Thanksgiving
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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!
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Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that your holiday is wonderful and relaxing! *Card image from Snapfish*
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Tips for celebrating Thanksgiving with little ones
Do you have any young children attending your Thanksgiving celebration? I wanted to make sure to share one of my most popular posts because it is full of tips for avoiding meltdowns and keeping toddlers and preschoolers happy on Thanksgiving day. You can check that post out here!
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Family Engagment – Discussing Thanksgiving
I like to take any opportunity that I can get to involve families in my classroom discussions and investigations, so I created this great freebie in order to find out a little more about each of my individual students’ family Thanksgiving celebration. Send this questionnaire home with your students to find out what each of their Thanksgiving celebrations is like. Ask them to bring it back after the holiday and compare and contrast the foods that they ate, what they liked and did not like, and give children the opportunity to share their own special traditions. This is a great way to help little ones understand that their families have…
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Friday Freebie – Family Trees
Happy Friday! Can you believe we are over a week into November?! This year is flying by! I wanted to do something a little different today – don’t worry, you’ll still get a freebie! I actually shared this brand new freebie in my post on Monday but I wanted to share it again just in case you missed it. This Family Tree Freebie is a fun way to help your students explore their families. Use this set to help children explore their families. Send each child home with a tree background and a sheet (or half sheet) of leaves. Families can write names and relationships on the leaves. This family…
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Books about Families
I’m always full of great book recommendations, here are my favorites for starting discussions about families (Amazon affiliate links): The Family Book by Todd Parr All Families are Special by Norma Simon A Family is a Family is a Family by Sara O’Leary Families by Shelley Rotner and Sheila Kelly My Family, Your Family by Lisa Bullard What are your favorite books about families? Share them in the comments!
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Using family photos in the classroom
I have always been a huge advocate of incorporating family photos in the classroom, for a number of reasons; It helps children to see their classroom as a place that they belong. It shows that you value all of your students’ families and helps parents feel welcome. Photos can be a great tool for helping children transition into the classroom, especially if they have a hard time separating from their parents. Children can learn a lot about each other from viewing family photos. It isn’t always easy to get parents to remember to bring in those photos, so I created this easy little paper bag album that you can send…
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Family Vocabulary
One topic that I always make sure to cover near Thanksgiving is family. I like to start by introducing some basic vocabulary so that children have a foundation and are able to use the correct words as they describe their own families. Making sure that children understand basic terms can help you navigate conversations about whether a child’s pet dog can also be his brother. It can also help you explain that one child might call her grandmother Nana, and another might call his grandmother Mimi, but they are both still grandmothers. As you introduce these terms it is also important to be a little flexible with your definitions. You…
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Exploring Families with Preschoolers.
My favorite topic to explore during the month of November is always families. This is the perfect time to help children understand concepts related to relationships because they will probably get to see their families over the holiday season. This is also a wonderful time to explore diversity within family structures and traditions because children will undoubtedly have different family experiences to share with each other. This can be a sensitive subject for parents because they are acutely aware that not all families look the same, but children find this fascinating and can learn a lot about acceptance from each other. It’s always a good idea to send a note…
