In Canada Thanksgiving is celebrated on Monday, but in the United States Thanksgiving is celebrated the fourth Thursday of November.
Materials needed:
• Old magazines
• Seed catalogs are really good for this activity
• Felt scissors
• Glue
• Green Felt Fun Playboard/ flannelboard
– or you can just lay a towel over the front of the couch and use the couch as your flannel board.What to do:
1. Cut out lots of pictures of foods. Choose foods that are eaten at Thanksgiving and also many foods that are not typically eaten for Thanksgiving.
2. Thanksgiving foods might include- turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, rolls, pumpkin pie, etc. Non-Thanksgiving foods might include hot dogs or watermelon.
3. Glue felt to the back of each picture.
4. Show the children the pictures of all the foods.
5. Divide the flannel board into “Thanksgiving” and “non-Thanksgiving” sections.
6. Ask the children to decide which foods are eaten on Thanksgiving and then let them put the pictures on the correct side of the board.
Alternate activity: make pictures using a variety or fruits and vegetables and let them sort fruits on one side and vegetables on the other side.
Using vegetables and fruits do paint stamp designs:
Stamp designs on paper using a potato cut in half and a shape cut out – dip into paint and then stamp onto the paper. You can also use a cut piece of celery or carrot. Cut an apple or lemon in half and dip into paint and stamp onto paper. Look at the different designs that can be made using fruits and vegetables.
Some wonderful books about Thanksgiving:
Little Critter: Just a Special Thanksgiving
The Berenstain Bears Thanksgiving Blessings (Berenstain Bears/Living Lights)
The Story of the Pilgrims (Pictureback(R))
