The Week Before Thanksgiving and a Fun Thanksgiving Tradition

Are you looking for a way to celebrate Thanksgiving with your classroom during the week before Thanksgiving? Here's some of my Favorite ways.

The History Behind Thanksgiving

Have your students learn the history behind this special, truly American tradition. I created a small booklet of articles about the traditions we hold dear during this time. Students can read about these traditions, answer comprehension questions, and then there are extension activities for the students to further their learning. 

Click here to find this resource. 

Turkey Pardoning Simulation 

Get your students writing with a courtroom simulation of the famous turkey pardoning ceremony. Students will dress their turkey in a costume to attempt to escape the dinner table, write a persuasive speech about why their turkey should be pardoned, and deliver it to your classroom "courtroom" to await a ruling

You can find this fun activity right here. 

If you, as teacher, can wear a black graduation robe and find a wooden hammer, even better! You are instantly a convincing judge for your classroom courtroom.

Thanksgiving Art Meets Teambuilding Challenge Activity

Why not throw in a teambuilding challenge with an art spin? In one of the challenges, teams of students will create Macy's Day Parade balloons. This one is a lot of fun. Three challenges are included...this is a spin off of the TV show Chopped, but with an art twist.

Be sure to grab this one over here. 

Thanksgiving School Tradition

We started a fun Thanksgiving tradition about three years ago at our school. That tradition is to celebrate the final day before Thanksgiving break with a school-wide celebration in Charlie Brown style. We share a feast, like Charlie Brown and his friends did. We serve toast, popcorn, jelly beans and pretzel sticks. While we enjoy our "feast" we watch the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving movie. It is a fun tradition and a great way to start off the holidays.