Thanksgiving activities for prek: Thanksgiving activities and centers for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten

Thanksgiving activities and centers for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten

It’s turkey time, and that means Thanksgiving-themed centers for your classroom!  In this post, learn how to engage your students in hands-on, Thanksgiving-themed learning activities they will love.  Make learning so much fun, so they don’t even realize they are doing work!

Don’t forget to grab your FREE Thankful placemat later in the post!

> Grab my Thanksgiving Math and Literacy Centers,  Social Skills Curriculum and I Am Thankful pack for everything you need to bring Thanksgiving to your classroom! <<

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Making a Thanksgiving dinner plate is a favorite in my class!  Grab some grocery store ads and cut them into manageable pieces (I cut mine on the folds).   Students cut yummy items from the ads and glue them to their plates.  If your students are struggling, draw a black line around the object.  Don’t forget to put an empty tub on the table for trash.

When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of pie.  Create a pie-making play dough tray.  For this activity, I put out small pie pans, small pie servers, apple counters, pear counters, a rolling pin, pizza cutters, and a spice jar (with red pom poms inside) to accompany the play dough.  This play dough tray will build students’ fine motor muscles, hand-eye coordination, and imagination.  It would be a fun activity to do after you read There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie.
To keep the pie theme going, make puffy paint pies in art!  It’s easy to make puffy paint too.  It’s about equal parts, plain shaving cream (not the gel kind), white glue, and food coloring. Mix it all together to create the perfect consistency and color.  Then students spread orange puffy paint on a paper plate all the way to the edges.   Next, cut small strips of brown paper to make the crust, and since the paint has glue in it already, it will stick perfectly.  Lastly, place one cotton ball (aka whip cream) on top.

Corn painting is the perfect open-end art activity for Thanksgiving.  Look at the beautiful prints the corn makes when you roll it!

Add Thanksgiving-themed writing paper and vocabulary cards to your writing center.  I also added fall-colored dot markers and fall stickers to the center.

The Thanksgiving season gives us an opportunity to talk about being thankful.  Children can identify what gratefulness looks like, what it feels like, what we are thankful for, and how we can show others we are thankful.  Students colored mini I am Thankful books after we read The Thankful Book by Todd Parr.  This is included in my I Am Thankful pack in my TPT store.
You can also put blank thank you cards for students to write thank you cards to their friends and family.

Each student made their own thankful turkey craft.  On each feather, they wrote and drew things they were thankful for.  This is included in my I Am Thankful pack too.

Do you do a Thanksgiving celebration in your classroom?  Grab these thankful placemats BELOW.  Students can draw what they are thankful for in the middle and write it on the line at the top.

>>Grab the FREEBIE by entering your email in the box at the bottom of this blog post!<<

I hid these Thanksgiving letter puzzles in my sensory bin.  Students matched the uppercase and lowercase letters to create the picture.  Hiding puzzle pieces or game pieces in a sensory bin is a calming activity that stimulates students’ senses.  This is included in my Thanksgiving Centers.

Check out this beginning sound and letter match-up-turkey style.  I put some corn kernels in a tub and then added the letter feathers, sound feathers, and magnet letters.  I even threw in some magnet letters that didn’t match!  This is also included in my Thanksgiving Centers.

It’s so important to integrate sensory into different activities as the weather changes, and we have to stay inside more.  Those yucky days when students can’t go outside can be tough.  So I just had to do Thanksgiving turkey number puzzles hidden in the corn sensory bucket, which are included in my Thanksgiving Centers as well!

Students clapped the number of syllables in various foods and placed them onto the corresponding plate.  Add more movement and have students JUMP the syllables.  Trust me; it is a ton of fun! This is included in my Thanksgiving Centers.

One of my favorite Thanksgiving books is 10 Fat Turkeys.  It is a cute story, and as a bonus, I can use it to teach rhyme and informal subtraction!  I drew a line on the board for the fence and placed the 10 turkeys on it.  Students helped me put the numbers above the turkeys in order, and now we are identifying numbers too!  As I read, the students take the turkeys off one by one.  This is included in my Thanksgiving Centers. Take the Thanksgiving theme to the blocks center!  Add pumpkins, leaves, popsicle sticks, feathers, veggie counters, and cardboard pieces, and Fall STEM I Can Build Cards to get students building and engineering Thanksgiving things!

Truth:  bulletin boards are not my favorite thing.  I always strive to make the bulletin boards in and outside of my classroom filled with student work.  This turkey has to be the cutest bulletin board I have ever made.  It’s festive, colorful, and made with love by my students!
I cut long ovals for the feathers.  Students painted an AB pattern on each feather.  Students also helped me paint the circle turkey body and head.  Once everything was dry, I assembled the turkey and added the eyes, beak, and feet.

Simply writing numbers on paper is boring.  So why not write numbers in corn? Students pick a number card, write the number in the corn, and count out the corresponding number of pom poms to fill the ten frames.  Students are developing one-to-one correspondence, identifying numbers, writing numbers, and developing fine motor skills in this activity.   This is included in my Thanksgiving Centers.

Yes, two play dough trays for this theme!  For this turkey play dough tray, you will need brown play dough, feathers, eyes, beads, and orange pipe cleaners.  I had a turkey cookie cutter, so I added it to the tray too.  Students sculpt a turkey body with the play dough and add other items to create their turkey.  If you add dice, students can roll the dice and count out the corresponding number of feathers. Thanksgiving is full of food so investigate healthy foods, their bodies, and healthy habits at the science table.  Sort pretend food and practice various exercises (and time them too).  You can find all of these printables in my My Body and Teeth Science Unit HERE.

Love the activities?  Grab my Thanksgiving Math and Literacy Centers for 13 Thanksgiving-themed centers.  I just updated this unit (11/07/19) so if you own it, go to TpT to download it again for your FREE update.

You may also LOVE my I Am Thankful pack from the Social Skills Curriculum!  Go to my TPT store for even more activities and charts all about being thankful.   Here are a few of the fun thankful activities included pictured below!

The Best Thanksgiving Activities for Preschoolers

 Check out this list of fun Thanksgiving activities for preschoolers. Your kids will love the hands-on learning activities, art ideas, book ideas, and more.

Are you looking for some additional activity ideas to include in your Thanksgiving theme unit or lesson plans?  From art and math activities to sensory table and book ideas, this list is sure to help you out.

Thanksgiving Art Ideas

In America, when we think about Thanksgiving, we think about TURKEYS!

Turkey time is also the perfect time to work with feathers.  Why not use them to create process art.  Check out all the different ways to paint with feathers.

Here are a few more Thanksgiving-themed art activities to check out:

Corn cob painting by Natural Beach Living

Fork painting turkey feathers by Happy Toddler Playtime

Corn cob rubbing art by Happy Littles

Pumpkin Pie Painting by Left Brain Craft Brain

Thanksgiving Playdough Ideas

I love putting together playdough trays or playdough kits for different seasons or themes. Here are some fun ideas for Thanksgiving playdough trays.

Fall-Themed Playdough Tray

Make a fall-themed playdough tray with items like pumpkins, acorns, tree slices, twigs, etc.

Turkey Playdough Tray

Make a turkey playdough tray by adding feathers, googly eyes, and beads to a divided serving tray.

How to Make Brown Playdough

Do you want to add some fall-colored playdough to your playdough trays? Well, it’s pretty easy to buy or make orange, red, and yellow playdough….but brown playdough is another story.

To make brown playdough, I use my quick playdough recipe and add 15 red, 15 yellow, and 3 blue drops or blue food coloring.

Additional Thanksgiving Playdough Ideas

Pumpkin pie playdough by Life Over C’s

Fall playdough recipes by Nurture Store

Turkey Math Activities

This fun, hands-on turkey math activity can be used in several different ways to help kids build number sense.

Here are some additional turkey-themed math activities that are perfect for young kids.

Feed the turkey counting activity by Fun Learning for Kids

Add and fill turkey by Creative Family Fun

Thanksgiving Literacy Activities

Kids get so excited about holidays. When you include holiday themes in your learning activities, the activities are more motivating. Here are some Thanksgiving-themed literacy activity ideas that you can use.

Thanksgiving Salt Tray

Kids can practice letter formation with a salt tray.  Add a little cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to the salt and your room will smell AMAZING. Instead of salt, you can also add corn to the salt tray.

I am Thankful Book

Use this free printable Thanksgiving emergent reader to talk about gratitude with your kids.

Books About Gratitude

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to introduce kids to the terms “gratitude” and “grateful” and “thankful” Here are more books about gratitude that you can add to your class library or use at circle time.

My Family Class Book

Because so many families gather together to celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s the perfect time to talk about families.   Use this free family theme printable to make a class book about your kids and their family.

Turkey Themed Books

Here is another great list of books that are perfect for Thanksgiving. These turkey books are so much fun for kids in preschool and kindergarten.

Turkey Name Puzzles

You can also add a Thanksgiving twist to name activities when you use these turkey name puzzles.

Thanksgiving Fine Motor Activities

Dig out your feathers, beads, and silk leaves. Here are some fun fine motor activities and crafts that are perfect for the month of November.

Feather Necklace Craft

Here is a craft that is also a great fine motor and counting activity.  Your kids will enjoy making these turkey feather necklaces.

Thanksgiving Paper Tearing Activities

Tearing paper is a great way to help kids build hand strength. Add fall-colored scrap paper to a sensory bin and encourage kids to tear it into small pieces.

You can also glue the torn paper to printed images to make fun collages. The printables below are from my November Fine Motor Activities Set.

Fall and Thanksgiving Hole Punch Activities

Kids LOVE using hole punches. These hole punch strips are also part of my November Fine Motor Activities set.

Additional Fine Motor Ideas

Feather beading by Sugar Ants

Feather craft scissor practice by a Little Pinch of Perfect

Thanksgiving Theme Sensory Bin

Add silk leaves along with small pumpkins, acorns, or pinecones to a Thanksgiving theme sensory bin.

Squares of tissue paper in fall colors are also a fun addition to a sensory table.  Additional fall, harvest, or Thanksgiving-themed sensory materials include

• straw
• corn
• cranberries in water
• feathers with craft noodles

Do you have some favorite Thanksgiving activities for preschoolers? I would love to hear about them.

Thanksgiving Songs

While you won’t find as many Thanksgiving songs as Christmas songs. Here are a few fun songs that you can share with your kids during Thanksgiving time.

A Turkey Dance by the Learning Station

I’m Gonna Eat on Thanksgiving Day by The Laurie Berkner Band

From the Store – Thanksgiving Activities for Preschoolers

The following hands-on turkey learning activities are in my store.  Click on the images below to check them out.

Thanksgiving Theme – PreKinders

Pre-K & Preschool theme ideas for Thanksgiving

Find more Thanksgiving Ideas for Pre-K

Books

Check here for a complete list of Books about Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Fine Motor Skills

Thanksgiving Meal

Have children cut out pictures of their favorite foods and glue them on a paper plate. Grocery store sale papers from the newspaper can be used for pictures (or print out clipart).

Thanksgiving Art Activities

Coffee Filter Turkeys

Cut a coffee filter in half and have children paint it with watercolors. Cut out a turkey’s body from brown paper (a sort of gourd shape) and let the children glue it on. Have them draw eyes and a beak.

Pie Pan Art

Thanksgiving is all about pies and children may see pie pans used in the kitchen at this time of year. This art activity lets children use a pie pan with paint. Cut paper circles the same size to fit in a disposable pie pan. Place marbles in tempera paint. Have the children place the marbles in the pie pan (one at a time) and roll it around to paint the paper.

Dinner Napkins

Cut fabric into squares of about 12×12 inches using pinking shears. You can buy inexpensive fabric from the clearance area or ask parents to donate scraps. Have the children paint foam craft stamps with fabric paint and stamp it on the fabric. They can also paint designs directly onto the fabric. These can be used in a classroom Thanksgiving celebration or at home for Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving Literacy Activities

Pie Pan Writing

Here’s another way to allow children to use pie pans. Place orange tempera paint or fingerpaint in a disposable pie pan. Use enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Have the children use their finger to practice writing letters in the paint. You can also use pudding instead of paint (color vanilla pudding orange to look like pumpkin pie).

Giving Thanks Class Book

Ask children to think of things they are thankful for, and illustrate it on a sheet of paper. Each child’s page would read: “_____ is thankful for _____.” Example: “Nash is thankful for friends.” To make our class books, I use “presentation book covers” from an office supply store or Walmart. It has a sturdy plastic cover with a clear insert, and the pages are also clear inserts. I just slip in a page for the front cover, and slip in the children’s pages inside. These can be reused.

Turkey Bingo Stamping Game

Read about and print the Turkey Bingo Game here.

Thanksgiving Roll & Write Game

Print and find directions here: Roll & Write Games

Story Retelling

This is an activity that goes with any theme. Choose a book that goes with the theme, and have the children retell the story.
Read the blog post here for details: story retelling

Thanksgiving Math Activities

Number Flip Book

To make a flip book, fold a piece of paper over hotdog style, cut four flaps (cut four slits into one side of the paper), and write numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 on the flaps. Children put the correct number of Thanksgiving stickers under each flap.

Food Counting

Use the play food from your House Center. Write numbers on disposable plates. Have the children identify the numeral and count out that amount of foods to place on the plate.

Turkey Grid Game

Read about and print here: Grid Games

Thanksgiving Cooking Activities

Pumpkin Pies

Ingredients for one serving:
Mini graham cracker crust
3 spoonfuls of vanilla pudding
1 spoonful of canned pumpkin
1 spoonful of whipped topping
Directions: Stir the vanilla pudding and canned pumpkin together. Spoon the mixture into the mini pie crust. Top with whipped topping.

(I also have this cooking activity listed with the Halloween/Pumpkin theme. Depending on the year, I may do this activity in either theme, but not both.)

Turkey Flat Bread Roll Up

Ingredients:
Spreadable cheese (Cheese Whiz, Velveeta, or spreadable cream cheese)
Flat bread
Deli turkey slices
Spread the cheese on a small piece of flat bread, place a slice of deli turkey on top, and roll it up. Popsicle sticks can be used for spreaders.

Thanksgiving Center Activities

Sensory Table: Pie Crust Dough

At large group time, mix different consistencies of flour and water mixtures (similar to pie crust dough). Make 3-4 bowls using varying amounts of flour and water. Place the bowls in the sensory table, and allow children to explore and feel the difference of the consistencies. Another idea is to place a cup of flour, cup of water, bowl, and spoon in the sensory table, and let the children choose how much of each substance to add to their bowl and stir. You can read more about this sensory table here (see Flour & Water Mixture).

House Center

In the House Center, add a Thanksgiving tablecloth, Thanksgiving placemats, and a vase of autumn flowers.

Play Dough Thanksgiving Dinner

Place plates, bowls, pie pans, cookie sheets, and similar items in the play dough area for children to pretend to make a Thanksgiving dinner using play dough to make their pretend foods.

Find more Thanksgiving Ideas for Pre-K on the Thanksgiving category page.

More Thanksgiving Activities

Rhymes

Native American Thanksgiving Rhyme

(If you are in a non-religious school, you can eliminate the first and last lines.)
Thank you, God the Father (Fold hands in prayer)
Thank you, for the sunshine (Stretch arms overhead in circle)
Thank you, for the rain (Move fingers down)
Thank you, for things that grow (Move hands up)
Thank you, for good food to eat (Make circle around tummy)
Thank you, for families that love us. (Cross arms over chest)
Thank you, God the Father. (Same as first)

Songs

Slideshare Slideshow
PowerPoint Slideshow
Printable Book

• Thanksgiving Songs at Preschool Education
• Thanks A Lot, by Raffi (Download on iTunes)

In My Shop

• Thanksgiving Matching Cards from MontessoriForEveryone.com
• Thanksgiving @ Pre-K Pages

Thanksgiving Theme Preschool Activities – Fantastic Fun & Learning

Thanksgiving is a time that we reflect and take note of all that we are grateful for. It’s also a time for gatherings and lots of yummy food! Thanksgiving is a fun holiday to explore in the classroom as you can incorporate sharing, giving, and gathering together. We especially look forward to our friendship feast! If you’re looking to explore Thanksgiving theme preschool activities with your preschoolers, we have some fabulous resources for planning your preschool Thanksgiving theme. Most of these activities are designed for kids ages 3 through 5, but many can be modified for younger and older kids as well.

WHY IT’S FUN

A  Thanksgiving theme can have lots of fun hands-on learning activities for kids. Students can explore making turkeys with play dough and feathers, dance along to a favorite thanksgiving themed song and wobble like a turkey, or dive into a sensory bin using corn, oats, or cranberries to learn more about the holiday.

WHEN TO TEACH A THANKSGIVING THEME

A preschool Thanksgiving theme is perfect for the month of November. You can spread out your learning and fun throughout the month as you approach the big day of thanks, or you can celebrate the week before students are off for Thanksgiving break.

TEACHING TIPS & MAJOR CONCEPTS KIDS WILL LEARN

If you’re planning a preschool Thanksgiving  theme there are many possibilities for incorporating meaningful early learning skills.

These are just some of the concepts kids can learn about during a Thanksgiving theme:

• pilgrims
• The Mayflower
• Native Americans
• feasts
• hunting and gathering
• sharing; kindness
• Colonial America

You can also use craft feathers or Indian corn kernels as manipulatives for many learning activities to teach math and literacy concepts.

ITEMS TO COLLECT AND REQUEST IN ADVANCE

If you get parents, friends, and family involved you can enrich the experience kids have during your preschool Thanksgiving theme.

Collect or ask people to help you collect:

• craft feathers
• brown play dough
• googly eyes
• Indian corn
• plastic pumpkins

PRINTABLE THANKSGIVING THEME LESSON PLANS

Save time and get right to the playful learning with our printable lesson plan sets. Each set includes over 30 playful learning activities related to the theme, and we’ve provided different versions for home preschool families and classroom teachers so all activities are geared directly toward your needs.

Watch this short video to see just a few examples of the types of activities and printables included in this set:

The 159-page Thanksgiving Lesson Plan Set includes hands-on activities and these additional printables:

1) Pumpkin Pie Letter Matching (in color and b/w)

2) Rhyming Turkey Game

3) Turkey Color Sorting Mats (in color and b/w)

4) Turkey Counting Mats 1-20 (in color and b/w)

5) Look at the Turkey Emergent Reader (3 variations)

6) How to Make a Pumpkin Pie Sequencing Cards (in color and b/w)

7) 0-35 Turkey Number Cards (4 variations)

8) Phoneme Segmentation Turkey Activity

9) Thanksgiving Taste Test Recording Sheet (in color and b/w)

10) Thanksgiving Picture-Word Cards (in color and b/w)

11) Thanksgiving Roll and Graph (2 variations, in color and b/w)

Also available on Teachers Pay Teachers.

RELATED THANKSGIVING PRINTABLES

Practice a variety of early math skills with our Turkey Feather Roll and Cover Activity Pack.

This turkey feather math games set is perfect for hands-on Thanksgiving learning. It is designed for differentiated instruction, so you can choose the games that best match your students’ needs. Kids can complete these activities during math centers, small group math activities, or morning work time.

The set includes:

8 Game Cube Variations

13 Game Mats with Individual Instructions

Focus specifically on number sense skills with this differentiated set of Turkey Number Sense Small Group and Center Activities.

This 69-page set is designed to be very interactive, giving kids many opportunities to use manipulatives.

You can introduce the ideas during circle time and then use the math games during small group and center time.

There are even differentiated take home packs for families to do the activities at home.

Inside there are:

• Tips and Ideas for Use
• 0-10 Turkey Number Cards Sets in Color and Black and White
• 16 Activity Cards with Hands-on Number Sense Activity Directions
• 9 Small Group and Center Number Sense Activity Mats
• 14 Number Sense Recording Sheets
• 4 Differentiated Take Home Packs of Number Sense Activities

INDIVIDUAL THANKSGIVING THEME PRESCHOOL ACTIVITIES ON FANTASTIC FUN AND LEARNING

Here on Fantastic Fun and Learning we’ve shared the following ideas to go along with a preschool Thanksgiving theme.

Let those little hands run through cranberries, miniature pumpkins, and water with this Thanksgiving soup sensory activity.

Roll your way towards creating a turkey with this Thanksgiving turkey rolling craft. It’s perfect for a busy bag, tot tray, or on the go!

Grab some yarn, craft feathers, and sticks to create a cute yarn Thanksgiving turkey. Kids will get lots of fine motor practice as they wrap the yarn and help place the feathers!

Roll up some construction paper and fray some paper feathers to create this hands-on turkey craft. Lots of scissor skills can be incorporated with this craft!

Grab a dough cutter and paint your way to creating some turkey feather process art. You can even trace feet for the turkey’s body !

Check out these fabulous ideas for a Thanksgiving play date with friends or even classmates. You’ll find everything from art, to sensory play and more!

Turn those little handprints into turkeys and weave in some art history with this Kandinsky inspired turkey handprint Thanksgiving art project.

Get kids singing and moving this Thanksgiving with some of our favorite songs for Thanksgiving. <—our most popular Thanksgiving post EVER!

Set out some loose parts and play dough and let children create their very own Thanksgiving turkey featuring craft feathers for a fun added touch.

Scissor skills are worked into this simple paper plate Thanksgiving turkey craft.

This simple Indian corn kernel squish bag is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers to squish around and discover.

Using some dried Indian corn husks, create a beautiful sunflower craft with Indian corn.

Watch those fine motor muscles flex as kids carefully place feathers into small hole punched holes to create a fine motor turkey feather craft.

This Indian corn craft is a fun way to display one of the many food the Native Americans may have first share with the Pilgrims.

Teach gratitude with a gratitude bouquet and turkey note cards, emphasizing what we’re thankful for. Recipients of the cards will love receiving a handmade fingerprint turkey card.

Use the senses to learn more about Indian Corn. Then use the corn kernels for math activities and art inspiration in this Indian Corn Math & Science project.

Set your own Mayflower assail and incorporate some science too with this fun Mayflower craft and science.

With just some paper plates and sticks, you can create a simple tee pee craft this Thanksgiving.

Have fun with this hands-on turkey feather math as kids learn to recognize different addition number pairs.

Transform paper towels and paper bags into adorable turkeys in this fun turkey collage art project.

MORE ACTIVITIES FROM CREATIVE EDUCATORS

We’ve found some the very best ways to involve the senses this Thanksgiving from friends across the Web. Check out these fun sensory play ideas for Thanksgiving!

Love play dough? Here you’ll find some creative ideas for Thanksgiving play dough invitations.

Find a fun turkey process art or craft idea in this collection of Turkey Art Projects for Kids.

Looking for some fun games to play with the kiddos this Thanksgiving? Here are some great Thanksgiving activities and games to play to keep busy.

INFORMATIONAL YOUTUBE VIDEOS

OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES

Finger plays and action rhymes are a great addition to your preschool themes. Here are a few terrific options to go along with a Thanksgiving theme.

Playing With Words 365 has a great collection of action rhymes, songs and finger plays for Thanksgiving. We especially love The Turkey Pokey! (Hokey Pokey)

Check out some of these fun Thanksgiving songs and rhymes that are all sung to familiar tunes.

If you’d like to supplement your hands-on learning with some online games you might try:

Complete some Thanksgiving riddles, puzzles, and counting games with Primary Games’ Thanksgiving holiday online games.

Challenge children to use their critical thinking skills to place everyone at the right spot around the table based on their likes and dislikes with this fun Thanksgiving table game from ABCYA.com.

FAVORITE THANKSGIVING BOOKS

Affiliate links included.

There are a ton of wonderful books to read for your Thanksgiving theme.  Below are some of our favorite picture books for a Thanksgiving theme.

Bring Thanksgiving to life with real photographs and nonfiction texts.

MORE THANKSGIVING BOOKS

Dive into a good book about Colonial America and learn more about what life was like in America shortly after the first Thanksgiving.

OTHER PROPS AND TEACHING TOOLS

Reinforce learning with these hands-on materials for your Thanksgiving theme. They can be used for sensory bins, crafts, and learning activities.

FREE PRINTABLES

Help toddlers and preschoolers practice color recognition and sorting with these free printable turkey color mats.

Practice shape recognition as you roll and color your way through a turkey themed shape matching game.

Print out these Thanksgiving emergent readers to work on color recognition and reading with predictable text.

Introduce the concept of fractions with free printable pumpkin pie fraction task cards during this pumpkin pie play dough invitation.

Use the five senses to discuss and write about what kids are most thankful  for with this free printable Thanksgiving Five Senses Emergent Reader.

Practice letter formation with a Thanksgiving twist using loose parts or play dough and these free printable pumpkin pie alphabet mats.

Practice counting to 10 with this simple Thanksgiving song for toddlers and preschoolers.

Learn different ways to represent numbers 1 to 10 with these pumpkin pie counting mats.

Practice a variety of skills with this no-prep Thanksgiving color by code set.

POSSIBLE FIELD TRIPS OR ADVENTURES

• take a virtual field trip to Colonial America and discover the lives of Pilgrim children
• visit a farm and corn maize

WHAT NEXT?

After you wrap up your Thanksgiving theme, you might try one of these themes next:

• Family
• Friends
• Farm

RETURN TO OUR MAIN PRESCHOOL THEME PAGE FOR MORE IDEAS TO EXPLORE

Thanksgiving activities & projects ideas for preschoolers

posted by Editor | filed under Lesson Plans, thanksgiving | affiliate disclosure

Holidays provide a natural time for preschoolers to learn. Children can think about their own family traditions and explore traditions of others. They can form ideas about how people celebrate and understand that some do not celebrate at times. Thanksgiving also provides a time to lead preschoolers to think about gratitude. These Thanksgiving ideas for kids are activities that can help you create some learning experiences for preschoolers at this time of year.

Thanksgiving Ideas for Preschoolers

These Thanksgiving activities for preschoolers are perfect to teach around the holiday and the month of November. From fun games like Thanksgiving Bingo, to exploring Thanksgiving themed music, and even snacks to serve! There are so many easy ways to incorporate Thanksgiving into your classroom.

1. Thanksgiving Bingo (Pre-K Pages) -Free printable bingo game for a Thanksgiving theme or party in your preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten classroom. Includes both a black and white and a color version!

2. Thanksgiving Music for Preschoolers (Pre-K Pages) – Need some fun Thanksgiving songs for kids? You can use YouTube to find fun music to use in your preschool or kindergarten classroom.

3. Thanksgiving Counting Mats (Pre-K Pages) – A set of free Thanksgiving play dough mats to help your kids develop number sense and fluency within ten. Includes 11 printable color mats for you to use in your play dough center with prompts, and 11 without prompts.

4. Turkey Snacks (Pre-K Pages) – When it comes to celebrating Thanksgiving with kids I prefer the KISS method- Keep It Simple Silly. That’s why I love these two easy Thanksgiving snacks (featuring turkeys) that kids can make with very little help.

5. One-to-One Correspondence Activities (Pre-K Pages) – These hands-on activities with a Thanksgiving twist will make learning how to count fun for all young children.

6. Best Thanksgiving Books (Pre-K Pages) – Thanksgiving is just around the corner! I have compiled a list of my favorite Thanksgiving books to read aloud during the month of November.

7. Free Printable: Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie (Pre-K Pages) – This printable game goes along with the story and is great fun for children in your preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten classroom.

8. Turkey Beanbag Toss (Pre-K Pages) – This fun turkey gross motor beanbag tossing game could be used during a Thanksgiving or other holiday celebration, as a center, or as a large group activity. The turkey is fun to make and fun to use.

9. Turkey Fine Motor Math Game (Pre-K Pages) – I was inspired to create a fine motor Thanksgiving math game by Teach Preschool. I love the simplicity of using items like cups and pipe cleaners to create a game.

10. Classroom Feast (Teach Preschool) – From table setting to making the food, your preschoolers will love this Classroom Thanksgiving feast.

11. Exploring Cornucopias (Teach Preschool) Your kids will love learning and making their own cornucopias.

More Thanksgiving Ideas for Toddlers

These Thanksgiving ideas and activities are wonderful ways to teach your toddlers about Thanksgiving. Even the older kids, such as kindergartners will also enjoy these activities!

12. Making Pies (Teach Preschool) – Have fun making a playdough pie with your preschoolers in this Thanksgiving lesson.

13. Thankfulness Tree (Coffee Cups and Crayons) – Your kids will love creating this Thankfulness tree and writing down their blessings.

14. Thanksgiving Candy Sort (Smart Schoolhouse) – Your preschoolers will love sorting this Thanksgiving colored candy.

15. Fall Napkin Rings (Happy Hooligans) – These Fall napkin rings are easy to make and your toddlers will love that they can help make these for the Thanksgiving table.

16. Cranberry Sensory Play (LIttle Bins for Little Hands) -It’s always fun pairing science and sensory play for hands on learning. Science activities you can really dig your hands into are perfect for your youngest scientists. Turning simple science into sensory bins is a great way to explore how things work too.  You can also build Cranberry Structures for STEM and fine motor play or check out a taste safe cranberry slime as well.

17. Thanksgiving No Cook Sensory Dough (Little Bins for Little Hands) – When the holiday season gets to be busy here is a simple and fun activity to do with the kids! This harvest or Thanksgiving no cook dough for sensory play is perfect for an indoor afternoon, a pie baking session, or even Thanksgiving morning to keep all the kids happy.

18. Thanksgiving Sensory Bin (The Chaos and the Clutter)- Gather up some pine cones, fall leaves, Indian corn, and plastic gourds to make this Thanksgiving sensory bin.

19. Beaded Napkin Rings (Buggy and Buddy) – Thanksgiving crafts for kids provide a great way for children to be involved in all the Thanksgiving preparations. This beaded napkin ring is such an easy craft for kids and turns out beautiful!

20. Clothespin Feathers Turkey (Stir the Wonder) – These clothespin feather turkeys are easy to make and will allow your preschoolers to work on their fine motor skills.

21. Scrap Ribbon Pinecone Turkeys (Fireflies and Mudpies) -If you have some scrap ribbon lying around, then gather up some pinecones and make these adorable turkey pinecone craft for Thanksgiving.

22. Gratitude Stones (Fireflies and Mudpies) –  In this post, learn how to make a simple nature craft for kids, Gratitude Stones, that can be used to cultivate an attitude of gratitude from an early age.

More Thanksgiving Ideas

Filed Under: Lesson Plans, thanksgiving Tagged With: crafts, sensory, thanksgiving, turkey

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30+ Thanksgiving Easy Crafts & Activities for Toddlers

Kids will have a blast celebrating Thanksgiving with these 30+ Thanksgiving crafts & activities for toddlers! While kids of all ages can have fun with these hand-picked Thanksgiving activity favorites including easy Thanksgiving crafts for toddlers, we chose them with the youngest in mind.

Thanksgiving Crafts For Toddlers

Even though Thanksgiving is packed in the part of the season when decorating and shopping is on my mind, there seems to be downtime around this holiday that is open for having a little family fun. These Thanksgiving ideas will make creating and making memories with your toddler easy and fun!

Oh, and the turkey crafts for toddlers are such a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving and keep your little one busy.

This post contains affiliate links.

Best Thanksgiving Crafts and Activities For Toddlers

These turkey crafts for toddlers are such a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving. The best part is, some of these would make preschool Thanksgiving crafts as well as Thanksgiving activities for kindergarten kids. We hope you love this list of Thanksgiving crafts.

1. Print, Color & Play with Free Thanksgiving Printables Simple Enough for Toddlers

Practice fine motor skills the fun way with these fun Thanksgiving crafts!

• These Thanksgiving coloring pages have simple shapes that are great for toddler crayon skills.  The bonus is that they double as Thanksgiving placemats.
• This simple design is perfect for baby’s first coloring page. It is a simple turkey coloring page perfect for celebrating the holiday.This set of three November coloring pages are free printable coloring pages can be used with crayons, paint or whatever a toddler thinks up!
• These free printable fall coloring pages have simple leaf shapes and the letters: F, A, L, L.

2. Play Pumpkin Pie 

Looking for a fun craft? This preciously adorable felt faux food is seasonally perfect.  Little hands will enjoy playing with their food while we will all be glad it is mess-free. via Mama Smiles

3. Thanksgiving Tree Family Activity

This is a family activity that can include everyone…including the little ones. It is always a good thing to start the conversation of gratefulness. These are great for three year olds and younger as well as the family. via Kids Activities Blog

4. Play a Thanksgiving Game

This simple game will have all the kids running with a grateful heart.  It can be modified for any level of play. via Kids Activities Blog

5. Take a Fall Family Outing

Lots of ideas to get the entire family outside to enjoy autumn and the Thanksgiving air. via Kids Activities Blog

6. Go on a Fall Scavenger Hunt

This nature scavenger hunt for kids of all ages is really good for younger kids too because it doesn’t require reading skills to know what you are searching for!

7. Play with the Geometric Turkey

With some shapes that require little adult skill to create, a toddler can assemble their own colorful turkey and decorate. via Blog Me Mom

8. Use Felt for a Turkey Assembly Activity

 If you are looking for a quiet activity, this is the perfect fit. Felt cut into simple shapes that toddlers can make a turkey…or something else. via Kids Activities Blog

9. Celebrate with a Thankful Heart Tree

Another family thankful tree that makes a sweet holiday tradition. via Kids Activities Blog

10. Read Thanksgiving Books Together

 A list of books that will get your family in the Thanksgiving spirit. via Kids Activities Blog

I can’t decide which of these thanksgiving projects for toddlers I like best between the playdoh pumpkin pie or paper cup turkey.

Thanksgiving Crafts For Toddlers

11. Make a Torn Paper Turkey Craft 

Oh how I giggle when everything you need for a craft is in the craft drawer.  This is one of those simple things you can pull out and do within the next 3 minutes. If you don’t have brown paper for this craft, you can use brown paper bags. via Coffee Cups and Crayons

12. Craft a Thanksgiving Headband 

Inspired by the Native Americans who made the first Thanksgiving possible. via Kids Activities Blog

13. Use Cookie Cutters as a Stencil Tree 

Using the cookie cutters in a kitchen drawer, your toddler can create art. via Kids Activities Blog

14. Make Thankful Hands

This simple craft involves hand tracing and a thankful spirit. This makes one of the best Thanksgiving projects for kids I think. It’s important to remember to be thankful. via Mama Smiles

15. Use your Hands for a Handprint Feathered Turkey

A fun, easy preschool craft that includes colorful construction paper and googly eyes! via My Cup Overflows

16. Recycle with a Coffee Filter Turkey

Using a salad spinner and some paint, this craft is sure to be a toddler hit! via Kids Activities Blog

17. Create Bottle Cap Turkey Magnets

Go small. Make fridge magnets with bottle caps. This would also make a great Thanksgiving activities for kindergarten kids. I love this since it uses minimal craft supplies! What fantastic fun for two year olds. via Crafty Morning

That 3D paper pumpkin is one of the cutest Thanksgiving craft ideas for kids.

Easy Thanksgiving Crafts For Kids

18. Decorate a Turkey

What a fun addition to any Thanksgiving celebration. I love how this simple activity can be made age-appropriate based on the materials you provide for turkey dressing (up). via Blog Me Mom

19. Make Native American Dolls

Love this festive Thanksgiving craft. These simple play people are up cycled toilet paper rolls and can be personalized to a toddler’s specifications. via Crafty Moms Share

20. Paint a Handprint Ship

This simple handprint ship art project is great for younger kids like toddlers and preschoolers! A toddler’s handprint is transformed into a pilgrim ship with a bit of paint and construction paper shapes.  It is something they will love to do and then send as a card.

That construction paper turkey is one of our many great Thanksgiving activities for kindergarten kids since it involves using scissors.

Thanksgiving Craft Ideas For Toddlers

21. Create an Easy Paper Plate Pumpkin

This site has several easy preschool crafts. Plus, it requires very little to make. A paper plate, tissue paper, and a glue stick. This is also one of many Thanksgiving crafts for 3 year olds that wouldn’t require a lot of help. via She Knows

22. Make Pasta Turkeys

This silly sensory play is sure to be a hit with kids that adore their time to be filled with a tad of messy. via 123 Homeschool 4 Me

23. DIY Art Placemats

Get the entire family involved in creating custom placemats from their art for Thanksgiving dinner! The whole family, including older kids, can make their spot at the Thanksgiving table extra special. This is the perfect Thanksgiving craft. via Kids Activities Blog

24. Craft a We are Thankful Display with the Family

Want more easy crafts for two year olds? Toddlers can get involved in the family thankfulness display. via Kids Activities Blog

25. Make Colorful Turkey Suncatcher

Transform a little tissue paper into a bright and happy turkey to hang in the window.  This post has a free printable so your turkey will resemble a turkey too! This would be great for 2 year olds and 3 year olds. via Learn Create Love

26. Craft a Thanksgiving Centerpiece Together

This table centerpiece is easy enough that a toddler can be involved in the process. What a perfect way to get babies and 2 year olds involved in decorating for the holidays! via Kids Activities Blog

Thanksgiving Arts and Crafts Ideas For Toddlers

27.

Make a Handprint Turkey

This child craft Thanksgiving tradition is always lots of fun. It’s a great way to get kids busy and out of trouble on Thanksgiving day. via Mama Smiles

28. Make a Footprint Turkey

This child craft Thanksgiving tradition has a twist! This is a great way to make thanksgiving art for toddlers. Plus, this is one of our super cute Thanksgiving crafts for infants as well. via Kids Activities Blog

29. Make a Paper Plate Boat

Build a ship out of paper plates. If you are brave, grab some paint too. Adding paint to this project would also make this one of the many great Thanksgiving activities for kindergarten kids. Love paper plate crafts. via Kids Activities Blog

30. Get the Family Together and Make a Handprint Tree

Make a Thanksgiving handprint tree with all the members of the family. This could be fun with everyone that joins you for Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving Activities for Kids of All Ages From Kids Activities Blog

We have great things to do to celebrate Thanksgiving with kids of all ages:

• Over 35 Thanksgiving Activities and Crafts for 3 Year Olds. So many Thanksgiving activities to do with your kids! These preschool Thanksgiving activities will keep the little ones so busy having fun.
• More than 30 Thanksgiving Activities and Crafts for 4 Year Olds! Preschool Thanksgiving crafts have never been easier to set up.
• 40 Thanksgiving Activities and Crafts for 5 Year Olds and Up…
• 75+ Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids…so many fun things to make together around the Thanksgiving holiday.
• These free Thanksgiving printables are more than just coloring pages and worksheets!

What is your favorite Thanksgiving activity for 2 year olds? Which toddler Thanksgiving craft or activity will be your first to try?

Thanksgiving Day in the USA | USA – interesting to know

Giant Balloon in Thanksgiving Day Parade

Thanksgiving Day in the USA is one of the most popular and beloved holidays of Americans, along with Christmas and Easter. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. On this day, Americans attend a church service, after which they gather in the family circle for a festive dinner.

© Jodi/Flickr

Among the main culinary delights of the United States, on Thanksgiving Day, the signature American dish – stuffed turkey – deserves special attention. Among the most common breeds of these birds today is the white Dutch turkey.

© RiaPereira/Flickr

But why exactly did the turkey become a symbol of the festive table, and why is the feast of gratitude remarkable? To answer these questions, it is worth delving a little into the history of Thanksgiving on American soil.

© Dave Fimbres Photography/Flickr

History of Thanksgiving

The origin of the holiday is associated with a group of English Protestant Puritans who, in September 1620, fleeing religious persecution in their homeland, sailed on the ship Mayflower to the New World. After two months of sailing, their ship landed on the east coast of America (New England).

© Steven Shepard/Flickr

They landed in what is now Massachusetts, where the decision was made to set up the first camp. However, the New World was not merciful to the settlers: difficulties in finding food, the harsh local climate, unknown diseases – all this served as an aid to the deterioration of living conditions. More than half of the colonists became seriously ill and died on the new continent in the first winter from hunger and want.

© Steven Shepard/Flickr

The surviving Puritans established Plymouth Colony, the oldest English settlement in America, and little by little formed friendships with the local natives. American Indians played a decisive role in their survival, gladly responded to the requests of new neighbors, helped to establish a life and manage the household.

© Steven Shepard/Flickr

Thanks to the Indians, the settlers learned to cultivate the land, grow pumpkins, sow beans and corn, and hunt wild turkeys. By the way, the outsiders received the recipe for the famous maple syrup from the Indians.

© Steven Shepard/Flickr

An unexpectedly rich harvest in the fall of 1621 rewarded the colonists for their efforts. And since the first settlers were deeply religious Christians, they decided to give thanks to the Lord for his mercy. The Indians of the tribe were invited to the celebration, which helped them stay alive.

© Steven Shepard/Flickr

For a long time Thanksgiving was an unofficial holiday in New England and was celebrated on an occasional basis.

© Steven Shepard/Flickr

After the independence of the United States in 1776, the young country had to hastily acquire its own traditions and holidays. Thanksgiving Day in the United States became a public holiday in 1789 with the light hand of the first president, George Washington. He signed a decree on the celebration of Thanksgiving Day on November 26th of each year.

© Steven Shepard/Flickr

And yet, the holiday gained nationwide recognition and love only in 1864, when on that day Abraham Lincoln called on the troops of the North and South to end hostilities and, having shared a common table and food, come to a peaceful solution to the issue. A year later, the civil war came to an end, and it was decided to celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the last Thursday of every November. At 1941, this date was legally approved.

© Steven Shepard/Flickr

Traditional Thanksgiving Treats

Thanksgiving has evolved over the years and is carefully followed by Americans. On this bright holiday in the morning, Americans rush to church, and then the whole family gathers at a festive table laden with traditional dishes, and be sure to read a prayer of thanksgiving together.

© barbara carroll/Flickr

On the eve of the holiday, the house is decorated with berries and branches, bouquets of brown, yellow and orange chrysanthemums, which is associated with the autumn season and a rich harvest. On this day, several generations of the same family meet at the same table in the house of elders. During a family meal, each of those present thanks the Almighty for all the joyful events that took place in his life last year.

© cilantropist.blogspot.com

Turkey is the main attribute of a festive feast. The preparation of solemn dishes is most often done by the mother, but only the head of the family is trusted to cut the turkey. The first pieces of treats go to the children, then they are distributed according to seniority. So, from a tender age, Americans strive to form in the minds of their children respect for family traditions and a passion for national dishes.

Also on the table are usually sweet potatoes, yams, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce. According to historians, it was these dishes that decorated the first Thanksgiving holiday table back in the 17th century.

© Michael Ang/Flickr

The traditional celebratory drink on this day is apple cider, which is usually served hot and certainly well seasoned with spices.

Turkey pardon ceremony

There is a tradition of pardoning a turkey in the White House on the eve of the celebration. This is done so that at least one bird can avoid becoming the main dish of the feast. A few months before the ceremony, about thirty turkeys are selected, whose candidatures are then posted on the White House website. Anyone can give their voice to the bird they like. The winning turkey and its “understudy” are diligently prepared for an honorable meeting with the president – they are hand-fed, thus teaching them not to be afraid of strangers.

© Carlos Barria/Reuters

The first official turkey pardon ceremony was held in 1989 by US President George W. Bush. Since then, every year the most successful turkey and its “understudy” bypass the fate of being roasted and after a solemn pardon ceremony, they are transferred to the zoo, where they live until old age.

© Mandel Nagan/AFP/Getty Images

Thanksgiving Day Today

On Thanksgiving Day, costumed parades take place throughout the United States. On the central streets of the cities, carnivals, enchanting processions, theatrical and circus performances are held in honor of the first settlers of America. For the first time such a parade was held at 1924 in Detroit.

However, the most famous Thanksgiving Day parade has been held annually in New York City since 1927 with the support of Macy’s largest department store chain – Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The participation in the parade of giant inflatable toys depicting cartoon and comic book characters adds to the showiness and scale of this event.

© Christian Bobadilla/Flickr

It is also customary throughout the country to devote time to charity in anticipation of the holiday. At this time, charitable organizations collect donations in the form of money, things, food, organize free meals and distribute gifts to the homeless and the poor. Great tradition, isn’t it?

© Pine Street Inn/Flickr

On the American continent, another tradition that has recently become popular with the local population is associated with the Thanksgiving Day of American football finals.

© Paul Moseley/Flickr

The day after Thanksgiving is called “Black Friday” (due to heavy traffic jams). This day is significant in that it is with it that the long-awaited season of pre-Christmas sales in stores across the country begins.

© Michael Nagle/Getty Images

Thanksgiving Day is the favorite family holiday of Americans, which has its own history and good traditions. This holiday is expected in every family, as this is another reason to enjoy communication with relatives and close friends, as well as to thank the Lord for support in difficult times.

© John Moore/Getty Images

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Thanksgiving (in English) presentation, report, project

There is one day a year in America when all people stay home with their family and eat a big dinner. This is Thanksgiving Day .The Pilgrims celebrate the first Thanksgiving day in autumn 1621.

There is one day a year in America when all people stay at home with their families and eat a big meal. It’s THANKSGIVING Day. Pilgrims first celebrated this holiday in the autumn of 1921.

They sailed to America from Plymouth, England in September,1620. Their voyage took 3 months. They came to America for religious freedom.

They sailed to America from Plymouth, England in September 1920. Their journey lasted 3 months. They came to America for religious freedom.

The name of their ship was the Mayflower. They landed in December, 1620.

Their ship was called the Mayflower. They came ashore in December 1620. There were over 100 people.

There were people living in America before the Pilgrims arrived. These people were the Native American Indians. They hunted, fished and farmed to survive.

Before the arrival of the Pilgrims there were people in America. These were the national American Indians. They hunted, fished and cultivated the land in order to survive.

The Pilgrims’ first winter was very difficult. They had arrived too late to grow any crops. Without fresh food half of the Pilgrims died.

The first winter of the Pilgrims was very difficult. They arrived too late to grow any crops. Without food, half the Pilgrims perished.

The following spring the Indians taught the Pilgrims how to plant, fish, hunt and survive in America, to grow corn, pumpkins and use cranberries.

The following spring, the Indians taught the Pilgrims how to hunt, fish, and survive in America to grow corn, gourds, and use cranberries.

The crops did well and in the fall of 1621 the Pilgrims had a great harvest. They were thankful and decided to celebrate it with a Thanksgiving feast.

The grain grew well in the autumn of 1621. The Pilgrims have reaped a good harvest. They were grateful and decided to celebrate the Thanksgiving Feast.

They prepared a big dinner of turkey, corn, beans and pumpkins. They invited their Indian friends to share this three day feast. The Indians brought their food to the feast, too.

They cooked a big meal of turkey, corn, beans and pumpkin. They invited their Indian friends there to take part in this three-day feast.

American still celebrate Thanksgiving day in the fall. It is celebrated on the last Thursday of November. Turkey is still the main dish and pumpkin pie and cranberry pie are the most popular desserts.

Americans still celebrate Thanksgiving. It is celebrated on the last Thursday of November. Turkey is still the main dish on the holiday table, and pumpkin and cranberry pie are the most popular desserts.

American children look forward to spend their Thanksgiving day with their grandparents.

Children look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with their grandparents.

It reminds us that our food comes from the earth. Indian corn is used as a decoration. People usually go to church in the morning or in the afternoon. Try an old Thanksgiving ritual this year. Start your meal with joyful noise of Thanksgiving. All people give thanks for the good things that they have.

This reminds us that our food comes from the earth. On this holiday, people usually go to church in the morning or afternoon. They are grateful for all the good things they have.

Thanksgiving day is associated with certain symbols and foods. Turkey is a part of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, as well as pumpkin pie and cranberries. The Horn of Plenty is a familiar Thanksgiving symbol.

Thanksgiving is associated with certain symbols and foods. Turkey is part of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, as are pumpkin pie and cranberries. The cornucopia is a familiar symbol of Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day: traditions, menus and vocabulary

Author: Alisa Ryzhkova

Not far off Thanksgiving Day is an annual national holiday in the United States and Canada when people celebrate the harvest and remember all the blessings of the year. We have prepared a brief educational program to dot the i’s.

History

Thanksgiving was originally a celebration of gratitude and appreciation to God, as well as to family and friends for material well-being and kindness. In the United States and Canada, this holiday has largely lost its religious significance and has become civil, generally accepted and nationwide.

The roots of this holiday go deep into American history, to the very first settlers from England, who arrived on the shores of America in 1620 on the now famous Mayflower ship. They landed after a hard voyage across a stormy ocean in what is now Massachusetts on a frosty November day and founded the Plymouth Colony.

More than half of the approximately 100 arrivals could not survive the harsh winter and died from cold, hunger and disease. The survivors established a colony and began tilling the land in the spring with the help of local Indians, most notably Squanto, who taught them what crops to grow and how to grow on this inhospitable rocky soil. An unexpectedly rich harvest was the reward for their efforts. The first governor of the colonists, William Bradford, proposed a day of thanksgiving to the Lord. For a holiday in the autumn of 1621, the Pilgrim Fathers invited the leader and 9 others0 Indians of the tribe that helped them survive in unfamiliar conditions. This meal, shared with the Indians, was the first Thanksgiving celebration. Subsequently, the colonists celebrated a good harvest with occasional Thanksgiving festivities.

After gaining independence and the emergence of a single state of the United States, the first president of the country, George Washington, proposed to celebrate Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday every year on November 26th. And after the end of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln declared the fourth Thursday of November to be Thanksgiving Day.

Menu

Turkeys are usually stuffed with chestnuts and/or minced meat and grains and baked in the oven.

Cranberry Sauce – Cranberry Sauce

No one serves Thanksgiving turkey without this seasonal sauce. The first pilgrims learned all about cranberries from the Indians who picked these berries in the fall. Today, some people serve purchased cranberry sauce, but if you have time, you can try making your own. All you need to do is boil some sugar and water, add the cranberries, cook until the berries burst, mash them, and then let the sauce cool in the refrigerator.

Vegetables – Vegetables

Thanksgiving, which is closely associated with harvest festivals, uses all the vegetables traditionally harvested at that time of year. This means that there are a lot of root crops on the table – vegetables that grow in the ground, under the soil, and not above the ground or on trees. This includes potatoes of all kinds, parsnips, carrots, yams, and the most popular Thanksgiving vegetable, pumpkin.

Marshmallow Sweet Potato – Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows

This is a Thanksgiving favorite baked all over the country. All you have to do is toast the sweet potatoes, then mash them, add some butter and cinnamon, sprinkle with marshmallows, and then put them back in the oven until the marshmallows are browned.

Pumpkin Pie – Pumpkin Pie

Not only do Americans serve pumpkin as a vegetable, but they also sweeten pumpkin puree to use as a tasty topping for this traditional pie.

Pecan Pie – Pecan Pie

Another popular type of pie is another ingredient harvested in autumn. This maple syrup-sweetened pie uses pecans, but it’s not the only dish that has them on the dinner table. They are crushed and used as part of turkey stuffing, and mixed with roasted vegetables.

Traditions

Travel – Traveling

One of the best things about Thanksgiving is spending time with family. Many people live far away from family members and travel long distances by car, train or plane to be with their loved ones. Thanksgiving is often one of the busiest days of the year!

Turkey Pardon – The Turkey Pardon

Every Thanksgiving, the President of the United States receives a turkey as a gift. At a ceremony at the White House, the President traditionally grants her a “pardon” so that she can live on a farm.

Breast bone (Wishbone) – Wishbone

In some families, the turkey breast bone is broken. After the meat was removed from it, the bone became dry and brittle, two people take the bone from different ends, make a wish and pull. Whoever gets the most of the dice can count on the fulfillment of his desire!

TV – TV

Many families watch the New York Thanksgiving Day Parade, which includes marching bands, floats, songs and numbers from Broadway musicals, and giant helium balloons. People enjoy watching football matches and also playing outside.

Helping Others – Charity

Thanksgiving is a great time to help people less fortunate in life. Some people volunteer to distribute food at homeless shelters; others make donations to shelters or participate in canned food campaigns.

After Meals – After Meals

Food eaten, dishes washed… now it’s time to relax. Some families ride bikes, walk or sleep. Others play board or card games together.

Thanksgiving Episodes

• Seinfeld: “The Mom and Pop Store,” Season 6, Episode 8
• Bob’s Burgers: “Turkey In A Can,” Season 4, Episode 5
• Pretty Little Liars: “Taking This One To The Grave,” Season 5, Episode 12
• Riverdale: “Chapter Sixty-Four: The Ice Storm,” Season 4, Episode 7
• Gossip Girl: “Blair Waldorf Must Pie,” Season 1, Episode 9
• The Office: “WUPHF. com,” Season 7, Episode 9
• Friends: “The One With All the Thanksgivings,” Season 5, Episode 8
• How I Met Your Mother: “Slapsgiving,” Season 3, Episode 9
• New Girl: “Thanksgiving,” Season 1, Episode 6

Vocabulary

• Autumn – autumn
• Carve – cut
• Colony – family
• Grateful
• Gravy – Sauce
• Harvest – Harvest
• Native
• Parade – Parade
• Pilgrim – Pilgrim
• Pumpkin pie
• Stuffing
• Corn
• Cranberry
• Cranberry sauce – cranberry syrup
• Dinner – dinner
• Feast – holiday
• Sweet potato
• Thanks
• Turkey
• Yam – yam, sweet potato, sweet potato

When it comes to expressing gratitude, few things are better than a firm thank you. However, sometimes you may feel like you want to say something else.

• We want to express our appreciation! – We want to express our gratitude!
• We want to let you know how valuable you are to us! – We want you to know how valuable you are to us!
• I appreciate how you… – I appreciate how you…
• I’m grateful for… – I am grateful for…
• Thanks a bunch! – Thank you so much!
• We’re lucky to have you! – We are lucky to have you!
• Things wouldn’t be the same without you! – Everything would be different without you!
• Thanks a million! – Infinitely grateful!
• This means a lot to me! – This means a lot to me!

The holiday is so popular and significant that it even has several idioms.

1. To be stuffed

The meal was absolutely delicious. I’m afraid I can’t eat one more piece. I’m stuffed. – The food was insanely delicious. I’m afraid I won’t be able to eat anything else. I ate too much.

2. To go cold turkey – abruptly, completely put an end to a bad habit (drugs, alcohol, etc.)

I decided to go cold turkey and quit smoking. – I decided to stop smoking and quit abruptly.

3. To count your blessings – We have a good house, healthy children and we have each other – we should rejoice.

4. A stuffed shirt – I remember you called me a pompous turkey.

5. A blessing in disguise

Illness confined her to the home, which was a blessing in disguise. – The disease brought her home, there is a blessing in disguise.

6. To talk turkey (American English) – speak directly, speak frankly

Now you’re talking turkey. Let’s finish and go home. – Now you speak directly. Let’s finish and go home.

7. To be a mixed blessing I’ll have to spend a lot of time training. – Being on a team is a mixed blessing. I have to spend a lot of time training.

Despite the fact that we do not celebrate this holiday, this is another great opportunity to learn more about the culture and traditions of the United States, so as not to accidentally get into trouble when visiting the country.

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the history of the holiday, its traditions and symbols

American autumn is rich in holidays. In November, millions of citizens and residents of the United States will celebrate their most beloved, long-awaited and family holiday (not counting Christmas) – Thanksgiving Day . In English, Thanksgiving Day is called Thanksgiving Day and is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Most Americans also take Friday off to get four days off during which they can travel long distances to visit family and friends. In the United States, indeed, very often families and relatives live in different states and cities.

In our country we know about Thanksgiving first of all from Hollywood films and thanks to English lessons at school. If you are lucky with a teacher and he loves the culture of the country whose language he teaches you, then you will also love the holidays of this great country and discover a lot for yourself. And if not, then you should think about finding a private teacher.

Thanksgiving Day is a special holiday for Americans, and why this is so can be understood from the lessons of American history. Within the framework of this article, unfortunately, it is impossible to tell all the subtleties of historical facts more than 400 years ago. And I can immediately say that the official version of history is kinder, more joyful and happy than what actually happened. However, we will not go into such details, simply because in the framework of general education on this topic, it is not necessary to know this. American Thanksgiving began as a holiday in the early years of the American colonies, almost four hundred years ago.

In 1620, a ship with over a hundred passengers sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to stop in the New World. Pilgrims from England settled in what is now Massachusetts. Their first winter in the New World was very difficult. They arrived too late to grow enough crops, there was no fresh food or vitamins. Half the colony died of disease in the first winter. The following spring, local Iroquois Indians taught the colonists how to grow corn (maize), showed them other crops to grow, and taught them how to hunt and fish.

In the autumn of 1621, the colonists had their first bountiful harvest of corn, barley, beans, and pumpkins. The first Americans received so much of everything that they were very grateful. They invited a local Indian chief and 90 Indians. The Indians brought with them deer, turkeys and other wild animals. The colonists learned from the Indians how to cook cranberries and various corn and pumpkin dishes. According to legend, on the first Thanksgiving, the Indians even brought popcorn. Such is the legend. This holiday is surrounded by many myths, many of which today have refutation.

In later years, many of the original colonists began to celebrate the harvest. George Washington proposed the November 26 date for Thanksgiving. Then, in 1863, at the end of the long and bloody civil wars, Abraham Lincoln asked all Americans to celebrate the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving. To this day, Thanksgiving dinner almost always includes dishes served at the first Thanksgiving: roast turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie. Before eating, a pause is made and a prayer or words of gratitude are read to thank for everything, including the joy of getting together with the whole family. Thanksgiving became a national tradition, not only because so many Americans found prosperity and wealth in this country, but also because the pilgrims who sacrificed for their freedom still captivate the imagination.

Thanksgiving Traditions and Symbols

The first football game (we mean American football) was broadcast in 1934. It started in Detroit with the Detroit Lions and the tradition is strong to this day. The Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924 and also marks the start of the Christmas season. Now this tradition is known as Black Friday. Franklin Roosevelt extended the Christmas shopping season and stimulated the economy by allowing Fridays off.

Turkey, corn, pumpkin and pumpkin pie, and cranberry sauce are symbols that represent the first Thanksgiving dinner. Now all these symbols are printed on holiday decorations and greeting cards. Corn is also a symbol of the autumn season and harvest. Sweet and sour cranberry sauce, or jelly, was on the first Thanksgiving table and still is.

Modern Thanksgiving in America is a delicious family dinner with must-have dishes on the table, a football game, city parades, and a must-have pre-Christmas mood. And of course, obligatory prayers and words of gratitude.

Public recognition of the role of Indians in Thanksgiving is an important part of American history. Until now, most schoolchildren believe that the pilgrims prepared the entire festive dinner and brought it to the Indians. In fact, without the help of the Indians, the first settlers would not have survived.

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Peacemaker’s Day in Russia and Thanksgiving Day in the USA – what holidays are celebrated on November 25?

11/25/2021 at 07:47

Society

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Why peacekeepers are needed, what must be on the table for Thanksgiving and who John the Merciful is – all the details in the material “MK in Omsk”.

Photo: Pixabay.com

Day of the Russian military peacekeeper is celebrated on November 25. This holiday has not yet been officially established, and November 25 was chosen because on this day in 1973, a group of Soviet military for the first time became a member of the peacekeeping operation in the Middle East at the official level. Peacekeepers are involved in various military operations when there are no results from previously adopted economic and political measures. In 2002, the UN General Assembly established the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. It is celebrated on 29May. The activities of Russian peacekeepers were legalized in 1995 by a decree of the President of the Russian Federation.

Russian peacekeepers ensured peace in such countries and regions as Bosnia and Herzegovina, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Transnistria, Sudan, Sierra Leone, CAR, Chad, Liberia, Kosovo, Tajikistan, Angola, Nagorno-Karabakh. November 25 is an important professional holiday, as it is celebrated by people who are called to adequately represent Russia as a guarantor of peace anywhere in the world.

Thanksgiving Day is celebrated every fourth Thursday in November in the USA. In 2021, this holiday fell on November 25th. Thanksgiving was first celebrated in 1621 by English colonists who lived in Plymouth Colony. The Puritans brought a deep religious meaning to this holiday – they saw it as a way to thank the Almighty for mercy. Thanksgiving became a national holiday in the United States after it was approved by President George Washington in 1789.year. Thanksgiving Day has a number of traditions:

the whole family must go to church, and after the service gather at the festive table. There must be a turkey on the table. At the first feast, the colonists and Indians roasted and ate together four turkeys shot in the nearby woods. Since then, turkey and Thanksgiving have become synonymous, poultry farmers fatten turkeys especially for this holiday.

According to the folk calendar of Russia, November 25 is celebrated as Ivan the Merciful. This is a patriarch who lived in Alexandria in the 6th-7th centuries. John was the son of the governor of the island of Cyprus. Having lost his wife and children, he began to lead an ascetic life, constantly taking care of the poor. After the people elected John to the patriarchal throne, he counted all the poor in Alexandria and distributed his property to them. In Russia, wedding weeks ended at this time. The next marriages were concluded only with the end of winter – on Maslenitsa or on Krasnaya Gorka. Therefore, girls and boys who did not meet their fate had to wait until spring and envy more successful girlfriends and friends. If snow fell on Ivan the Merciful or it rained, then long thaws could be expected.

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The authors:

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  Valeria Kim journalist

UN

Russia
USA
Washington
Nagorno-Karabakh
Transnistria
Tajikistan
Near East
Omsk
Omsk region
Holiday

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Tips for a Safe Thanksgiving – Jefferson Center

Tips for a Safe Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. For many, this means turkey, family and football. Regardless of your traditions, one thing is certain: this year’s holidays will be unlike any other. With an ongoing pandemic that continues to disrupt daily life, Americans are wondering what this means for their vacation plans.

Family gatherings this year may put loved ones at risk, especially the vulnerable and the elderly. It is better to skip one family holiday in order to celebrate together next year. The safest way to celebrate this year is with family. If you’re planning a holiday with people outside of your family, there are ways to make the holiday safer.

WHAT TO AVOID

In general, CDC suggests Avoid the following holidays:

• Attending large indoor meetings with people outside of your household.
• Participation or spectator in a crowded race.
• Visiting crowded parades.
• Shopping in crowded stores in the Thanksgiving area.
• . alcohol or drugs that can cloud judgment.

Of course, this is not always possible, and people tend to spend their holidays with their loved ones. The following are just some of the ways to ensure a safer celebration.

TRAVEL SAFELY

Not traveling is the safest option, but for those who must travel this Thanksgiving, consider all your options. Short car trips are the least risky, while longer flights, especially those with transfers, are the most risky.

If you are traveling long distances by car or on long connecting flights, use the following steps to protect yourself and others from COVID-19:

• Wear a mask in public places, including airports and train stations.
• Stay at least 6 feet away from anyone outside of your household.
• Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol).
• Avoid contact with sick people.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

PREPARE FOR QUARANTINE

One of the safest ways to reduce your risk is to quarantine for two weeks after your trip. It may not be possible for everyone, but for those who can, public health experts recommend quarantine for 10-14 days before participating in Thanksgiving celebrations. The time frame of 10-14 days is based on the incubation period of the virus. Quarantine is a way to make sure you don’t have a virus and therefore can’t pass it on to others.

REVIEW YOUR DINNER

For many, preparing for an all-day meal is just as important as enjoying a big meal together. Food is the backbone of Thanksgiving, so this year it’s important to find ways and safe alternatives to keep the holiday going.

Virtual Dinner

This is the safest option for those who are uncomfortable gathering in groups or have vulnerable family members. You can practice all the same traditions together in a virtual space, even if you cook in different places! It’s also helpful to reach out to loved ones and stay in touch with your friends and family if you can’t be all together on Thanksgiving.

Eat with housemates

Spending Thanksgiving intimately with loved ones is another way to keep Thanksgiving safe. The CDC even suggests preparing traditional family recipes for friends, family and neighbors and delivering them without contact with other people. It’s a great way to stay in touch with loved ones and build empathy and gratitude, which are the essence of Thanksgiving!

Dine outdoors

For those planning a Thanksgiving gathering with friends and family, having an outdoor dinner is the safest option. This is especially true if guests have traveled significant distances. As the weather gets colder, it becomes more difficult in certain areas, so creating the right environment with heaters, fire pits, appropriate clothing, and other methods is extremely important.

TIPS FOR RECEIVING THANKS

For those of you planning to organize a Thanksgiving celebration with people outside your household, the CDC suggests the following:

• Eat outdoors. The risk of spreading COVID-19 is lower outdoors.
• Limit the number of guests.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects between uses.
• Keep your windows open when celebrating indoors.
• Limit the number of people in food preparation areas.
• Consider having guests bring their own food and drinks.
• Have one person serve disposable food such as plastic utensils.

TIPS FOR ATTENDING A THANKS HOLIDAY

If you will be attending the celebration with people who are not members of your family, the CDC recommends the following:

• Consider bringing your own food, cups, plates, drinks and dishes.
• Wear a mask and keep it in a safe place while eating and drinking.
• Avoid places where food is prepared.
• Use single-use items such as salad dressings and condiment bags and single-use items such as food containers, plates and utensils.

TALK TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Communication is key, and as the mask-wearing debate continues to rage across the country, we need to communicate with our loved ones about whether it is safe to get together for Thanksgiving. Start those tough conversations right now and don’t make judgments. Everyone’s comfort level is different, valid and should always be respected. While we’re talking to our loved ones about what we like and don’t like, we can help ensure a safer holiday season.

CELEBRATE IN OTHER WAYS

With the world’s ongoing instability, now is a great opportunity to create new holiday traditions or celebrate them in unconventional ways! Try cooking a new dish, decorating or doing arts and crafts, writing thank you letters, or just watching a new show. Just because the holidays look different this year doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use this time to celebrate with your loved ones in safe ways so you can all have a good time!

Thanksgiving is not always a holiday for everyone.