Every year before Thanksgiving I invite the parents in for Thanksgiving centers. At our school this is not considered one of our three school parties, so this is NOT a party, instead it is a culminating activity. If you know what I mean... ;) You can relate any of these activities to reading or social studies standards if you need to!!
I set the tables up with these awesome Charlie Brown Thanksgiving table cloths. I also left plates, napkins, and silverware there so we could taste pumpkin pie at the end of the centers! The decor is all from Oriental Trading.
I usually have about 5 centers going on. At each center there are directions on what to do. The kids rotate through the centers with their parents. But, just like center time, they can't rotate until I ring the bell. I also leave directions for what to do if you finish early. Even with parents there, when kids finish early they feel like they can get up and wander around or do cart-wheels across the floor. So early finisher directions are a must!
At the first center we make edible teepees. Who doesn't love ice cream cones, frosting, and candy!? This is always the kids favorite center of the day! I used to do making butter, but I always had a ton kids that wouldn't try it.
Standard- SS.K.A.2.1 Compare children/families today (their houses) with those of the past
At our second center we made Native American noisemakers. Students had to color in the picture and cut and paste it onto a paper plate. Then, they fill the middle of the plates with beans and staple together! They love this! I leave a little poem at the center from my Poetry Pack for them to sing to as well!
Standard- SS.K.A.2.1 Compare children/families today (their music) with those of the past
At our third center we made these cute turkey handprint keepsakes from Oriental Trading. I LOVE anything that my kids bring home that I can store in their memory boxes--so any and all handprint crafts are a must for me!! This center was a stretch to make it 'academic'. I had to leave questions there for parents to ask their child as they were working recalling the Thanksgiving book we read that morning. It actually turned out cute!
Standard- R.L.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Later that day we had our book buddies over to read with us and make these cute turkey hands!!
Thanksgiving at home this year was great! We continued our Thanksgiving breakfast tradition and this year I added in a new surprise!
My new creation was these little Mayflower donuts--they were a huge hit!! You can also see the 'acorns' at the bottom of this picture, another breakfast favorite!
Last year was the first year that I made a big breakfast and the kids loved it so much that we definitely will have to continue this every year. I think they look forward to the breakfast more than the dinner! (I may too, haha!)
Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for YOU!
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