Thanksgiving Mini Readers Freebie

These emergent readers are so simple to put together. There's no prep work required, which is great for this busy time of year. Just print one for each of your little readers. There's not cutting, gluing, or stapling required.

Students first fold the books in half, long ways. I have always called this a “hot dog” fold in my classroom – because the paper becomes long and thin..like a hot dog. There is a line on the book to help students know where to fold.

Next they take the book and fold it again on the other line. I call this a hamburger fold.

There is a place on the front cover for students to write the name. The pictures are in black and white, so students can color them and really take ownership of their book.

You'll notice three stars on the front of these Thanksgiving emergent readers, right above where students write their name. These stars are to help student keep track of how many times they read the book. Once they read the book, they color a star.

You can also have students use a yellow crayon or highlighter to focus on or find a particular sight word.

Thanksgiving Read Alouds

There's just something about Thanksgiving read alouds that gets everyone in the spirit of celebration and gratitude.

Using Thanksgiving read alouds in your classroom is a great way to help students learn about the history of Thanksgiving while sharing what they're thankful for.

Here are some of my all-time favorite Thanksgiving read alouds that are spot on for kindergarten.

• One is a Feast for Mouse
• The Great Turkey Race
• The Best Thanksgiving Ever
• The Littlest Pilgrim
• T is for Turkey
• Who Will Carve the Turkey This Thanksgiving?
• This is the Turkey
• Thanksgiving Rules
• Thanks for Thanksgiving
• The Amazing Turkey Rescue
• Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving
• Balloons Over Broadway
• Bear Says Thanks

November Writing Centers

With all of the exciting Thanksgiving topics to write about, November is a fun time to practice enhancing your kindergarten students’ beginning writing skills.

One way that you can do this is by using November-themed vocabulary words and hands-on writing activities within your writing centers. This helps students learn more about the Thanksgiving holiday, use new words in context, and have fun as they strengthen their writing skills.

Consider allowing your students to share their personal favorites and opinions as they write about what they are thankful for, their favorite Thanksgiving foods to eat, and whether they prefer apple pie or pumpkin pie. You can find all of these writing activities and more within these November Writing Center activities. 

With a variety of activities included in the resource, your students gain writing practice by completing different tasks such as labeling, building sentences, and more. 

The November writing centers contain exciting activities that ask students to tell a story about a family having Thanksgiving dinner, create and illustrate a silly Thanksgiving sentence, and write a Thanksgiving postcard to someone.

To practice thankfulness this month, consider having students write their Thanksgiving postcard to someone in the school that they are thankful for. This is a great way to show appreciation for cafeteria workers, custodians, front office staff, etc. 

DIY Thankfulness Chain

This DIY Thankfulness Chain is one of my favorite Thanksgiving activities for kindergarten and is a great addition to your centers. It's easy to prep and implement and sparks great conversations with your students.

To prep, cut 2″ X 6″ strips of different colored construction paper. Give students 3 strips each and have them write something they're thankful for on each strip. This activity can be made easier by giving students only 1 or 2 strips each. This is a great time to help students practice sounding out words.

Stand in a circle and have students read their strips and tell what they're thankful for. Make a loop and connect it to the next person's strip with either tape or a stapler to form a long chain.

Once everyone has read what they're thankful for and connected their strips, you'll have a class Thankfulness Chain. You can hang this in your classroom as part of your Thanksgiving decor.

You can also do this same activity as a way of creating a Friendship Chain. To do this, students write something kind about a friend on their strips instead. 

November Roll & Spin Activities

With kindergarteners, predictability helps build confidence. These November Roll & Spin games all use the same basic directions, so once your students know how to play one game, they know how to play them all!

Having predictable math and literacy activities in place during a busy month like November not only helps your students, but also saves you a ton of time during a month when you’re already stretched thin.

Covering standards like number order to 10, one more and one less, simple sentences, and short e words, these Thanksgiving activities for kindergarten provide extra practice with the skills you’re already teaching in your classroom.

These games are a fun, low-key way to have students gain extra practice during the last few minutes of the day, during centers, or after recess. 

For added excitement, send a Roll & Spin game home for students to play during Thanksgiving break with their families. Not only will it keep the content you’ve been working on fresh in your students’ minds, but it’ll also inspire families to spend a little extra time together during this family-centered holiday.

Thanksgiving Placemat Freebie

Want to add an easy holiday craft to your Thanksgiving centers? This Thanksgiving placemat freebie is quick prep and easy to use with your students. Just print, have your students color the placemat pieces, and then draw and label a picture of something that they are thankful for. It's as easy as that. For added fun, consider laminating them and using them for your class' Thanksgiving feast!

November Morning Tub Activities

Mornings during the holidays often feel a little chaotic. Between schedule changes, school events, fun activities, and more, trying to find morning work that your students enjoy but that is also easy to prep can feel exhausting.

One of the best ways to keep your students on track in the mornings is with hands-on activities that give a soft start. These turkey-themed morning tub activities are perfect to use all November long with your little learners.

Your students will gain independence as they work on important math, literacy, and fine motor skills with a variety of fun activities that are perfect for the season. Activities include matching numbers with feathers, identifying beginning sounds of pictures, and more fun. 

Want more info on how morning tubs work? Check out this post. 

November Math and Literacy Centers

Another way to incorporate turkey-themed activities into your lesson plans is with November themed math and literacy centers.

With themes like turkeys in disguise, football, and Thanksgiving food, your students will love these hands-on, themed center activities.

With 13 literacy and 13 math centers included, you’ll have all of the center activities you need for the whole month!

A follow-up worksheet is included for each center to help reinforce the skills being taught. Plus, it holds students accountable for their learning which is important even for kindergarteners.

You’ll love using these Thanksgiving activities for kindergarten as early finisher work, informal assessments, homework, or small group instruction. 

Thanksgiving Emergent Readers Freebie

Want to add holiday fun to your small groups? These FREE Thanksgiving mini books will be a hit with your students.

Teach your students how to fold the books on their own and then allow them to color the black and white images as they read through all four emergent readers. 

Three little stars are included on the front cover to help students track how many times they’ve read the book. As students finish reading, they color in a star. They continue until they’ve read and colored in all three stars.

With simple, predictable text, these readers are perfect for your kindergarten students to read at school or at home. 

Get the free Thanksgiving readers sent right to your e-mail!

I hope these read alouds and Thanksgiving activities for kindergarten make planning just a little bit easier for you this November. For even more Thanksgiving games and center ideas to add to your lesson plans, check out this blog post.

DIY Pumpkin Craft for Kids

When we complete this activity, it is done as a whole group. I have a completed example to show the students what we are going to be making. But I also make the craft with them. There are no tracers – just simple rounding corners and following directions.

I pass one piece out at a time and we work on the project step by step. First I model how to cut the paper and then the students cut the paper.

All you'll need for the project is construction paper, scissors, and glue sticks. Students will need either a blue or black background. I let the students pick which one they want. Blue represents a day-time scene, while black makes for a great night-time scene.

Here is what each student will need:

• 1 blue or black piece of construction paper (for the background)
• Brown Paper: 2 1/4 x 12 inches (1 piece of brown paper, they will cut this into fourths)
• Green Paper: 1 rectangle, 2 x 12, for the grass
• Green Paper: 1/2 x 2,  for pumpkin stems
• Orange: 3 squares, 2 1/2  x  2 1/2 inches, for pumpkins
• Yellow: 1 square 2 1/2  x  2 1/2,  for sun

Cutting Directions:

Start with the long brown piece of paper.

Step 1: Have students cut the brown paper in half lengthwise, to create 2 pieces 12 inches long. Take one of the brown pieces and cut it in half lengthwise again to become the fence rails.

Step 2: Take the second piece of brown paper and cut it into 2 6 inch pieces. Then take each of those pieces and cut it in half so you now have 4, 6 inch long pieces. These become the fence posts.

Next, students will get the grass ready. Take the long piece of green paper and make vertical cuts, 3/4 of the way down, the whole length of the paper.

For this step I show students a non-example. I have an extra piece of green paper and I show them what happens if they cut too far down. For students who are having trouble judging how far down to cut, I help them make the first cut as a guide.

To prepare the pumpkins, take each orange square and round the corners to make pumpkins. It's cute to see the different size and shape that each pumpkin becomes.

Next have students make 3-4 vertical lines on each of the pumpkin with a black or brown marker/crayon.

Take the small green piece and cut into the 3 pieces for the stems.

Finally, round the corners of the yellow square to be the sun (or the moon, if the scene is night-time).

Here's a look at the completed pieces.

Assembling the Pumpkin Craft:

Now it's time to put the pumpkin craft together. Here's step-by-step directions:

The first fence rail should be glued right down the middle of the paper. Glue the second rail half way between the bottom of the paper and the first fence rail.

Then glue on the fence posts, spaced across the paper.

Glue on the grass. Tell students to gently pull each piece back to “fluff” the grass.

Finally the students will pull back the grass just slightly to glue on the pumpkins along with the stems. They'll glue the sun/moon in the sky – on the left, right, or middle.

November Morning Tubs for Kindergarten

By November, you've settled into a rhythm, your students better understand the routines and procedures, and hopefully they're starting to master the skills you've been teaching.

As an added bonus, you get a few days off to rest, recuperate, and spend time with family during Thanksgiving break. However, that can also mean that just like you, your students are excited about the upcoming holiday.

It can be more difficult to hold students' attention and keep them on task leading up to the break. To help you keep your morning routine consistent and keep the learning going, I wanted to share these November Morning Tubs for Kindergarten with you.

Don't let the “morning” part fool you though, these November morning tubs can be used any time of day.

Whether you need a hands-on soft start to the day, some fun math and literacy center activities, or a time-filler or early finisher option, these activity tubs are perfect.

This November morning tubs kit includes literacy and math activities with a fun turkey theme, making them perfect to use leading up to Thanksgiving.

The skills included in this resource are ones that your kindergartners are most likely working on during the month of November. It is packed full of games and interactive, hands-on activities to keep students engaged and learning. 

Each activity comes with an “I Can” card to promote student independence. These activities use basic classroom supplies like magnetic letters, dry erase markers, plastic math cubes, play dough, and more.

There are no recording sheets included, which means less prep and grading for you!

November Morning Tub Literacy Activities

These November Morning Tubs include a variety of literacy activities to help your students practice their skills. You can easily differentiate and have students practice the skills they need most. Read on to take a peek at some of the literacy activities included in this set.

Gobble, Gobble Letter Order

Gobble, Gobble Letter Order is a great activity for students to use to practice letter recognition and letter sequence.

Students identify the letters in the letter sequence and fill in the ones that are missing. You can use magnetic letters or dry erase markers for this activity. You could even have students use play dough and letter stamps.

For a DIY version, laminate sentence strips, write random letters on them, and have students fill in the missing letters on the sentence strip using a magnetic letter or dry erase marker.

Feather-y Onset and Rime

Onset and rime is an important skill for students to practice when learning to sound out and decode CVC words.

In this November morning tubs activity, students say the name of the CVC picture on the turkey. Then, they match the feathers to show the onset and rime.

Turkey Sight Words

Turkey Sight Words is a versatile activity that can be easily differentiated to meet the needs of your students and your specific sight word list.

It is editable, so you can easily add your own sight words and customize the activity. You could create different sight word lists for different groups of students or individual students, so they are all working on their level while completing the same activity.

To play, students select a sight word card and place it on the mat. Then, they build the word using a dry erase marker or magnetic letters.

November Morning Tub Math Activities

There are also an array of hands-on and engaging math activities included in the November Morning Tubs set. Here is a sneak peek at a few of the turkey-themed math tub activities.

Turkey Ten Frames

Turkey Ten Frames is a great activity to help students identify and count numbers to ten. First, they identify the number represented on the ten frame card. Then, they find and cover the corresponding ten frame on the activity mat.

Students can cover the ten frame with a plastic math cube, plastic bear, mini eraser, or other small manipulative.

Turkey Make 10

Making 10 is an important skill and one that is practiced a lot around Thanksgiving time. Make it even more fun with this Turkey Make 10 morning tub activity.

Students will use the ten frame on the left of the mat to identify a way to make 10. Then, they use magnetic numbers or dry erase markers to show that way to make 10.

Turkey Feathers

In this Turkey Feathers activity, students will select a Turkey Feathers “direction” card. They will count out each feather color to match the direction card and put them on the turkey. Then, they will count to see how many feathers the turkey has in all.

To take this a step further, students could write the number of feathers on a whiteboard or piece of paper.

If you liked the activities in this blog post and would like to incorporate them into your morning routine during the busy month of November, you can grab the entire November Morning Tubs set by clicking here!

I'd love to hear which of these activities your students would be most excited for! Let me know in the comments.

Want to learn more about morning tubs and how to use, store, organize, and get started with them in your classroom? Read more about them in these blog posts.

Easy Prep Thanksgiving Ideas for Kindergarten

I'm not typically a pie kind of girl, but I make an exception for pumpkin pie! I only have it once a year, so I really look forward to it at Thanksgiving. My favorite way to eat pumpkin pie is to warm it up and put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on it.

Now that all this talk of pumpkin pie has my mouth watering, let me get back on track and tell you about my favorite easy prep Thanksgiving sight word and counting ideas for kindergarten that just so happen to involve a DIY pumpkin pie!

Prepping the DIY Pumpkin Pie

To prep the DIY pumpkin pie you'll need for these activities, you'll need just a few simple items.

• Orange and brown construction paper
• White pom-poms (or cotton balls)
• Scissors
• A permanent marker
• Paper plates
• Rubber cement
• A bowl
• A plastic spoon

To build your pumpkin pie, take 9 X 12 pieces of construction paper and draw large circles on the brown paper and slightly smaller circles on the orange paper. Then cut them out.

The orange circle should be about an inch or so smaller than the brown circle. You can make several of these at a time by stacking the construction paper. Don't worry about perfection, just get them as circular as you can.

Then use the rubber cement to glue the orange circle on top of the brown circle. This should resemble a pumpkin pie.

Easy Prep Sight Word Activity

For this easy prep sight word activity, once the rubber cement is dry, you can cut the pie into quarters or eighths depending on the sight words you'll be practicing. Just make sure the slices are big enough to write letters on.

Write each word on a paper plate and then write the same word on the pie slices, one letter per slice. Students will read the word on the plate, find the letters/pie slices needed to spell the word, and put them in order on the plate.

To differentiate this activity, give students pom-poms (or cotton balls) and have them add “whipped cream” to the pie slices. For extra fine motor practice, have them scoop the whipped cream with a plastic spoon.

This option is not only fun, but it encourages students to count the number of letters in a word. You can use this activity with as many words as you'd like your students to practice. This makes for the perfect easy prep Thanksgiving literacy center.

You can grab a free recording sheet to go along with this activity by filling out the form below. It'll be sent straight to your inbox along with a recording sheet for this next easy prep Thanksgiving activity!

Easy Prep Counting Activity

This easy prep Thanksgiving idea for kindergarten is prepped the same way as the sight word activity, but I recommend leaving the pie sliced into quarters. This allows the students to fit more “whipped cream” on each slice.

Write numbers on each slice of pie. You can practice numbers to 10 or numbers to 20, depending on your students' needs.

Students will pick a pie piece and identify the number. They will use the spoon to add that many “scoops” of whipped cream to the slice, counting aloud as they go.

Be sure to fill out the form above for the free recording sheet for this pumpkin pie counting activity.

Social Studies Mini Unit

November is the perfect time of year to discuss the concept of then and now and how things have changed from long ago to today.

This social studies mini unit is a great way to have meaningful conversations with students about this topic at their developmental level.

You'll find a ton of easy prep activities, games, sorts, and mini readers inside this unit that can be used around Thanksgiving time or anytime of year.

Easy Prep Turkey Craft

The next easy prep Thanksgiving idea for kindergarten is an adorable turkey craft. This turkey craft is perfect for kindergarteners as there are no tracers involved.

Students will simply round corners and make a simple cut to create their own unique turkey masterpiece. For supplies, dimensions, and step-by-step directions for making this turkey craft, you can check out this blog post.

Easy Prep Thanksgiving Writing Activities

Since Thanksgiving brings up topics such as gratitude and friendship, it's the perfect time to help your students stretch their imaginations and beginning writing skills with Thanksgiving-themed writing prompts.

These writing prompts are perfect to incorporate into your writing lessons, your Thanksgiving class discussions, and as a follow up activity to your seasonal read alouds.

Another way you can use these writing prompts is to create a whole class Thanksgiving book. Have students choose or vote on their favorite Thanksgiving-themed writing prompt from the month.

Compile each student's writing prompt and put them together in one large book, stapling the sides. You could even 3 hole punch the side and bind it with colorful ribbon.

You can create a quick book cover out of construction paper to add to the front so you can display the book in your classroom. During read aloud time, you can have students take turns reading their writing piece from the book to the class.

Pumpkin Pie in a Cup Snack

Pumpkin Pie in a Cup is one of my favorite easy prep, no-bake Thanksgiving recipes. All you need are a few simple ingredients to whip up this delicious treat.

If you're looking for an easy snack for your students to keep the pumpkin pie theme going this Thanksgiving season, you can check out this blog post for the recipe and a free sequencing page to go along with it.

Easy Prep Thanksgiving Letter Sound Game

If you're looking for an easy prep, interactive game to play around Thanksgiving to help students master their letters and sounds, this Tom the Turkey Letter Sound Game is it! You can use it as a whole group game, small group activity, or as a quick time filler game.

Display the poem in your classroom or project it on your board. Students recite the chant while one student picks a letter from a container. Students can take turns coming up to the front of the room or sit in a circle and pass the container around.

While the students are reciting the chant, they can help by making a stirring motion or pretend that they are adding a “dash” of letters with their hands.

The student picks a letter, either uppercase or lowercase, and identifies the letter and its sound. Then the whole group makes the sound. This game can continue for as long as time allows or until all students have had a turn. Recording sheets are also included for extra practice.

I hope you enjoyed these easy prep Thanksgiving ideas for kindergarten. Enjoy your Thanksgiving season and all of the pumpkin pie goodness! For even more Thanksgiving activities, read alouds, and freebies, check out this blog post.

Ingredients You'll Need:

To make this recipe each student will need:

• a cup and a spoon
• 1 vanilla pudding cup
• 2 graham crackers
• 2 – 3 tablespoons of pumpkin pie mix
• a dallop of whipped cream
• sprinkle of cinnamon or cinnamon sugar

Pumpkin Pie in a Cup Directions:

Supply each student with a sandwich size zip-top bag and two graham crackers. Be sure the top is zipped closed so the crumbs stay in the bag. Students will kneed the bag to crush the graham crackers. It's a good idea to use a paper plate as a work space (and crumb catcher). 

You can also buy graham cracker crumbs in the baking aisle. Those would work too. 

Pour the graham cracker crumbles in the bottom of the cup. It's up to you if you want a thin or thicker crust. 

Open the pudding container and pour it into the cup on top of the graham cracker crust. 

Add a scoop of pumpkin pie filling. Students can mix the pumpkin pie filling with the vanilla pudding, if desired.

Add some whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon sugar…and enjoy!

For step by step directions on how to make Pumpkin Pie in a Cup, check out this video:

Sequencing Freebie

This snack is perfect alone, but if you're looking for a follow up activity or an educational component, I've got you covered! And just like this snack, it couldn't be easier because it's no prep!

This article, along with many other articles on The Printable Princess, contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through the links I earn a small commission.  Clicking these links does not cost you any extra but helps this website to keep great articles and freebies coming your way. 

DIY Turkey Craft for Kids

This activity is completed as a whole group. Not only does it make a great fine motor activity, but it also encourages students to listen and follow directions. I always have a completed example to show the students what we are going to be making. But then I also make the craft with them. There are no tracers – just simple rounding corners and following directions. 

I pass out each piece – one at a time and we work on the project step by step. Except for the feathers, once the students have done one, they usually have the hang of it and can do the other independently. First I model how to cut the paper and then the students cut the paper.

All you'll need for the project is construction paper, scissors, and glue sticks. You can use whatever color of background you'd like. I usually use a black background so that the feathers pop. But I've also used blue and green too – whatever you have on hand. 

Each student will need:

• Brown paper: 1 square, 4×4 in. (head)
• Brown Paper: 1 rectangle, 4×6 in. (body)
• Red, Orange, Yellow, Purple, Green, Blue: 1 rectangle (each), 2 x 6 in. (feathers)
• Orange paper: 1 rectangle, 1 x 1 1/2 in (beak)
• Orange paper: 1 square, 2×2 in (feet)
• Black paper: 1 rectangle, 1 x 1/2 in (eyes)
• Red paper: 1 rectangle, 1 x 1 1/2 in (wattle)

Cutting Directions:

Start with the large 4×6 piece. Have students cut to round each of the corners of the rectangle to make the turkey's body.

Repeat this with the head and the feathers.

For the smaller orange piece (1×1/2), have students cut it in half lengthwise to become the legs.

Have the students fold the orange 2×2 square in half. While the paper is still folder, cut a triangle to make the beak.

Then have students cut the black rectangle in half to make to small pieces for the eyes. You can give students the option of rounding the corners of the eyes for circle eyes.

Finally, take the small red rectangle and have students round the corners to create a small oval shape for the turkey's wattle.

Have students glue on the body first, about two inches from the bottom of the paper.

Next glue on the feathers, tucking them behind the body and overlapping slightly. They do not have to be glued on in a certain color or perfectly spaced – and that's what makes this activity so adorable and each piece unique. I let each student pick their own color order for the feathers.

Glue on the head over the feathers. Glue on the face and add the feet.

This DIY turkey craft makes an adorable window display or bulletin board during the month of November.

Family Traditions

Build your own family traditions or rituals. This way you and your family have some fun activities to look forward to. This also helps create a sense of family. Your kids will only be little for so long, so make sure to take the time to enjoy them! For our family, we like to put on our pajamas and drive around our neighborhood to look at Christmas lights while drinking hot cocoa and listening to Christmas music in the car.

 

For your family it might be making cookies for a family gathering, guessing your gifts before opening them, playing board games before Christmas supper, or reading a book about the Christmas story. Making these important memories with your children will allow for years of enjoyment during the holiday season!

 

 

Make a Shopping List

Which gifts can you shop for online, and which do you need to hit the mall for? After you've made your lists, you can plan a day to do your store shopping and another to do your online shopping {plus this helps keep you on budget!}. Hire a babysitter or call grandma for a few hours. Or arrange a swap with a friend. Watch their children for a few hours so she can shop, and in return she can watch your kids for a few hours while you shop.

You'll enjoy the quiet time and you'll get your shopping done even faster! You can even plan to make one stop a week on the way home. Just don't wait until the last minute to get your holiday shopping done.

 

Gift Wrapping

What happens after you get the gifts home? Who has time to wrap all of them?! If you are shopping in a store, many offer wrapping on the spot. Take advantage of it!

 

If you don't have that luxury or you enjoy wrapping – but simply stress over doing it – wrap one gift at a time! After the kiddos are sleeping, wrap one or two gifts a night. Don't wait to try and do a gift wrapping marathon, unless that's your thing.

 

This holiday season slow down, breathe, and enjoy. This time of year goes by so quickly. Rather than get caught up in the hustle and bustle of making everything look perfect, remember what is really important. Family.

 

So rather than overdoing it, spend time making memories with the ones you love. The kids won't remember how decorated the house was or how many gifts were under the tree – what they will remember is the love and attention their sweet mom gave  them! They will remember the way you made them feel.

May you be surrounded by love and family the whole season long! From our house to yours – Merry Christmas!

Until next time,