Thanksgiving- Preschool Themes

Language & Literacy

Books

Songs, Poems, & Fingerplays:

Literacy :

Activities

Math & Number Concepts

Art

Dramatic Play

Music & Movement

Science & Discovery

Blocks & Building

Puzzles, Games & Manipulatives

Computers

Cooking

Bulletin Boards

Other Resources

Songs/Poems/Finger Plays:

The Turkey Song- The turkey is a funny bird his head goes wobble, wobble, and all he says is just one word "gobble, gobble, gobble." (wobble head as you say wobble wobble, and tap your throat and say gobble gobble)

Ten Little Turkeys- (Sung to Ten Little Indians.) One Little, two little, three little turkeys, four little, five little, six little turkeys, seven little, eight little, nine little turkeys, Ten turkeys hiding on Thanksgiving day.

Tommy Turkey- (Sung to BINGO) There was a turkey who lost his feathers and Tommy was his name-o T-O-M-M-Y, T-O-M-M-Y, T-O-M-M-Y, and Tommy was his name -o. Repeat just like Bingo. At the end of the song say "Poor Tommy". Make a turkey out of felt and for use on a felt board. Make separate feathers with the letters T-O-M-M-Y on them so you can pluck them off the turkey as you sing the song.

Turkey Dinner- (Sung to The More We Get Together) Turkey Dinner, Turkey Dinner, Pumpkin Pie, Nine Feet High! We we all much thinner before we came to dinner, me oh my, me oh my. (We have a pie that folds up accordion style and when we sing nine feet high we pull it up to make a big pie!)

Language Activities:

Where's the Turkey Felt board Activity- Hang a picture of a barn on your felt board, then using a turkey picture place it in different directional places for the children to identify... such as over the barn, under the barn, inside the barn, etc. Have the children identify where the turkey is then reverse it and have the children place the turkey on the felt board where you indicate.

We are Thankful book- begin with a discussion of what Thanksgiving is maybe as a follow up to a book. Ask the children to think of things they are thankful for. Ask them to draw a picture of something they are thankful for them have them dictate to you what their picture is about and record it on their paper. Put all the pictures together to make a group/class book.

Music & Movement Activities:

Where's the Turkey?- Have two children pretending to be Pilgrims and
**Some teachers have sprinkled on spices after the kids make a print to the paint to give it a Thanksgiving sent too!
- Feather Painting Turkeys- At an easel hang a large turkey cut out of brown construction paper, place feather dusters or other feathers at the easel for the children to use to paint with. Provide red, brown, yellow, purple, or other feather colored paint.
- Fruit and Veggie stamped place mats w/ cornucopia- Have children cut out the cornucopia shape and glue it to a sheet of construction paper. Then using fruits and veggies that you have cut in half, let them dip them in paint and stamp them on the cornucopia and around the construction paper. Add a small tag that says Happy Thanksgiving or some other appropriate phrase. We have used "The Fruit of the Spirit is Love" Laminate them or cover them with clear contact paper.
- Coffee Filter Turkeys- Give each child a coffee filter to watercolor paint on or marker on (if using markers have the children spray the marker with water when they are finished using a spray bottle, to cause the colors to blend together) Provide the children with a construction paper turkey body that you have precut or allow them to cut their own. Let them add construction paper details to the turkey for the beak, feet and waddle and then glue the whole thing to the middle of the coffee filter so the filter resembles the colorful feathers of the turkey. -Contributed by Teacher Lori!
Craft Activity:
- Treat Cups- Using clear plastic tumbler size cups (I purchase Solo brand) Attach a raffia or ribbon handle by punching holes in the side and stringing it through. Have the children place Thanksgiving themed stickers on the cup . Then let them line the cup with colored plastic wrap available around this time in the grocery stores. Have three types of treats for the children to take turns scooping into the cups. I used candy corn, peanuts, and runts. Substitute the peanuts if you have a child with an allergy. The children can also make a small Thanksgiving card to set inside the cup. We do this activity after reading the story Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks (see link above). We talk about thinks we are thankful for and I impress upon the children that the treat cups are for them to set on the Thanksgiving table to share with their friends & family on Thanksgiving Day. We also sample a few candies after we are done making them.
- Turkey Headbands Supply each child with a brown construction paper headband (have them work on the headband before you staple it together). Let them cut feathers from colored construction paper or give them precut feather shapes that they can snip along the sides to make them look more "feathery". Have the children glue the feathers in a line on the headband (we then secured them with staples) Then give them an orange beak (add a waddle too if you wish) cut from construction paper to glue on the front of the headband. Glue on wiggle eyes or draw them on with markers. Staple the headband together to fit the child's head. -Contributed by Teacher Lori!
Science/Discovery/Sensory Activities:
- Feather Discovery- Set out a variety of feathers for the children to look at using magnifying glasses. What do they see? Why do birds have feathers? What do they do for the birds? What other things do they notice about the feathers?
- Discover Birdseed- Add birdseed to the discovery table- include sifters, measuring cups, scoops, etc.
- Thanksgiving Scents- Set up a Thanksgiving Sent Station where the children can sample different Thanksgiving smells. Using small containers like plastic film canisters place a cotton ball and sprinkle with them with different spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, poultry spice, and any others you wish to use. Ask the children what the smells remind them of, which scents did they like? Which ones didn't they like? Why? ***One of our teaches (Teacher Sue) did a variation of this activity by having the children make handprint turkeys using the spices. She had them paint glue on their traced handprint and they sprinkled the different spices one on each finger and one for the thumb and palm. Very cute!
Snacks:
- Turkey Roll Ups- Roll thinly sliced turkey with a slice of cheese.
- Individual Pumpkin Pies- Prepare some instant vanilla pudding sprinkled with a little pumpkin pie spice. Crush graham crackers and sprinkle in the bottom of small dixie sized cups. Fill the cups with the pudding, and top with whip cream. (You may add some canned pumpkin to get more of a pumpkin flavor too if you like)
- Candy corn/Peanut Mix- Mix candy corn with peanuts for a yummy salted nut roll tasting snack.
- Cornucopia Mix- Supply each child with a handful of Bugles snack chips and Runts candies or Fruit shaped Trix cereal. ( you could let the children stick the fruits on the Bugles using peanut butter) -Contributed by Teacher Kim!
Center Additions:
- Dramatic Play Area- Set up a restaurant for the children to practice preparing and serving foods.