Today marks the beginning of the Thanksgiving period and with many of our nannies working for American families in the US and all over the globe, we thought we’d share a few fun activities for the children at this time of year. Even if Thanksgiving isn’t largely celebrated where you’re living or within the families you’re working with, we still think there are some super ideas here for marking this cultural festival and starting discussions about being thankful.
Thankful Turkey Box:
A simple craft activity which encourages the act of gratitude. Take one empty tissue box, stiff card, paint and glue to create your turkey, and using a small pad of notelets, encourage children to write one thing they are thankful for every day in the lead up to Thanksgiving. Dipping into the box and opening all the notes is a lovely way to round off the celebration. You can encourage your charges to help make the turkey box, and lots of fun can be had painting its feathers in different autumnal colours. There are plenty of variations on the thankful turkey if you don’t fancy crafting: a simple mason jar can be used to store little moments of gratitude throughout the month, since the real meaning behind this activity is the sentiment.
Thanksgiving Bingo:
Great fun if you’re entertaining a few children on a chilly day indoors, this Thanksgiving bingo is great for little ones and older children, and the cards and sheets can be downloaded for free here: http://crazylittleprojects.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Thanksgivingbingoboards.pdf For those with charges who love to get their felt tips or crayons out and immerse themselves in a good colouring-in session, these free printables are Thanksgiving-themed and will look great on the fridge once finished: http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/2015/11/thanksgiving-doodle-coloring-pages/
Pumpkin Turkey:
Still got your Halloween pumpkin or a collection of little gourds? Uncarved ones work best for this activity which transforms gourds and pumpkins into charming Thanksgivings ornament for the children with the addition of simple sugar paper or painted card. If you fancy creating a fun table centrepiece using the pumpkin turkey, collect pine cones and conkers on your next park visit, and maybe spray them gold or silver for added ambience. We don’t recommend involving candles as done so in the image above, though.
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Happy Thanksgiving!