CELEBRATION IDEAS
THANKSGIVING FUN PAGE
This is a variation of the Thanksgiving placemat idea, and is a fun way to keep children occupied while the grownups talk. Laminate, or cover with clear Contac paper, the following items: Small poster board or paper placemat, plate-sized circle of construction paper, triangle of construction paper (for napkin) construction paper knife, fork and spoon, colorful pictures of food cut out of magazines or advertisements. Children can pretend to set a place at the table, and pretend to fill their plates with food. Make a placemat and place setting for each child, and let them share the food, like at the first Thanksgiving.
STUFF THE TURKEY BEAN BAG TOSS
Lay a large brown paper grocery bag or cardboard box on its side. Twist the tops of two small brown bags and attach to the larger bag or box, for drumsticks.Children stand back and throw bean bags or rubber balls, to try and "stuff the turkey".
FIND THE TURKEY
You can play this hilarious group game with all of the relatives on Thanksgiving day -- if you have a silly, fun-loving family! One person leaves the room, while a 'turkey" is chosen from the rest of the group. Set a timer for three to four minutes, and bring the person back into the room. When the player comes back into the room, the person chosen as the turkey starts to make subtle turkey movements: scratching the floor with the foot, wobbling the head, flapping the arms like wings. All players watch for the movement, and start doing it at the same time. The person who left the room and came back must figure out who is starting it to figure out who is the turkey. If he can figure it out before the timer goes off, he gets to chose the next player to have to leave the room. If he doesn't figure it out, the turkey gets the next turn.
THANKSGIVING DAY GAME
The whole family will have fun with this game but preschoolers will be delighted! Stand together, where everybody can see everybody else. The first player says, "This year for Thanksgiving, I..." and fills in the blank. For example, "This year for Thanksgiving, I visited relatives," then walks in place, as if traveling. The whole group does the movement. The second player says, for example, "This year for Thanksgiving, I set the table," and makes the movements for setting a table, while still walking in place. The third person says something like, "...I put on my new shoes " and motions as if putting on shoes, while still walking in place and motioning like making the table. See how many actions you can add.
THANKSGIVING BINGO
You or your child can make Bingo cards using pictures of Thanksgiving (leaves, acorns, turkey, etc.,), instead of letters and numbers. Draw the pictures, cut and paste from newspaper or magazines, or print from your computer. Cover the cards with clear Contac paper for durability. Let the children search for the items. When a child sees something that is the same as the picture, the child covers that square with a piece of tape or a sticker. When the card is completely covered, the child calls out "Happy Thanksgiving!"
THANKSGIVING TREE
Make a poster of a large oak tree, complete with colorful fall leaves. Write the words, "I am thankful for..." across the top. Use an instant camera to take pictures of your children and guests. Tape the photos up on the tree, writing what the person is thankful for under his or her picture. Instead of, or in addition to, the photos, you can make construction paper leaves to tape to the tree, writing on each leaf something for which you are thankful. Children who cannot yet write might want to draw pictures of things for which they are thankful on the leaves, or parents might write what the child says on the leaves for them.
WALL OF THANKSGIVING
Hang a sheet of craft paper on the wall during November. Let children draw pictures, or write notes or Bible verses about things for which they are thankful. Invite your guests to add to the Wall of Thanksgiving whenever they drop by.
TURKEY FEATHERS
Make a turkey cutout out of brown craft or butcher paper (or the inside of a paper grocery sack). Make multicolored feathers out of construction paper. Hang up the turkey poster. Each morning during November, have your child write something for which she is thankful on a construction paper feather, and add to the turkey.
FAMILY PRAYER CENTERPIECE
Contributed by Joy Marie Dunlap of CA
Use any container with a removable lid. I use a wooden pumpkin. Set it on the table a week or two before Thanksgiving. Provide slips of paper in a paper bag beside it. Ask your family to write on the slips of paper things they are thankful for, and also things they need prayer for, and things they appreciate about each other. After Thanksgiving dinner, let each family member take turns reading them. Then let whoever wants to thank God for each thing, or bring that petition to Him in prayer.
CRAFTS
Some of these crafts may contain choking hazards for very young children. Use caution.
FALL WREATH
Before using any natural elements, like leaves, from outside, place on a sheet of aluminum foil and bake at 200 degrees F., for 45 minutes to an hour, to kill any little unseen critters that may be lurking. When cool, toss the foil or reuse for baking other leaves, pinecones, etc.
Start with a simple wreath of hay purchased from a craft store, or twist your own hay or raffia around a wire and tie into place with raffia or plain string. You can also use a plastic or stiff paper plate, cutting out the center, leaving a circle ring for the wreath base. Use hot glue to attach colorful fall leaves collected from the ground, and small Indian corn or gourds from the grocery store or craft store. Add a colored ribbon bow. Hang on your front door to welcome visitors.
BABY CORNUCOPIAS
Spray a waffle ice cream cone with clear acrylic and let dry completely. Do this 2-3 times, drying completely between coats. Stuff inside (carefully!) with planting foam, leaving the mouth of the cone empty. Hot glue miniature plastic fruits or vegetables, and fall leaves, and tie a ribbon around it all to complete the look.
You can make one for each guest as a placeholder (write name on ribbon), or use this as part of a display or as a centerpiece. Don't eat the cones!
THANKSGIVING GOURD FLOWER CENTERPIECE
Clean out and dry a small firm pumpkin or large acorn squash. Slip in a small jar, hidden inside, and fill with water. Add fall leaves and flowers.
THANKSGIVING LEAF IMPRINTS
Take a hike and collect beautiful fall leaves. Outline onto construction paper or make shade impressions by laying leaves under the paper, and rubbing with the side of a crayon. Cut out leaves. On each leaf cutout, write something for which you are thankful. Hang in a string across your dining area.
PEANUT PEOPLE FINGER PUPPETS
After you've eaten the peanuts, draw faces and hair on peanut shell halves with permanent markers, and let your children fit them on top of their fingers for some fun.
THANKSGIVING PLACEMATS
Start with a small poster board. Let your child glue on a flat paper plate or construction paper circle, and construction paper cutouts of utensils. A construction paper triangle can be a napkin. Your child can then draw on traditional Thanksgiving foods, or cut out food pictures from magazines and glue in place. Write your child's name and the date on the back, and cover the whole thing with clear Contac paper. Use every year at Thanksgiving.
PILGRIM PUPPETS
Draw a face on paper, and cut it out. Tape the face to a straw. Run the straw through the bottom of a paper cup. Add arms and clothes, using paper, crayons, and/or fabric scraps. Let your
Pilgrims re-enact the journey to Plymouth Rock, holding the straw from inside the cup.
THANKFUL TURKEY CENTERPIECE
Here's a variation on the tried-and-true pinecone centerpiece. Trace your child's hands on construction paper. On each finger, write one word from the following Bible verse: "Give thanks to the
LORD, for He is good." On the last finger, write the reference: Psalm 136:1.
Before using any natural elements, like the pinecone, from outside, place on a sheet of aluminum foil and bake at 200 degrees F., for 45 minutes to an hour, to kill any little unseen critters that may be lurking. When cool, toss the foil or reuse for baking other pinecones, etc.
Trace around your child's hands. Cut out the hand shapes and glue into the wide part of a pinecone for a turkey tail. Let your child draw a turkey head and waggle on construction paper, color and cut out. Glue into the narrow part of the pinecone. Place pinecone on a piece of clay to hold upright for
a table centerpiece.
RAFFIA DOLL
Start with a handful of raffia (available at craft stores). Lay flat and trim the ends, so each piece is the same length (leave it long). Fold in half. Tie a piece of raffia about 2 inches from the fold, to form the head. Pull out a little on the left, and on the right, and tie with more raffia to form the arms. Split the bottom in half, and tie each side to form the legs. Tie a piece of raffia around the middle to make the waist. Tie raffia about 3/4 inch from arm and leg ends to form the hands and feet.
To make a dress, fold a square of fabric in half and cut out a hole for the head. Pull over the doll's head, draping the fabric over the arms. Tie a piece of yarn around the middle.
Cut a fabric square and tie around the head, like a bandana, or glue on yarn hair. You can add a face by gluing on fabric, or leave her faceless, like an Amish Pilgrim doll.
PILGRIM HAT PLACE CARD FAVOR
Cut out the bottom of a paper cup. Cover the cup with black construction paper, leaving the bottom open. Cut a circle of black paper about 1/2 inch bigger than the bottom of the cup. Glue cup,
upside down, to center of paper circle. Cut a strip of blue or brown for a hat band, and add a yellow construction paper buckle to the front. Write guest's name on buckle. Fill hat with holiday treats,
like candy corn.
THANKSGIVING PLACE CARDS
Fold a piece of cardstock in half, and write your guest's name at the bottom of one side. Let your child glue on a green construction paper cutout, the shape of an ear of corn. Give your child a slightly smaller yellow piece of construction paper, also the shape of an ear of corn. The child then can dab on multicolored paints with a Q-tip, to make it look like pretty Indian corn. When dry, your child can glue the "corn kernels" over the "husks" to make the place card pretty.
CORN HUSK DOLL
When making fresh corn on the cob, save the husks and silk, and lay flat on a cooling rack to air dry. When completely dried, brush husks with a thick mixture of white glue and water. Wrap husks over a small stick or dowel rod. Tie husks on with a piece of yarn, to form the head. Add construction paper or fabric clothes and facial features. Glue on corn silk for hair.
EDIBLE FUN
EDIBLE CORNUCOPIA
Form a cone shape from aluminum foil, as large as you want your cornucopia to be. Spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Place onto cookie sheet which has also been lightly sprayed. Using
refrigerated biscuit dough (the kind that comes in a tube), roll each one into a coil and wrap around the foil cone, making sure that all areas except the wide end are covered with dough and coils are stuck
together. Brush with beaten egg yolk, and cook at 375 degrees F., until golden brown. Allow to cool before carefully loosening and removing foil support. Fill with breadsticks, muffins, or cookies.
TURKEY TREATS
Start with Ritz crackers, or flat cookies or crackers of about the same size. Spread with chocolate frosting. Add an unwrapped Hershey's kiss candy, or an extra large chocolate chip, off centered, to one side of each cracker. Stick in candy corns for feathers all around. Allow to firm in refrigerator.
CANDY CORNUCOPIA
Spread a little bit of white icing in the inside of a sugar cone (the kind for ice cream). Fill with candy corns and candy pumpkins or those candies that look like fruits. Lay on a saucer covered with a pretty paper doily for a cute centerpiece, maybe for the kids' table. After dinner, kids can share the candies. Always check ingredient labels when buying processed food. Food with "carmine" or "carminic acid" contains crushed cochineal beetles. Definitely not kosher! This ingredient is common in children's treats and yogurt.
