Thanksgiving plays an important role in our country’s history. It was one of the first gatherings in which the settlers and the Native Americans came together to help one another.
There are several ways to teach children the value of Thanksgiving, and have fun celebrating with family.
Create a Picture Book or StoryboardHave each child draw a specific scene that relates to the holiday, and create a picture book or storyboard that can be read to others. You can take help from copied pages, or encourage children to draw pictures using their imagination. The pictures can include anything from a turkey, the ship Mayflower, some pilgrims, native Indians, corn, or cranberries.
Re-Enact the First ThanksgivingDivide the children into two groups. Half the children can wear costumes that represent the pilgrims while the other half can dress like Native Americans — allowing the children to re-enact the dinner gives them a chance to role play and have fun learning about the holiday.
Serve Snacks from the Time PeriodPopcorn, pumpkin seeds, beef jerky, and cranberries can all be served at Thanksgiving as treats for the children to eat before the main meal is ready.
Serve Traditional Thanksgiving FoodsTurkey, sweet potatoes, corn, and pumpkin pie were served at the first Thanksgiving as popular foods of the time. Serving traditional foods allows the children to see what types of foods were available during that time.
Encourage the Children to Help with the MealInclude the children in the meal preparation. This gives them a chance to learn how the foods were prepared and served. You should also encourage them to help with the clean-up.
These activities will make the holiday more fun for children, and help you in instilling the value of Thanksgiving. At the end of the day, ask children what they are thankful for, and help them count their blessings. Happy Thanksgiving!
About Pacific Preschool & Kindergarten
Pacific PreSchool & Kindergarten is one-of-a-kind preschool and child care center in San Marcos, California. Their goal is to provide an early childhood education program to little children so that it satisfies their physical, socio-emotional and child development needs in a progressive way. Lynda Way, the owner of Pacific PreSchool & Kindergarten, makes use of her 40 years of professional knowledge in childhood development and truly loves what she does.
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You got some good ideas. Thanks for sharing them