Celebrating Thanksgiving with Your Child in Preschool
For a child at preschool, Thanksgiving might just seem like a day that fills up the gap between Halloween and Christmas. But preschoolers should share in the spirit of Thanksgiving with you. It can be a wonderful way of acknowledging and showing appreciation for the many blessings in our lives.
Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the much-anticipated holiday season. But it must be recognized as a day centered around, as its name suggests, giving thanks. This day should be about spending time with family and loved ones. Have discussions with children about all the parts of their lives that they are thankful for. Family, friends, teachers, pets and even toys can be important to a child at a preschool level.
Time should be given to reflect on all of these wonderful things that are in their lives. It is a lovely exercise to go through with children. The spirit of Thanksgiving can be shared with them in a variety of ways. You could look back through family photo albums, trace your family tree, help out at a shelter or even make cards.
It is great for children to always know that they are surrounded by love. Thanks should be given for this. It is not just about the turkey! Parents and children can give thanks for the blessings which exist. This is particularly true on this special family day.
Arts and crafts to get your children even more into the Thanksgiving spirit
Painting can be a safe and fun way of getting your preschoolers more involved in the tradition of Thanksgiving. Turkeys can be incorporated into Thanksgiving in ways other than the dinner table. Try out some colorful finger paintings of turkeys. The kids can trace the outline of their hands and draw on beaks, eyes and claws to represent the bird. Lively posters or murals can also be made. This is a great way for kids to show what they are thankful for. Images of family and friends can be cut out and stuck onto the posters. They can also draw the small and big things that they feel thankful for.
Cards can be handmade for guests at your Thanksgiving dinner. The children can draw a picture and think of one part about each guest that they appreciate. These personalized messages of thankfulness are written on the back of each card and put on the table for the guests. This means that both the kids and the guests are involved in the spirit of Thanksgiving. If there are any pumpkins lying around, try decorating them. Draw on turkeys and messages of thankfulness.
Get your kids involved in the preparation of the Thanksgiving feast. Not only will it be fun and mean less work for you, but it will also mean that they can appreciate all the hard work that goes into providing the meal.
Thanksgiving is a great day for everyone to express their thanks. This thankfulness should be directed towards the good and even the bad in life. It is important for everyone to come together and share in this spirit. From a young age, children can get involved through craft projects and practicing thankfulness.