NOVEMBER THEMES
These pages are dedicated to all the wonderful childcare providers and teachers that have become my friends and support through my daycare email lists. Most of the activities and ideas on these pages come from them. Please visit there sites or send them a note to let them know what you think of their ideas. Also, feel free to email me with ideas of your own for activities or other themes that you feel would be appropriate for any particular month. I will add your ideas with links to your website and email address. Thank you, and enjoy!

LETTERS: E & F
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Personal Safety
Please visit my Personal Safety Pages for some great ideas.

Friends
Friendship Train:

Find a picture of a train locomotive and Xerox it onto black construction paper for the engine to your train. Then each child traces one of their hands onto construction paper (we use lots of different colors) and we give them two circles to cut out (black) for the wheels of their train car. Glue the black circles onto the bottom of each child's hand and place the children's handprints behind the engine. We also write each child's name onto their train car. This train is so cute that we leave it up all year long.

This idea from Kara. You can email her at kara777@columbus.rr.com



Make a friendship quilt:

Cut several squares of brightly colored construction paper. Give each child one of the squares. Have them decorate the square or even glue a picture of himself, glitter, beads, sequins, or yarn to the square. Staple the squares, side by side, to the bulletin board. If extra squares are needed to fill in empty spaces, print the school's name or teacher's name on additional squares and intermingle them with the student's squares.

This idea from Kara. You can email her at kara777@columbus.rr.com



Friendship flower:

Cut a big circle and enough flower petals for every child to have one. Each child decorates their petal and then you make a giant flower. It can be made into a bulletin board decoration & label: Friendship flower or Friendships in bloom.

This idea from Kara. You can email her at kara777@columbus.rr.com



Have each child make a handprint with their friend on a piece of paper (of course you have to make two) and put the saying on it "Friends go hand in hand "

This idea from Kara. You can email her at kara777@columbus.rr.com


Thanksgiving


The following songs, crafts and ideas come from Tracy's website at Lil Treasures Child Care

Indian Corn Napkin Ring Holders:

Cut cardboard tubes (from paper towels) into 1 inch wide sections. Cut brown felt into 1 inch wide strips. Glue felt pieces on inside and outside of the cardboard pieces. Let the glue dry. Dab the back of each kernel of Indian corn with glue. Place the corn kernels on the ring, lining them in rows. Mix up the colors for a more interesting design. Making Name Cards. Cut out a name card on white card stock. The sides should be angled like \ and / with the top arching. Glue corn around the top and sides of the card. You can glue some ric-a-rack on the back side to stick up above the top of the card. Add the name of the person on the front of the card. Tuck the card into two pinecones as the holders.



Thanksgiving Card:

On the cover of the card was their hand print (turkey)...the inside of the card says:

This isn't just a turkey as anyone can see
I made it with my hand which is part of me.
It comes with lots of love especially to say
I hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving Day.

Add child's signature on bottom.



Indian Corn:

A. Orange & Green construction paper
B. Popcorn
C. Glue & Scissors
Cut corn shape from the orange constrution paper. Cut stem form the green glue the stem to the corn and put glue all over the orange section and let the children put the popcorn on the glue.



Turkeys in the Barnyard:

Place a piece of butcher paper on a low table or on the floor. Paint your child's fingers and palms brown and their thumbs red. Then have them press their hands on the butcher paper to make "turkey" prints. When the paint has dried help the children add eyes, beaks, leggs, and feet with felt tips markers. Also add construction peper barnyard shapes such as a barn and a fence.



Textured Turkeys:

Give kids an outline of a turkey, add feathers in several ways: thumbprints in water colors, glue real feathers on it, cut out feather shapes from colored construction paper and glue on, glue on crumbled fall leaves, even just paint it and sprinkle with glitter when paint is still wet.



What are we thankful for?

Have each child make a "book" of what they are thankful for - family, pets, a wonderful daycare, favorite toy, whatever . Fold several pieces of plain paper in half and staple on the fold. As they tell you what they are thankful for, write it on a page, with one answer per page. Then let them draw a picture of each thing they said.



Cornicopias:

Get some Bugle crackers and Trix cereal. For snacks, use a dab of frosting in the bugle, stick on some Trix fruit. For cards, glue the Trix in the Bugle and glue onto a folded half-sheet of light cardstock, then let them draw inside and sign their name.



Hand Turkey:

Trace both the feet of dck and trace their hands. Cut out feet on brown paper- put the heel of the feet together with the toe pointing down and out -(heels are head of turkey - toe area are the 2 legs). Cut out 5 hands for each child in red/oranges/light brown - glue around the sides and top of feet to make feathers - add eyes and triangle nose and you have a turkey with the kids own feet and hands.



Spiced Turkey:

Print a picture of a turkey. Then decorate the turkeys, with things like dill seed, celery seed, beans and hatever else the kids want to use. Then glue the stuff on. Can be colorful or brown colors like a real turkey. Let the imaginations run wild. Using the seeds and other food products will not be harmful to the child if eaten while doing this too.



Thankful Book

Have children do one or more pages each day. Adult can put book together with a cardboard or construction paper cover.

I'm glad for hands that clap for fun
(child's handprints)
I'm glad for feet to jump and run
(draw around feet and color)
I'm glad for my mother who cooks for me
I'm glad for my father who is as tall as can be
(photo of them or magazine pictures)
I'm glad for this baby who sleeps all day
(Draw or cut out picture)
I'm glad for the children who laugh and play
(picture of same)
I'm glad for the trees that stand up tall
(sponge paint or paste on)
That shake their leaves and let them fall
(sponge paint or paste)
I'm glad for the birds that fly up high
Up in the trees and up in the sky
(use bird stickers)



The First Thanksgiving:

Tack a long sheet of butcher paper to the wall. Tell the children the story of the first Thanksgiving. Let the children tell you what they are thankful for. As each child shares why they are thankful write it on the paper. Tack the list on your classroom door for everyone to read.



Thanksgiving Foods: Before And After

Find pictures in magazines of foods before and after they are prepared. For example: Fresh cranberries and cranberry sauce, raw carrots and cooked carrots, raw potatoes and mashed potatoes, raw yams and candied yams. Glue each picture to a piece of felt. Show the children all of the pictures. Place one of the "before" foods up on your flannel board. Have someone find the "after" food to match it. Continue matching up all of the foods.



Stained Glass Turkeys:

Materials:
Brown paint
Paper plates
3 large sheets of brown construction paper
Orange construction paper
Red construction paper
Tissue paper
Glue

Directions:
To make the turkey you will need to cut five large feathers out of brown construction paper, then approximately 1 inch in from the edge of the feather, cut the center out. Cut feather shapes out of tissue paper; glue to one side of feather. Paint the paper plate brown. Cut turkey head out and attach to paper plate. Cut beak and feet from the orange paper. Red is for around the beak. These turkeys look very nice attached to a glass door so the sun can shine through.



Thanksgiving Centerpiece:

Use multi-colored feathers or feather shapes with toothpicks or craft sticks attached to them. Make a turkey head and attach a stick. Insert the feathers and head into a large potato. Makes a cute centerpiece.



Multi-Colored Turkey Hand:

Paint the child's palm brown and then paint each finger using one color for each finger: red, green, yellow, and orange. Have child press hand on piece of paper. After the paint dries you can add the eye, beak, and that little red dangly thing under the beak.



Spicey Turkeys

Trace each child's hand. Let them "paint" glue on palm and fingers with brush. Let them sprinkle on different Thanksgiving spices on fingers - nutmeg, salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, or the like. Let them smell the scents of a Thanksgiving dinner.



Thanksgiving Turkey:

Cut out a turkey body from brown construction paper or tag board. Then let the students use fabric, wallpaper samples, construction paper, glitter, sequins, and other craft items to dress their turkey for Thanksgiving. After their turkey is dressed, they can dictate a story about how Mr. Turkey convinced the family not to eat him for Thanksgiving dinner.



Family Turkeys:

Send home a pattern of a turkey with the kids. Invite the child's family to decorate the turkey with glitter, macaroni, feathers, paint, sequins, etc. When you get them back, display them with pride! Give out an award to each family such as most colorful, silliest turkey, yummiest turkey, etc.



Potato Turkey

Take an uncooked potato and have children insert feathers on one side being careful to choose the feathers with the firmest "stem". Glue on wiggly eyes. Use red felt for a "gobble". Fold yellow or orange diamond shape cutout to make a beak. Insert 4 toothpicks in bottom half to make him stand.



"In Step With Thanksgiving":

For wall mural or individual purposes. Draw outline of turkey, side view. Take old, used shoes, have paper plates and paint ready for dipping. After the kids have colored in their turkeys, have them take their shoes, dip in paint, and press paint for turkey feathers. This is adorable as a bulletin board and can be laminated and made into place mats for Thanksgiving. Add the above caption.



Easel Painting:

The children should make a big brown "peanut" shape and peach bird legs. Then put on big google eyes and peach fun foam for the beak. For feathers, use wide paper ribbon in big loops stapled onto the back.



Sponge Painting Feathers

Cut feather shapes from sponges. Be sure to vary the size and include the small stem on the end. Use these to sponge paint with fall colors on large sheets of paper.



Paper Bag Turkeys

Give each child a brown paper grocery bag (any size) and several sheets of newspaper. Have the children crumple the sheets of newspaper and stuff them into their bags until the bags are half full. Twist the bags closed and tie them around the middle with pieces of yarn. To make tails for their paper bag turkeys, have the children make several cuts from the top edges of their bags down to the yarn ties. Let the children paint their turkey tails. Then give each child a precut turkey head shape to decorate. Attach the head shapes to the front of the bags to complete the turkeys.



Collage Turkeys:

Cut turkey shapes out of construction paper. Give each child a turkey shape and scraps of colorful construction paper or fabric. Have them glue the pieces of construction paper or fabric on their turkey shapes to make colored feathers. Let them use crayons or markers to finish the turkey's features.


***Poems and Songs***

Turkey Wobble:

Play music of your choice and encourage the children to move like:
Big turkeys
Little turkeys
Tired turkeys
Happy turkeys
Scared turkeys
Scared turkeys
Etc.



Run Fast Little Turkey - Poem

Have the children act out the movements as they recite the following poem.
The brave little Pilgrim
Went out in the wood
Looking for meal
That would taste really good
First she/he picked cranberries
Out in the bog
Then she/he saw a turkey
Hiding in a log
Run fast little turkey
Run fast as you may
Or you will come to dinner
On Thanksgiving Day



My Turkey - Poem:

Have the children act out the movements as they recite the following poem.
I have a turkey, big and fat
He spreads his wings
And walks like that
His daily corn he would not miss
And when he talks he sounds like this
Gobble, gobble, gobble



Turkey Talk:

Choose two children to be turkeys. Have them go to the center of the circle. Recite, with the other children, the poem below. When the poem is done, encourage the two "turkeys" to chat with each other in turkey talk.

Two turkeys went out to play
On one fine sunny day
When they go together
This is what they had to say



Turkey Strut:

Use pieces of masking tape to make turkey footprints all over the floor. Start playing some music. Let the children pretend to be turkeys and strut around the room. When you stop the music, have the turkeys find footprints to stand on (one turkey to a footprint). When you start the music again, have the turkeys continue strutting around the room.



The Turkey Dance - Done To The Chicken Dance:

Find a recording of The Chicken Dance and have the children pretend to be turkeys. Teach the children the movements:

1. Make your hands like they are "talking" 4 times
2. Pretend to "flap" your wings 4 times
3. Wiggle your bottom 4 times
4. Clap 4 times
Continue until you are tired out or the music stops.


***Thanksgiving Games***

Nut Game:

Have different types of nuts (in shells) in a pile in front of you. Ask several children to the pile and find all the nuts that look the same. Sort them in pie pans. Once all of the nuts are sorted, have the children carry the pie pans to the water table for further sorting fun.



Pin The Feather On The Turkey:

Draw a picture of a featherless turkey on a large piece of poster board. Attach the picture to a wall. Put loops of masking tape on the backs of real or paper feathers and place the feathers on a table close to the turkey picture. Have the children take turns choosing a feather from the table and then closing their eyes while they try to "pin" the feather on the turkey.



Turkey Feather Game:

Cut five turkey body shapes and fifteen shapes out of felt. Number the turkey body shapes from 1 to 5 and put them on a flannelboard. Place the feather shapes in a pile. To play the game, have the children take turns selecting a turkey identifying the number on it and adding that many feathers to it.

Thanks again to Tracy for those wonderful songs, crafts and ideas. Dont forget to visit her website at Lil Treasures Child Care

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