Including Children In Thanksgiving

Growing YearsFRUIT TURKEY

Supplies: 1 Green apple, Pineapple, Mandarin oranges, Green grapes, Dark grapes, Edible eyes, 1 Cherry, Peanut butter and Tooth picks

Directions: Cut the bottom off the apple so it will stand up straight. Save the cut off part to make the wings and head.  Poke 4 tooth picks on the back side of the apple. Cut off pieces of the mandarin oranges and pineapple. Add the dark grapes first.  Add the oranges, green grapes, and pineapple. Cut out a head and wings with the saved apple slice cut off the bottom. Put a tooth pick in the front towards the top and attached the cut out apple for the head. Attach the eyes, orange nose, and wings with peanut butter. Cut a piece of the cherry for the waddle. Cut the end of a mandarin orange for the feet.

TURKEY CENTERPIECE

Supplies:  9-inch polystyrene ball, Thick dark-brown yarn, Light-brown yarn, Wooden craft sticks, Felt: white yellow red,  (2) 1/8-inch black pom-poms and Colored craft paper,

Directions: Cut a 1-inch sliver off the bottom of a 9-inch polystyrene ball. Wrap sphere neatly in thick dark-brown yarn, covering surface completely; knot on bottom. Make a 4-inch ball from light-brown yarn and attach to body with a wooden craft stick. Create simple facial features using felt: white circles (approximately the size of a quarter, with 1/8-inch pom-poms for pupils) for eyes, yellow triangles for the beak, and long red felt teardrops as the wattle. Cut feather shapes from colored craft paper and bend in half lengthwise to create seam. Glue wooden craft stick to the bottom third of the feather and insert in a fan shape on turkey body. Write on the paper feathers things they are thankful for and stick them into the turkey body.

THANKFUL TREE

Supplies: Butcher paper, Construction paper in fall leaf colors, Markers, poster putty, Scissors and a Leaf Template

Directions:  Draw a leafless tree on a large piece of butcher paper and put it on the wall with poster putty.  Put out the colored construction paper, leaf templates, markers and scissors. Have the children cut out leaves for the tree. On each leaf write things they are thankful for. Put the leaves on the tree with poster putty.

THANKFUL CHAIN

Supplies: Strips of construction paper and a stapler

Directions:  Cut the paper in strips. Write on a piece of paper things they are thankful for (one thing per strip).  Have the children ask each guest what they are thankful for and write it on a strip. Staple the first one in a circle. Thread the next strip through the first one and so on creating a chain.  Hang the chain for all to see.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Source: Linda G. Swann, M.S. Early Childhood / SPED