A Kindergarten Thanksgiving

Wow!  Thanksgiving krept up on me so fast!!  This week has been crazy busy, but it is one of my favorite weeks of the kindergarten year.  Preparing for the annual Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast is always an exciting time for our students.

We worked very hard all week preparing our costumes.  The children had a great time making their headbands, pouches and shirts.  I put a plain white t-shirt on their School Supply List back at the beginning of the school year so we would have them for this special day.  I took the shirts home and dyed and frayed the edges.  Then during the week my para helped the kids stamp their own shirts.  This was the first time I used actual t-shirts and I think they turned out so cute!  I usually use the brown paper bag, but this way really wasn't any more trouble then the bags.  I think we will stick with the t-shirts from now on!! 

Each class was responsible for bringing something to the feast to share with the entire Kindergarten.  The only requirement is that is has to be something (or something close) that was actually brought to the first Thanksgiving.  Our contribution this year was butter.  I love to make butter with my kinders because they love seeing the whipping cream turn into the butter right before their eyes.  It tastes yummy too!!

Here is a shot of what was brought to our feast this year:
Popcorn, dried berries, bread/butter, jerky and pumpkin cookies.

Before we head to our feast we have a Thanksgiving Parade through the entire school to show off our adorable Pilgrims and Indian costumes.  The big kids show their respect by waving and clapping as we go by.  It is so much fun.  We eventually make it into the cafeteria where our feast is usually held.  We have wonderful parents and para-pro's that prepare the plates so they are ready to hand out when we arrive. We share our food together and the children have a great time sitting with their friends talking about this fun experience!!

 

During the week we did some other really fun activities.   I purchased Deanna Jump's Thanksgiving Unit and we had a ball with it.  I will post some more photos later this week. 

One activity that I do have a picture of right now is a Turkey Word Family Activity.  The kids had a great time writing and reading their favorite word families!!  I had to differentiate this activity to meet the needs of my students but by doing this all of my children were successful at their particular task. I got this cute turkey idea/activity from a very kind teacher whose blog I came across recently.  

Thank you Mrs. Carroll at The First Grade Parade!  

Happy Thanksgiving!!