Category: Book

Turkey...Veggie Style

11/24/2013

Read the book A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman and illustrated by Jeff Shelly.

A very colorful and well illustrated story about a community that pulls together to find a turkey for their Thanksgiving feast. They were not prepared to find a turkey that would outsmart them.

Serve a healthy snack such as vegetables in the shape of a turkey.

Cranberry Thanksgiving

11/22/2013

Read the book: Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende & Harry Devlin.

A classic, heart-warming, story of a grandmother that makes the very best cranberry bread with her special recipe. The special recipe goes missing while two special guest are visiting for Thanksgiving.

Our secret family recipe for Cranberry Holiday Crisp!

Ingredients:

1 can Whole berry cranberry sauce
1 can Mandarin oranges, drained
1 can Pineapple tidbits, drained
Optional: diced fresh apples, diced fresh pears, toasted pecans or walnuts

Crisp topping:

¾ cup rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
¼ cup butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix fruit and nuts in a medium sized bowl. Pour into an 8 x 8 pan.

In another bowl mix the brown sugar and flour.

Cut in butter. Stir in oats. Sprinkle over the top of the cranberry mix.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

I Know an Old Lady That Swallowed a Pie

11/17/2013

Read the Book: I Know an Old Lady That Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson and illustrated by Judy Schachner:

A Thanksgiving twist on the classic book I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.

Cream Pies

Ingredients:

2 packages (4 servings size) any flavor pudding mix (we used Pumpkin Spice!)
2 cups of milk
1 container of Cool Whip
Graham cracker pie crust or any other pie crust you like

Directions: Mix 2 packages of pudding mix and 2 cups of milk for 2 minutes.

Gently fold in the container of Cool Whip. Spoon mixture into crust. Chill for 20 minutes.

My Family is Not Like Yours. Celebrating Family Diversity.

11/13/2013

Read: “Mixed Blessing; A Children’s Book About a Multi-Racial Family” by Marsha Cosman and Kyra Kendall

We have created two versions of this rhyme, to illustrate different types of families, Please feel free to edit the poem to suit your students needs.

Materials needed: construction paper, paint, scissors, glue, small picture of the child.

Directions: Have the children make a hand print on a piece of construction paper. Write the title at the top saying, "NAME’s Family” Cut out feathers. Have the children write the name of each person in their family on a feather and glue to the hand. Glue the child’s picture to the thumb (head of the hand turkey).

The Thankful Jar

11/12/2013

Read: “Grateful” A Song of Giving Thanks” by John Bucchino and Anna-Lisa Hakkarainen.

Materials needed: a jar, rick-rack, stickers etc., glue, scissors, Chocolate kisses.
Directions: Give each of the children a jar, glue and scissors and decorations. Let them decorate their thankful jar. Send instructions home about how to use the Thankful Jar.
Instrctions: Each day have your child name something they are thankful for, and place a chocolate kiss in the jar. Celebrate by eating the thankful kisses on Thanksgiving.

I am Thankful Book: Literacy and Community Building

11/8/2013

Read: “Thanks for Thanksgiving” Julie Markes and Doris Barrette. Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for small things, and family togetherness.

Activity: In circle time get out a large piece of paper and post it for the children to see. Explain what it means to be thankful, and have the children tell you what they are thankful for. Write their ideas on the posted paper. When finished, teach children the rhyme posted below.

Materials needed: Construction paper, 3 sheets of white paper, crayons, magazines or pictures, glue, scissors, picture of the child.
Directions: Instruct the children to paste their photo to the cover of the "I'm Thankful For" book. Let the children decorate their thankful book with pictures of things that they are thankful for.

I Am Thankful

11/8/2013

Read: “Just So Thankful” by Mercer Mayer. Little Critter meets a new kid in town who has gadgets and toys that cost a lot of money, and he will never have. But he discovers that he has something better, things that money cannot buy, his family.

Rhyme: Help children recite this rhyme.

Materials needed: Small mason jar, construction paper, glue, wiggly eyes, markers, scissors and something to fill the jar (see below).
Directions: Cut out several feather shapes, a small triangle for the beak, and an oval shape for the "gobbler".
Instructions: Have child write what they are thankful for on a feather, attach the wiggly eyes and beak shape. Help children attach each feather and discuss what they are thankful and attach them to the jar. We filled our jars with pom poms, other ideas for fillers are M&Ms, tissue paper, raffia, or colored fabric.

Let’s be Thankful Every Day Activity

11/7/2013

Read: “I’m Thankful Each Day” by Hallinan and P.K., This book combines both English and Spanish for educators and second language speakers. Every day there is something new to be thankful for.

Have the children act as Turkeys as you recite this rhyme.

Thankful Calendar Project

Materials needed: Construction paper, marker, scissors, tape or ticky tac.
Directions: Print off a copy of the calendar posted below, you can use the stencils provided, or create your own.
Instructions: After reading the story, ask the children what they are thankful for. Write it on the shape and put it on the calendar for each day. By the end of the month the calendar will be filled with things the children are thankful for. Read each one every day until Thanksgiving.
Extension: Cut out or use a picture of a cornucopia for each child. Cut out vegetable or fruit shapes and let each child write something they are thankful for each day. Then send their picture home with the children for Thanksgiving to share with their families.