A Simpler Motherhood

Thanksgiving Learning Activities

It is November and Thanksgiving is just weeks away. Traditionally, Thanksgiving is the celebration of the blessing of harvest. For us Americans, it is modeled from a feast shared in 1621 between the pilgrims of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people. It is rich in history and tradition and worth our time to study.

Today I’m sharing a few Thanksgiving activities to help our kids learn about the traditions and history surrounding it. These activities are geared for elementary aged children.

Thanksgiving Learning Activities

The Mayflower

Literature: The Thanksgiving Story

Alternate YouTube Book: The Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving

After reading The Thanksgiving Story, make a Mayflower and sail it using an empty applesauce cup, paint, construction paper, popsicle sticks, and play dough. See instructions here.

Alternate Activity or Extension: Make this simple Mayflower Craft.

Pilgrim Life

Literature: Samuel Eaton’s Day, Sarah Morton’s Day, If You Lived in Colonial Times

YouTube Books: Samuel Eaton’s Day, Sarah Morton’s Day, If You Lived in Colonial Times

After reading, discuss the lives of pilgrim girls and boys. Make a list of what their lives looked like on a daily basis. If reading both books, compare and contrast how Samuel Eaton and Sarah Morton’s days were alike and different.

Extension: Pilgrim children played with marbles. Make marbles using this recipe or simply get out some marbles and have some fun.

Extension : Make butter in a mason jar.

Squanto

Literature: Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving

Youtube Book: Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving

Mom Note: Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving is a hard and true story about Squanto being sold into slavery and then returned to America.

After reading, discuss how Squanto helped the pilgrims plant and care for crops. He also taught them how to fish. Corn was a big commodity in colonial America. The most common use for corn was cornbread, which can also be called ashcake, hoecake, Johnny cake, or cone pone. Make Johnny cakes together.

Alternate Activity or Extension: Make Squanto’s Dirt to learn how Squanto taught the pilgrims to plant and grow corn.

Legend of the Five Corn Kernels

Literature: Legend of the Five Kernels (free printable)

After reading the legend, cut corn shapes out of cardstock. Finger paint Indian corn using red, yellow, and brown paint.

Thanksgiving YouTube Videos

This video tells about the Mayflower’s journey.
(Mom Note: It mentions the pilgrims who died the first winter.)
This video explains pilgrim life told from the perspective a pilgrim boy.
This video tells about the first Thanksgiving and how it became a national holiday.
(Mom Note: It mentions the people who died the first winter.)
This is a shortened video that presents the Mayflower coming to America as well as the first Thanksgiving.
(Mom Note: It mentions people who died during this time.)
This video explains the 13 colonies.

Learning about the tradition of Thanksgiving doesn’t need to be complicated. It can simply mean a few books, some paint, and maybe some heavy cream to make butter for your muffins. Tell me: How will you teach your kids about Thanksgiving?

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