Thanksgiving
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Friday Freebie – Pumpkin Spice Sugar
I have a bit of an unconventional freebie for you today. I found a recipe for Pumpkin Spice Sugar on The Cottage Market, and it comes with these really cute printable labels. How fun would it be to mix up a batch of Pumpkin Spice Sugar and some Cinnamon Sugar to jazz up some toast for snack time. Then you could send little containers of each home with your students so that they could share with their families! Go check out the recipe and the labels and have a wonderful weekend!
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Fine Motor Orange Pomanders
Have you ever made orange pomanders? I remember making these in preschool, but I haven’t seen them around much recently. I always love to refresh some of the activities that left an impression on me personally, so it seems like this one might be a keeper. They are very easy to make, you just need some oranges (any kind will work – even little clementines), whole cloves, something to poke holes with (a toothpick, push pin, screw, etc.), and some twine or ribbon. Start by showing the children how to poke starter holes into the skin of the orange. Once the starter holes have been made it is easy to…
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Spice Painting
Historically, spices were often used to create paints because many of them have very distinct colors. Making your own spice paints is a great way to explore spices and their scents at the same time! All that you have to do is mix a good amount of a single spice with a small amount of water until the paint is the consistency that you want. You can also add a little cornstarch to make your paints go a little farther. Here are some spices to try and the colors that they will make: Paprika = Orange Turmeric = Mustard Yellow Saffron = Bright Yellow Parsley = Green Cinnamon = Brown…
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Sensory Spice Jars
Thanksgiving lends itself to a completely unique sensory experience due to all of the wonderful smells associated with the holiday. This is the perfect time to explore your sense of smell, and there’s no better way than creating a set of smelly spice jars for your science center. There are so many different ways to make these, but the key is to make sure you still get the scent without actually leaving any spices in your jars – you don’t want to deal with the sneezing that will come from inhaling the actual spices. I love to use the actual spice containers that the different spices come in when I…
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Friday Freebie – Pie Dice Games
Happy Friday! Can you believe that it’s nearly the middle of November?! I have obviously had one thing on my mind this week – pie! The closer we get to Thanksgiving, the more I think about desserts. Today’s freebie is perfect for your Thanksgiving math centers – these pie dice games are adorable! Go download yours from Lodrew and have a wonderful weekend!
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Pie Filling Taste Test
I know that there are very strong opinions about using food for preschool activities, and I understand both sides of the argument. Personally, I believe that food is something that brings us together. It is a powerful way to open children’s minds to new experiences, and to introduce them to cultural experiences. I am especially partial to taste-tests as science and social studies activities because it gives me the opportunity to expose children to something that they may not ever encounter at home. I’ve been known to taste test fruits and vegetables, in order to introduce new foods and encourage children to be open to trying new things. This particular…
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Pie Themed Dramatic Play
October, November, and December are by far the easiest months to plan dramatic play for. For example, one of my favorite November dramatic play themes is a pie bakery. Simply use your play kitchen or create an oven out of a large cardboard box, then include some of the following items: Aluminum pie pans Felt circles for pie crust Rolling pins Aprons A toy mixer Mixing bowls Pie servers Cookbooks and recipe cards Play fruit for filling I’ve also got some fun Thanksgiving theme math and language activities that you can use to round out your other centers as you prepare for the holiday!
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Family Recipe Book
Thanksgiving is about two things; food, and family. Encourage your families to share their favorite recipes with each other by sending home these cute recipe pages. Once each family has completed one you can compile them to create a beautiful class recipe book that is sure to be a hit! Download your free recipe pages here!
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Pumpkin-Themed Show and Tell
Oh I love show and tell. Seriously, I do. I know that for some teachers it is probably their least favorite thing, and I know teachers that refuse to do it because it create chaos in their classrooms – but I love it. There are so many ways to use show and tell to support what you’re learning in the classroom (check out this post for ideas). One way to make show and tell really work for you is to link it to whatever theme or project you are currently working on. Since October and November are all about pumpkins, here are some ideas for pumpkin related show-and-tell: Ask children…
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Friday Freebie – Thanksgiving Pie
Happy Friday! I’m spending the day shopping, putting up my Christmas decorations, and relaxing – I hope that you get to do some of the same! I know that Thanksgiving is over, but this activity is a great one to stash away for next year. This Thankful Pie craftivity from Lindy du Plessis looks like a great way to help children think about all of the things they are thankful for, I bet that parents would love to see what their children came up with. Add this one to your file for next year and enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend!
