Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Although your kids probably know that the day is filled with family get-togethers and delicious food, do they really know the meaning behind the holiday? Here are some simple ways you can use to help your kids understand why we celebrate Thanksgiving.
Role Play
How can you get your kids to have a deeper understanding of the holidays? Try setting up a play for your kids. You can give your kids different parts to act out. By taking on the role of the first pilgrims or of the Indians, your kids will learn about Thanksgiving through experience and interaction. You could even have your little pilgrims and Indians sit down for a first Thanksgiving meal.
Visit a Museum
To give your kids a visual of the time, you could plan a family trip to a local museum. Even if they don’t have a Thanksgiving display, you can point out different features of the era. Let your children know that the pilgrims didn’t have electricity or refrigerators, so they were limited on how long they could keep certain foods. The more your kids know about the time, the easier it will be to understand why Thanksgiving is all about being thankful for what you have.
Have a Craft Day
Kids love crafts, so use this to your advantage. Plan a few Thanksgiving crafts to complete during the weeks leading up to the holiday. Use each craft to teach a mini-lesson on the holiday. For example, if you make handprint turkeys, you can talk about why turkey is a traditional food of this holiday. You can also make a Mayflower replica and use the craft to teach about the first pilgrims.
Read Books
If you want your kids to understand what Thanksgiving is all about, you’ll want to read some books. You can definitely reading some non-fiction books that go over the history of the first Thanksgiving, but don’t be afraid to read some historical fiction books as well. Fiction books are generally easier for kids to understand and connect to, so even if the characters aren’t real, your kids will still get an inside look into an important historical event.
Thanksgiving is all about showing others what we’re thankful for.
