Directions:

To introduce children to the concept of Thanksgiving, read the book Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes. Talk with children about being thankful. Tell children some of the things that you are thankful for. Then, ask them about some of the things that they are thankful for.

Book description:

The charming picture book gives thanks for the many things found in a young child’s life. Children participate in many autumn and early winter activities such as playing on windy days, apple picking, and sledding. The rhyming list of everyday and holiday activities will remind readers, children, and parents alike, to give thanks. The rhymes will entice young listeners to anticipate and guess the next thankful thing. The illustrator contrasts nicely the cold, rainy, and snowy days outside with the cozy indoor family settings. Early readers will have an easy time with the simple sentence structure and the repetition of some basic sight words.

I Am Thankful Tree
Secure a tree branch in a large container with pebbles (or use an artificial tree). Cut out large yellow, orange, red, or brown construction paper leaves. Punch a hole at the top of each leaf. Thread a ribbon through the hole and tie. Provide each child with a leaf. Encourage children to reflect on things for which he or she is thankful. Let children write on their leaf something for which they are thankful, such as “I am thankful for my mommy and daddy.” or “I am thankful for my cat.” Collect all the leaves in a paper or burlap bag. With the class, read what each leaf says and then let the owner of the leaf hang his or her leaf on the tree branch.

Thanks for Thanksgiving Rhyming
Read Thanks for Thanksgiving a second time to children. As you read, point out the words that rhyme. For example, the words “pie” and “by” rhyme and the words “cats” and “hats” rhyme. Brainstorm with children words that rhyme with “pie” and “by” and “cats” and “hats.” Then, help children write new verses. For example,

Thanks for Thanksgiving,
for a big turkey thigh.
Thank you for fall
and the blue sky.

Create a book with the new verses. Have children illustrate the pages.

Game:

Thankerchief
Arrange children in a circle. Pass around a “thankerchief”
(handkerchief) around as everyone recites the following poem:

Thankerchief, thankerchief, around you go
Where you’ll stop, nobody knows.
But when you do, someone must say,
What they are thankful for this day.

When the poem ends, the player holding the “thankerchief” must say aloud one thing for which he or she is thankful. This continues until everyone has had a turn.