It’s the time of the year again when we smell those pumpkin pies, savor a delicious Thanksgiving meal, and remind ourselves of all the things we are truly grateful for. What better time is there to teach your preschooler about the joy of Thanksgiving through fun, age-appropriate activities, games, and themed crafts?
Something to keep in mind is the impact of thankfulness on your well-being and your children benefit from this, too! Not only do they get happy, thankful parents, but their love tanks also fill up with thankful cheer during this season.
Studies show that being grateful has an impact on self-esteem, sleep quality, mood, and other mental and physical aspects which all contribute to an uplifted spirit during a special time of year. Read on for ideas about fun activities you can do with your preschooler to observe Thanksgiving.
Fun Thanksgiving Activities For Preschoolers
One of the best things to do with preschoolers is to keep them busy with activities that are as fun as they are beneficial for growth. There are loads to try, but below are some of our favorites:
Rainbow Popcorn Sensory Bin
This activity will keep your preschooler busy for a while. Grab a shallow bucket or basin and fill it with rainbow-dyed popcorn kernels. Throw in some objects that have interesting textures. To keep this in theme, get some turkey kids’ toys, or other Thanksgiving-themed items and throw those into the popcorn kernels. Let the children seek out and find different interesting objects.
“I’m Thankful For…” Wall
Spreading the spirit of thankfulness, why not get preschoolers to draw pictures of all the things they are thankful for? Then cut each one out and stick them on a “thankful wall.” This will stimulate fine motor skills and cutting skills, too, while teaching them more about the joy of Thanksgiving (just make sure to supervise young ones with scissors!).
Playdough Turkeys
Who doesn’t love playdough? It’s relaxing for the whole family: like a stress ball experience for busy parents who take a few moments to pause and play.
Playdough turkeys are easy, cute, and a great addition to a family table setting. All you need are different colored balls of playdough. Roll a big and a small one, and then attach the smaller ball to the bigger one to form the turkey shape (a head and a body). Then add some googly eyes, a beak made from paper cards, and some bright feathers in the butt. Voila, you have a play dough turkey sitting pretty.
Crafts To Keep Little Hands Busy
Setting the table for a host of friends and family members comes with a need for serious creativity…and a little preschooler flair! One of the best ways to keep little ones entertained and stimulated in all the best ways is to get them creative and thinking.
Arts and crafts boast many benefits for young minds, giving them a full lesson in problem-solving, creativity, and thinking outside of the box.
Fall Leaf Wreath
The colors of the fall season are beautiful and warm. Cut out a wreath in a donut shape from a paper plate (just cut the center circle out). Then, go outside and collect all sorts of different colored leaves. Once you’ve collected enough, go back inside and glue your leaves onto the paper plate ring to create a stunning wreath to use as decoration during Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving-Themed Collages
Print out some fall or Thanksgiving coloring images that you find on the Internet. Next, you will want to find different colored bits of paper and tear them up into smaller pieces. You could also use old magazines or newspapers to get different patterns, and then choose the colors you love. Or, stick to the seasonal colors such as red, brown, yellow, and orange.
Once you’ve got everything together, get your toddlers to stick the pieces of paper on their picture. They can stick to the outlines of the pictures, or they can just stick wherever they please. The idea is to have fun, do something together, and create something unique for your display.
Turkey Hands
Remember the small hands and feet of our little ones as they grow bigger through the years with a special memento and a fun craft to keep kids busy.
On a piece of paper, dip a hand in some safe craft paint and then stamp it onto the page. Once it has dried, paint the rest of your turkey features adding some fun fall colors to the mix. This craft is a great addition to the family collection and will provide a happy Thanksgiving memory for small children.
Thanksgiving Games For Preschoolers
Nobody loves games and creative play more than preschool-aged children. Try some of these for a heap of fun and friendship:
Duck, Duck, Turkey!
Almost everyone knows the traditional game of duck, duck, goose! Try it with a Thanksgiving twist and play duck, duck, turkey!
Thanksgiving Sensory Touch And Feel Box
Gather a bunch of Thanksgiving-themed items such as acorns, feathers, stuffed turkey toys, and other textured objects. Throw them all into a box that has a hole in it; make sure nobody can see what’s inside. Get your children to come up and feel what’s in the box. Before they take one item out, make them guess what it is. If they get it right, let them pull it out and keep it as a prize!
Turkey In The Middle
This is a clever play on the game “monkey in the middle.” Two children throw a ball between each other with one child standing in the middle trying to catch the ball instead of going to the person on the outside. The turkey in the middle is on if they catch the ball, and whoever missed it is out.
Inspiring Minds Preschool Is The Best Start For Your Child
The most important years of a child’s education are usually right in the very beginning. A solid early education program helps lay solid foundations for the rest of their careers. Choosing the right private school for your preschooler is an important step for parents.
At Inspiring Minds Preschool, we provide a safe environment where young children can grow in character, cognitive function, excellence, relationship building, and so much more. For the best early education in Tamarac, give us a call at 954-933-2982.