Thanksgiving

Expressing Thanks: Creative Activities for Children

Nancy Mexicano — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 14:41:30 +0000

Expressing Thanks: Creative Activities for Children

Nancy Mexicano Fri, 11/10/2023 - 09:41

Thanksgiving is a special time to come together with family and friends, share a delicious meal, and reflect on the things we are grateful for. It's a holiday that provides a wonderful opportunity to teach children about the importance of gratitude and giving thanks. In this blog, we'll explore some creative and engaging activities to help children express their thanks and embrace the spirit of Thanksgiving.

1. Gratitude Journals:
Encourage children to keep a gratitude journal where they can write or draw things they are thankful for. Each day, have them record something different, helping them focus on the positive aspects of their lives. These journals can be a lasting keepsake, showing how their appreciation evolves over time.

2. Thankful Trees:
Create a Thankful Tree as a beautiful and interactive decoration. Cut out paper leaves, and each day leading up to Thanksgiving, have children write something they're thankful for on a leaf and attach it to the tree. This visual representation of gratitude can serve as a wonderful conversation starter.

3. Handprint Turkeys:
One of the classic Thanksgiving crafts for children is making handprint turkeys. Each finger represents something the child is thankful for. As they craft these colorful birds, they'll also be reminded of their blessings.

4. Acts of Kindness:
Teaching children to be thankful also involves teaching them to give back. Have them engage in small acts of kindness, like making cards for elderly neighbors, helping set the table for Thanksgiving dinner, or sharing their toys. These actions help them understand the joy of giving.

5. Thankful Tablecloth:
For Thanksgiving dinner, spread out a plain tablecloth and provide fabric markers. Encourage children to write down their thanks, draw pictures, or even trace their hands with messages of gratitude. This personalized tablecloth can become a cherished tradition and conversation piece.

6. Gratitude Scavenger Hunt:
Create a scavenger hunt that guides children to find things they're thankful for in and around the house or during a nature walk. This hands-on activity not only gets them moving but also helps them discover the beauty in the world around them.

7. Thankful Storytime:
Choose books that focus on the theme of thankfulness and read them together. Discuss the stories and ask children what they're thankful for, connecting the literature to their own experiences.

8. Thank You Cards:
Provide materials for children to make thank you cards for family members, teachers, or friends. Expressing gratitude through handwritten notes is a valuable skill that can last a lifetime.

9. Thanksgiving Poems and Songs:
Encourage children to create their own Thanksgiving poems or songs. It can be a fun way for them to express their thanks in a creative manner, and they can even perform them for the family during the holiday.

10. Volunteer Together:
Depending on the age of the children, consider involving them in volunteer opportunities that are age appropriate. This hands-on experience will teach them the value of giving back and the importance of gratitude in action.

These activities not only bring the Thanksgiving spirit to life but also help children understand the true meaning of the holiday: giving thanks for what we have and showing appreciation to the people around us. By making gratitude a part of their daily lives, children can carry the lessons of Thanksgiving with them throughout the year.

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Gratitude

Thankful

Thanksgiving

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Signing Sprouts - Thanksgiving

lba-admin — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:43:46 +0000

Signing Sprouts - Thanksgiving

lba-admin Mon, 11/04/2019 - 09:43

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Signing Sprouts

American Sign Language

Thanksgiving

Signing Sprouts - Turkey

lba-admin — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 14:42:10 +0000

Signing Sprouts - Turkey

lba-admin Mon, 11/04/2019 - 09:42

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Signing Sprouts

American Sign Language

Turkey

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving and Toddlers - What's a Parent to do?

lba-admin — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 18:40:24 +0000

Thanksgiving and Toddlers - What's a Parent to do?

lba-admin Tue, 11/21/2017 - 13:40

No parent likes to fight on Thanksgiving. Yet this year, millions of adults will venture into epic battles with their toddlers over eating their vegetables. The good news is: you don’t have to.

Unless your child is in the one percent, the vast majority of children hate eating vegetables. Somewhere deep in history, children started perceiving vegetables as “yucky”, when the reality is, the vast majority of adults would love to remind themselves of the regret they have for not eating more as a child.

Science can play a role in the eating of veggies. Did you know:

Babies are more likely to eat carrots, green beans, spinach or broccoli when they’ve tasted the vegetables mixed into milk or rice cereal for 12 days each.
Children aged three to five are more likely to eat bell peppers after watching a video of a child eating bell peppers.
Children aged three to five are more likely to choose vegetables over a granola bar when the veggies are packaged with cartoon character labels and they had to wait an extra five minutes for the granola bar.

Rather than having mounds of leftovers (you, too, will splurge on turkey and stuffing), here are six tips to help fill Thanksgiving with love instead of war:

Create an Incentive: The Thanksgiving table is full of delicious foods. Trade them one bite of biscuit for one bite of veggies. Trade them one bite of veggies for 15 minutes of TV or cell phone time. While you want to be careful to not tie an incentive to every bite, having fun with the plate of food can encourage better eating behaviors over time.

Create a “Try It” Game: By encouraging your child to just take one bite, you will eventually, over time, change their eating behaviors. Dieticians suggest it will take eight to 10 times before a food habit is changed. Why wait for a New Year’s resolution for your five-year-old? Encourage change now! Play a game to see who can eat the most bites of vegetables (which is especially beneficial if other children are present).

Don’t Force Them to Finish a Full Plate: Too much is too much. Set small goals for them in the beginning. There is true benefit in baby steps. Celebrate the winning of one-bite. Give them high fives and a heaping scoop of praise.

Play to Their Favorite Color: What is your child’s favorite color? When shopping for veggies for Thanksgiving, let them pick out veggies that match their favorite color. This will create collaboration around the experience. When you get home, let them participate in the prep and cooking of the food. And, in a worst-case scenario, use a vegetable dye to change the color of their food (especially for food color-friendly foods like cauliflower).

Bacon, Bacon, Bacon – Oh, and Butter: There isn’t much more that has to be said about this one. While not particularly the healthiest options for making food taste better, a little bacon or butter can add familiar flavors to their palates. Also, a good game of hide and go veggie is fun, too. Those rolls, that stuffing, that pie – adding fruits and vegetables (grounded up) can help distribute more good-for-you foods into the mix.

Children Love Patterns: At school, many learning exercises are created around patterns. Do the same with their plate. Have them create patterns of similar foods. Have them go around in a circle, taking one bite of each. Have them mess up their plate and organize again. A little food fun can help encourage exploration of new foods.

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Thanksgiving

Toddler

vegetables

Thanksgiving Survival Guide for Working Parents

lba-admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 13:47:26 +0000

Thanksgiving Survival Guide for Working Parents

lba-admin Fri, 11/18/2016 - 08:47

The holidays are right around the corner, and for working parents that can mean an added level of stress to an already tight schedule. Cleaning the house, shopping for the food, and purchasing decorations can all seem very daunting, while still managing to care of the kids. Here are a few "Dos" and "Don'ts" to make your holiday run more smoothly and to help you keep your sanity.

1. Don’t "force" your child to eat new foods. Thanksgiving dinner usually involves food that many infants and toddlers are not used to eating. Rather than trying to force them to eat Grandma's spicy sweet potatoes and have a meltdown, allow them to eat a few simple things they like. It may just be a little turkey and a dinner roll, but it's worth every minute of peace.

2. Don't lose the nap. Holidays are usually longer days with many new experiences for a child. New foods. New environment. New people. These experiences can put a normally happy baby in sensory overload. Try to time your child's nap with the card ride to Aunt Janet's. Or if you are staying home, invite your guests after your child wakes up. This will make for a happier day for everyone.

3. Do praise good, appropriate behavior. Is your child doing well greeting guests? Setting the table? Cleaning up their toys? Make sure to let them know! Positive reinforcement not only works, but it also helps build a child's confidence.

4. Do a special craft. Children LOVE to be involved in everything. Why not let them make a keepsake for each place setting? A simple pinecone painted with glitter and a colorful fall ribbon will make a child proud of participating in the family celebration.

5. Do have quiet activities during clean-up. After a long day with family and friends, it's time to clean up. A new coloring book, play-doh or activity book can work wonders while mom and dad put the house back in order.

These simple ideas will hopefully make your Thanksgiving run a little more smoothly this year. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Lightbridge Academy!

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