Teaching Preschoolers about Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Activities and Lessons for Daycare Providers

Oct 8, 2008

Preschoolers can learn to understand and master symbols through Thanksgiving-themed cognitive and creative activities.

Thanksgiving is celebrated in Canada on the second Monday in October in order to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. In the United States of America, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November and commemorates a feast in 1621 that the Pilgrims shared with Native Americans since they had taught them to plants crops and hunt wild game. In both countries a feast is held in order to express gratitude and appreciation for the good things that have occurred in the past year.

Discuss with preschool aged children the story of Thanksgiving, the spirit of thankfulness, and the symbols associated with Thanksgiving. Some traditional Thanksgiving symbols include turkeys, Indian corn, pilgrims, autumn leaves, and cornucopia. A good Thanksgiving lesson plan includes activities in a variety of areas of development. The following activities focus on cognitive and creative objectives.

Preschool Cognitive Activities for Thanksgiving

Out of felt, cut turkeys, Indian corn, pilgrims, or any other item symbolizing Thanksgiving in various sizes. Then let children sequence the items from smallest to largest by placing them on a storyboard. This activity helps children identify size.

Create or buy cards with a variety of Thanksgiving symbols on them and let children organize pairs of symbols. Children can also use the cards to play a game of memory. This activity helps children with object recognition and matching.

Using this T is for Turkey worksheet, children will learn to trace the letter T. Students will also learn that turkey is a symbol of Thanksgiving. Explain the significance of the turkey with respect to Thanksgiving, then invite the children to trace upper and lowercase T’s.

Thanksgiving Arts and Crafts for Preschoolers

Children can dip their hand in finger paint and press it on a place mat sized sheet of construction paper or any other sturdy paper. After the paint has dried, help students decorate the hand print so that it looks like a turkey using any decorative items you have on hand. Place mats can then be laminated or covered with contact paper.

Preschool Rock has come up with a simple but stunning candle centerpiece that older preschool children can create. This centerpiece features autumn leaves, a great symbol of Thanksgiving.

Templates and instructions are provided on the Preschool Rock website. This centerpiece can highlight students’ Thanksgiving table at home.

Children can create and decorate Thanksgiving cards for their families from construction paper. Ask children why they love their families and about the things they are thankful for and include this inside the card.

Teachers and daycare providers, with a little imagination, can also create Thanksgiving activities and lesson plans in the areas of fine and gross motor development, dramatic play, group play, and math and science. For more preschool and daycare activity resources, see Online Preschool Plans.

The copyright of the article Teaching Preschoolers about Thanksgiving in Day Care is owned by Carla Snuggs. Permission to republish Teaching Preschoolers about Thanksgiving in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.