffing, pumpkin pie, turkey, plastic spoons.
This is a great activity to
do after reading The Little Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie.
Prepare the mashed potatoes and stuffing at home the night
before, buy one cheap pumpkin pie, and use sliced deli turkey
for the Thanksgiving "turkey". Glue the clip-art of each
food at the top of the graph and divide the rows using the
markers. Heat the potatoes and stuffing in the microwave.
Have the students come individually and taste the items.
"Taste" is the key word here, just one small bite per child will
make your supplies last and you won't go broke, especially if
you have two classes. If you have any vegetarians
(Hindu's) in your class have them skip the turkey, and make sure
not to use chicken broth in the stuffing or mashed potatoes.
Have the children write
their name on the graph under the picture of the food that was
their favorite.
Turkey Family Project
Materials: cardstock, picture of turkey, letter to
families.
Copy a
large outline of a turkey onto white cardstock. Attach a
letter explaining the concept of a "Family Project" to your
student's families. They may use materials commonly found
at home such as cereal, corn, etc... You can even give
awards for the most creative turkey, or yummiest turkey :)
We Are Thankful
Materials: white construction paper, crayons.
After reading
Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks have each student
write/draw something they are thankful for on their paper.
When everybody is finished, bind the pictures into a class book.
Here are some ideas for making your Thanksgiving unit special.
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