7 fun ways to teach kids about Thanksgiving

7 fun ways to teach kids about Thanksgiving

Though kids may view Thanksgiving as the first stop on the school holiday vacation train, there̵7;s a lot more for them to know about it than simply no class, stuffed turkey and whipped cream-topped pumpkin pie. Considering that Thanksgiving is one of the only holidays in which kids can learn about sharing, community, gratitude and compassion for others, it̵7;s important to take the time to talk about its meaning.
 
This November, make a point to teach your kids, or the kids you care for, the historically accurate facts about this important holiday. Here are 7 things you can do with them that will have you both learning something new about Thanksgiving!

1. Read together

7 fun ways to teach kids about Thanksgiving

Share an educational storytime with your children, no matter their age, by reading a Thanksgiving-themed book. Take turns reading or ask questions about the pictures, depending on individual reading levels. Use the opportunity to discuss similarities between people and the importance of treating everyone with respect.

Check out books like:

  • ̶0;The Pilgrims̵7; First Thanksgiving̶1; by  Ann McGovern.
  • ̶0;Giving Thanks: The 1621 Harvest Feast̶1; by Kate Waters.
  • ̶0;Samuel Eaton̵7;s Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Boy̶1; by Kate Waters.
  • ̶0;P is For Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet̶1; by Carol Crane.

2. Journey to 1621

Use the topic of Thanksgiving to investigate the journey of the pilgrims. Children can learn important historical facts in a fun, interactive way. Plimoth Plantation, a Massachusetts-based living history museum about the Plymouth Colony, provides an award-winning and free downloadable Thanksgiving activity that̵7;s appropriate for children of any age. The site introduces children to a Wampanoag child and an English settler who lead them on their journey to uncover the truth and debunk popular myths about the first Thanksgiving. It provides different points of view on important historical events that happened between the Wampanoag people and the English settlers leading up to the first Thanksgiving in 1621 in an interesting, high-tech way.

3. Visit the Mayflower

7 fun ways to teach kids about Thanksgiving

The education experts at Scholastic have developed a complete and thorough Teacher̵7;s Activity Guide for Thanksgiving. In addition to holiday-themed book recommendations, printable worksheets and informative videos, the site allows children to take a virtual tour of the Mayflower. Kids can also learn what daily life was like for the pilgrims and Wampanoags by comparing their living quarters, schools, chores and games.

4. Complete Thanksgiving activity sheets

Find free coloring sheets, word searches, hidden picture sheets or puzzles online that relate to Thanksgiving. Print a turkey pattern and its feathers, and have kids write what they are thankful for on each feather before gluing them to the turkey.

Here are a few places to start:

  • Many Hoops.
  • Education.com.
  • Teachers Pay Teachers.
  • K12 Reader.

5. Do crafts that teach gratitude

There are lots of fun and easy crafts that can help kids express their gratitude with a little creativity. 

Make a ̶0;Gratitude Paper Chain̶1;

Children can construct a ̶0;Gratitude Paper Chain,̶1; like this one made in Mrs. Shin̵7;s middle school art class, to count down the days until Thanksgiving. Have them write what they are thankful for on strips of construction paper and then loop them together.

Create a ̶0;Thankful Turkey̶1;

Kids can also create a ̶0;Thankful Turkey,̶1; like this one from Kids Activities Blog, by using a cardboard tube and feathers cut out of construction paper. Have the kids write why they are thankful on each feather. Then attach them to the tube with glue and add googly eyes and a cute face. These make adorable table decorations for the Thanksgiving table, too. 

6. Decorate the feast table

Since modern-day Thanksgiving celebrations center around making peace with people and sharing food, pay special attention to the table setting. Encourage children to make it special by constructing Thanksgiving-themed table decor themselves.

A few crafty ideas for kids include:

  • Research and discuss what the pilgrims and Wampanoag people would have had available, and use those objects in your decorations. For example, decorate the table using corn or corn husks, a mix of pumpkins or squash and cranberries.
  • Cut leaf shapes out of construction paper and write the name of each guest on one side and why they are thankful for them on the other.

7. Play games

Games are a great way to learn anything in a competitive but fun way. Try one of these fun ideas:

  • Play trivia with fun Thanksgiving facts.
  • Create Thanksgiving bingo cards with historical information or Thanksgiving foods in the squares.
  • Have a relay race in which children pass holiday-themed items like acorns, cranberries, nuts, peas and corn kernels to each other using chopsticks.

Today, Thanksgiving is a holiday signified by loved ones coming together to share a meal and give thanks for each other. By taking the opportunity to explain its origin to children in creative ways, they can not only understand its historical importance but its relevance in their everyday lives.


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