Thanksgiving Activities

Next Thursday, November 24, 2016 is Thanksgiving in the United States. I thought it would be a good time to think about some activities to do in the classroom. Usually it is a short week in classrooms and the students are usually wound up about the upcoming holiday.

Word Clouds – Have students make a list of all of the things they are thankful for. Then make a word cloud out of them. You can also make a class word cloud.

Thank You Bulletin Board – trace the student’s hands and cut them out. Have students write one thing that they are thankful for on each hand and draw a picture of it. Post these on a bulletin board.

Poll – have students ask faculty, staff, students what their favorite dish to eat on Thanksgiving. Make a graph or chart showing the results.

Write a Letter – Have students pretend to be one of the people celebrating the first Thanksgiving. Have them write a letter back home telling about what it was like.

Turkey Facts – Have students research 5 interesting facts about turkeys and then share it with the class.

Cooking a Turkey – Some people roast it in the oven, cook it in brine, smoke it, or deep fry it. Take a poll and see how people cook their turkey. Then make a chart or graph with the results.

Story Writing – Pretend you are a turkey and trying to avoid being caught and cooked on Thanksgiving. Tell about your adventure.

Animal Tracks – Have students identify the tracks of different animals. Then make a puzzle with the tracks and have them figure out which animal matches each track.

Thank You – Have students find out how to say Thank you in different languages. Ask students to share what language it is in and then try to say it.

Pilgrim’s Hat – Have students make their own Pilgrim’s Hat

Do you have any other fun activities to do at Thanksgiving time? Please share.