Thanksgiving activities

[Linda B]

Hi - I am a third grade teacher that needs HELP! Some of my team are having a big Thanksgiving lunch for kids with parents doing all the work. My students don't have that support and can't afford it. I want to do something big, FUN, useful, and something we could do. I thought of corn day, corn crafts, finger food, games? but don't have a lot of ideas. HELP!

Linda B

 

[isellabrate]

Corn Day

Hi,

I've done one that might fit in with corn day. We look at Indian corn and talk about the colors and patterns. Then they create a grid design of their particular ear. (ex. b3 - burnt orange, a2 yellow, etc.) The kids enjoyed it.
jan

 

[istoleahalo]

venn diagram

A friend of mine made a huge venn diagram type chart with the shape of a candy corn and an ear of corn and they had to fill it in. This was a 2nd grade class but your question made me think of it. I had a large jar of candy corn out all week and a box next to it where kids put in their guesses as to how many were in there. The closet one got to keep the jar. I would look the night before at the answers to make sure you don't need 2 jars! We had a tie and i wasn't prepared for that!

 

[Bertie]

muffins

Well, they have YOU! So they are lucky kids in the end. How about asking those other lucky teachers with all the parent support if your kiddos could join in for the meal? You can make cornmeal muffins in class, and your kids could take some with them to the lunch as their contribution. If that won't work, make the muffins anyway, and serve them in class warm with butter and jam and a big glass of iced tea. Your kids will feel special too.

 

[hescollin]

Petunia

I like the guessing game, but I have the winner share with the rest of the class. That way everybody is a winner for trying. Popcorn and watch a video. We read aloud chapter book Charlottes Web and watch it on video and eat popcorn. Students bring a bottle of water with a push up top. Decorate glphy cupcakes or better yet decorate the muffins with butter not frosting and add the other decorations. REAL CUPCAKE GLYPH
Yes, I actually have the kids decorate cupcakes! They love it and it is a good way to wind down the first day with a treat. There really isn't anything that I can post as a copy but I can tell you what I do.... First of all, I bake cupcakes and take several tubs of icing with plastic knives.

I just write on chart paper and draw little pictures beside it for lower readers....

• If you are in 2nd grade (or whatever grade you are ) ice your cupcake.
• If you are a girl use Whoppers for eyes. If you are a boy use marshmallows for eyes.(white or colored, whatever I have)
• Pick your favorite color for a nose. (Here I have used candy corn when I could find the regular kind as well as the kind with the dark brown end. If I can't find it, I have used m&m's)
• How was your day? Use a licorice string for your mouth. (I give them the option of good ,ok , not so good (please take notice of the mouths)
• Add a lollipop if you followed all directions.

 

[muffy]

an idea

I think the corn day would be good. The corn muffins would be good. I think you could make the "butter" with whipping cream shaken in a jar. Pop some corn and have your own feast. We do this and you don't need any parent help. You can have the kids make Native American Vests out of grocery sacks and Pilgrim hats for girls and boys. That is always fun. I am sure you can find many, many more corn activities if you google it.

 

[Linda B]

Muffy's message

Great ideas- I am finding more than I thought.
Thanks,
Linda

 

[Raena]

Linda,

Ideas can always seem hard but the place I always look for ideas on any holiday or family gathering is http://familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/season/specialfeature/thanksgiving_crafts_ms/
I promise you will love it.

Good Luck
Raena
Centerville, UT

 

[mrsb203]

Thanksgiving

I usually make homemade applesauce in a slowcooker. In the morning we cut up apples, put them in the slowcooker with some sugar and cinnamon and let it cook. Besides something good that the kids like, it smells great Everyone in the school is jealous! We do corn muffins and homemade butter too.

 

[Linda B]

Applesauce

Good ideas - thanks so much everyone!

Linda B