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Thanksgiving Fun

For Your Class And Home

Thanksgiving is a time when kids learn a great deal about history, traditions, and sharing. What better way to culminate this month-long lesson than with a Thanksgiving celebration! Though these ideas are suggested for classroom parties, they can bring lots of fun to your home celebrations as well. This holiday presents a wonderful opportunity to teach lessons of gratitude and giving. In addition, there are also plenty of fun crafts to create. Try adding some of these activities into your Thanksgiving gatherings:

Games and Activities

Thanksgiving Smorgasbord

With everyone sitting in a circle, the game begins with the youngest player stating “For Thanksgiving dinner I ate (the player fills in the blank). The game proceeds to the next player on the left who repeats the first line and adds another item to the growing list. The game continues around the circle with each person repeating the previous list in order and adding his or her item. If a player makes a mistake, they are out of the game. The winner is the player that can recite the entire menu in order without mistakes.

Turkeyball

No Thanksgiving Day is complete without playing football. This game should be played outdoors and is more fun with a large group. This flag football game is played just as you would normally, except that whenever a player receives the ball, he/she needs to shout out “GOBBLE, GOBBLE”. If a player catches an opponent with the ball without gobbling, they call “Turkey” and that player is now sent to the barnyard (out of the game). The game continues until the first team reaches the preset goal (either a time limit or a designated number of points).

Thanksgiving Name Game

With everyone sitting in a circle, the first player begins by naming something that is related to Thanksgiving (i.e. turkey, pilgrim, Indian, etc). The game continues around the circle with each player naming something or he/she is out of the game. The game ends when only one player remains as the winner.

Find The Candy Corn In The Kernels

Fill a medium bowl with dried corn kernels and add several pieces of candy corn. Each player is then blindfolded and has to try to find the candy corn in the bowl within a designate amount of time. After counting the candy corn, return it to the bowl and let the next player try. The player that finds the most candy corn wins.

Pumpkin Pushing

Unless you have ample space, this game is best played outdoors. For this game you will need two medium size pumpkins and two long sticks (broom sticks work great). With two teams, the first player from each team has to push (roll) the pumpkin to a designated point and back to the next player on his/her team. Using the stick. Using the stick, the next player does the same. The game continues until all players from one team have had a turn. If playing this game with very young children, it may be better to have them roll the pumpkins with their hands instead of sticks.

Crafts

Hands of Thanks Tree

Begin by constructing a tree using a small branch with several smaller branches and placing it in a pot that has been filled with sand. Next, give everyone a piece of construction paper (use Fall colors). Have them trace their hand and cut it out. Now have each person write something they’re thankful for and hang it on the tree with a ribbon.

Corn Collage

Provide each player with a sheet of fall colored construction paper. In the center of the table, offer corn kernels in various colors as well as plenty of popped corn. Also have glue and scissors on hand. Now have the participants glue the popcorn to the page in various shapes, or in the form of pre-traced patterns.

Pilgrim Hat

This project requires a sand pail, large piece of brown wrapping paper or paper bag (opened at the seams), masking tape, and a short, old belt. Center the paper on the up-side-down pail and press all around so that the paper takes on the shape of the pail. Be sure to extend out far enough around the edges to create a rim for your hat. Now place the belt around the based of the hat and buckle it (you may need to punch an extra hole and cut off the excess). Finally, remove the bucket from underneath the paper and you’re left with a paper hat perfect for wearing to the feast!

Nature Necklace

This colorful and fragrant craft is a perfect accessory to any holiday outfit! You’ll need a piece of string long enough to fit over the head. A great solution is to use the elastic string. To adorn this jewelry, you’ll also need plenty of dried fruits (i.e. raisins, apples, cranberries, orange peels), popped corn (try using colored corn) and a large needle (such as a upholstery needle). Have your little Indians thread the items onto the string to complete their nature necklace.

Edible Cornucopia Place Cards

This project requires ice cream cones (the ones with the pointed end), dried fruits, nuts, fruit-shaped candy such as “Runts”, and a small amount of white frosting (the kind that comes in a dispensable tube with its own tip works great). Now write each guest’s name on a cone using the frosting and fill with the candy and fruit. This project is best served on a small plate of colored paper plate. Be sure to have some of the items spill out onto the plate for an authentic look

Indian Vest

You will need an old white pillowcase, and markers or fabric paint to complete this craft. Begin by cutting the corners off at an angle off the pillowcase to form armholes. Now cut a half-circle shape at the top of the pillowcase (folded edge) to make a neck hole. Then cut a slit from the center of the neck hole all the way down to the bottom to create an opening. Finally, cut one-inch wide strips (3 to 4 four inches in length) all along the bottom of the vest to create a fringe effect. With the vest all cut out, your little Indian is now ready to go to work. Paints or makers work well for adding designs such as stripes, geometric shapes or even animals. If you prefer, you can dip stamps in paint and decorate the vest that way, (If you don’t have rubber stamps, you can easily make your own by cutting a design into and apple or potato). Once the paint dries, your little Indian is ready to step up to the Thanksgiving feast in style.

Food

Pilgrim Hats

Using the round chocolate striped cookies as the base dip a marshmallow into chocolate coating (the type that hardens) and place on a cookie turned upside down. With yellow frosting add a stripe around the base of the marshmallow and a belt buckle.

Apple Turkeys

Begin with an apple for the body. Now skewer colored mini-marshmallows and stick them into the apple for feathers. Skewer raisins to the end of 4 toothpicks and stick them on the bottom of the apple for legs. Finally, add a laminated turkey head to complete your little gobbler.

Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients for this tasty treat are as follows:

2 cups Canned or fresh pumpkin puree

1 cup Brown sugar

1 Tsp. Ground cinnamon

½ Tsp. Ginger

½ Tsp. Nutmeg

1 Package cream cheese - softened

Add all ingredients in a bowl and stir until completely mixed. Serve with fresh fruit and crackers for a healthy snack.

Rice Krispies Drumsticks

For this recipe you’ll need: 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, approximately 40 large marshmallows or 4 cups of small marshmallows, 6 cups C® Rice Krispies® cereal, one jar smooth peanut butter, and 1 box cups Kellogg’s® Cocoa Krispies®. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt margarine and marshmallows on HIGH for 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute. Stir mixture until smooth. Add Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal, stirring until well coated. When slightly cooled, shape cereal mixture into drumstick shapes using buttered hands. Place on waxed paper or a surface coated with cooking spray. Allow to cool. Spread peanut butter over top of each drumstick, dip in Kellogg's® Cocoa Krispies® cereal. You should end up with approximately 12 drumsticks. (this recipe is courtesy of Kellogg’s).

Turkey Cookie

For this creation you will need: sugar cookies (or other plain, flat cookie), chocolate frosting, small peanut butter cups, candy corn, fruit leather in red and yellow (such as Rollups), and small m & m’s. Spread some frosting on the bottom of the peanut butter cup and stick it onto the cookie. Spread frosting on one side of each candy corn and place them on the cookie around the peanut butter cup (feathers). Apply frosting to the m & m’s and press onto the peanut butter cup for eyes. Cut out a waddle and feet out of red fruit leather and a beak out of yellow fruit leather, and apply to the turkey using frosting. Your turkey is now ready to eat!

Have fun and enjoy your Thanksgiving

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