Whether you are planning a party for preschoolers or older grades
most games/activities
can be adapted with a bit of creativity, and can also work at family
gatherings.
GAMES WITH A MESSAGE Gratitude Grab Bag Make up cards, some that say "THANKSGIVING" and others that have a
picture on
them (no words) \ of things children may be thankful for. Each child
takes a turn reaching
into the bag and pulling out a card. If the card says "THANKSGIVING" the
child
should express something or someone they are thankful for (parents,
teachers, pet,
favorite food, etc.) If they pull out a picture they show it to all and
then express why
we should be thankful for that item (food, clothes, trees, grass,
stores, cars, etc.).
This game is especially fun for preschoolers and their expressions of
gratitude are
priceless. Jot them down and give a list to the parents or post for all
to read. Circle of Praise Set the children in a circle and tell them that you are grateful for
each one of them.
Each of them possesses a unique personality that offers diversity as
well as fun to the
class. If your class is small enough the teacher may want to tell one
praiseworthy thing
about each child. After you have finished explain that each of them is
going to have the
opportunity to express something they particularly like about the person
on their left and
the person on their right. Just go one direction if time does not permit
to go both ways.
Remind them to be thoughtful about what they say... so and so is
friendly to everyone,
always follows through, is truthful, accepts people for who they are,
has a great smile,
etc. Thanksgiving mission This is a two part project First, have the children make a piece of stationary with their art
supplies. These can
be as simple as tracing their hand for a sweet background or more
elaborate if time
permits. Second, have each child write a note/letter of "THANKS" to someone in
their
family and leave it on that persons pillow Thanksgiving morning.
Children could also be
encouraged to do a kind deed along I with leaving the note, such as:
make that persons
bed, set the table, tell them that they love them. Kids \ can look
forward to reporting on
their "THANKSGIVING MISSION" when they return to school. Brainstorm Each person has before them a blank sheet of paper and sharpened
pencil. Set a timer,
according to I what you think is best (two minutes max). Tell the
children that when you
say "GO" they should write down everything they can think of that can be
explained in two words or less. When the timer goes off they each count
how many they
have. The person with the most should read their list and for every word
that's the same
each person should cross it off their list. It's fun to see what's on
every person's list
and what is unique to different individuals. Open it up to discussion
and if you choose
give a prize to the person who has the most unique answers.
JUST FOR FUN Turkey Hunt Hide a stuffed animal somewhere in the room. If you don't have a
Turkey, dress up a
stuffed bear or dog to look like a turkey. Have the children search
quietly for the
turkey. Whoever finds it gets to hide it the next time.<Рисунок2> Word Find Take a Thanksgiving related word such as: Thanksgiving, Mayflower,
Cornucopia, etc. and
find as many little words as possible within before the timer runs out. <Рисунок1> Example: Cornucopia Words: corn, pin, no, arc, car, nip, cop, cup,
on, or, rap... Example: Mayflower Words: May, flower, flow, flare, lay, low, fear,
ear, owe, fly, rye,
wear, row... Bean Toss You will need: Three to Five dry beans per student Chair Large bowl
or tin pie plate Have children divide into two teams. Each child is given five beans.
On your mark the
children will take a seat in a chair, that is set a distance from the
bowl, and try to
throw their beans, one at a time, into the bowl. The team with the most
beans in the bowl
at the end of the relay wins. Depending on the age and skill level of your class determines how far
the chair is from
the bowl and how deep or shallow the bowl is. Thanksgiving Twenty Questions Teacher start by choosing a thanksgiving related person, place, or
thing. The teacher
says, "I'm thinking of something". The children try to guess what it is
by
asking no more than twenty questions that can be answered "YES", "NO",
or "I DON'T KNOW". The student who guesses correctly is next up. Clue Teacher thinks of person, place, or thing. Teacher gives a clue.
Begin at one end of
the room and work your way around allowing each student to take a turn
guessing until one
student solves the case. The student who solves the case goes next. Example: Com Clue: I'm thinking of something yellow Clue: It's a
vegetable Clue: Some
people like to pop it Clues should be appropriate for the knowledge of the children
playing. Thanksgiving Dinner Players sit in a circle. The first player starts by saying, "At
Thanksgiving
dinner I like to eat turkey". The next player must repeat "At
Thanksgiving
dinner I like to eat turkey..." and add another dish. This continues all
the way
around the circle with each student reciting the dishes in the exact
order they have been
given and then adding a new one. If a student makes a mistake they slide
out of the circle
and the game continues. The person left who can perfectly recite the
Thanksgiving menu
wins. Grateful for Everyone Put chairs in a circle with one less chair than there are players.
One person says,
"I'm grateful for people with blue eyes". Everyone with blue eyes stands
up and
changes places. While everyone's scurrying for a chair the teacher takes
one away. The
person left standing is out and the last person to sit down goes
next..."I'm grateful
for everyone who's wearing tennis shoes". Repeat. | 
