The kids made Thankful Trees to help them understand Thanksgiving.
First, we spent our week talking about what Thanksgiving is and what being thankful means.Very few of the kids understood what I meant when I asked "what are you thankful for?" So I had to pose the question like this: "what are things or people you love? Like? Make you happy?" This got the kids talking and their answers were fantastic:
"Candy"
"When my mommy and daddy pick up my toys for me"
"Toes"
"Spiderman"
"When firetrucks roll down the hill"
"Barbies"
"Falling on the sidewalk in front of my house"
"Band aids"
"the zoo"
Once we had a list of what the kids were thankful for, I traced their hands onto colorful construction paper. This was by far the most difficult part of this project--little hands that constantly move! I had the "big kids" help cut out the hands.
I wrote what they were thankful for on their paper hands, helped them cut small slats in them, and we slid them onto an empty paper towel roll.
These turned out really cute and the kids loved looking at their "trees" to see what they were thankful for. Since making their Thankful Trees, the kids randomly blurt out things they're thankful for or things that make them happy.
This visual project has really helped them understand what it means to be thankful for something....in their special toddler ways, that is!
Once we had a list of what the kids were thankful for, I traced their hands onto colorful construction paper. This was by far the most difficult part of this project--little hands that constantly move! I had the "big kids" help cut out the hands.
I wrote what they were thankful for on their paper hands, helped them cut small slats in them, and we slid them onto an empty paper towel roll.
These turned out really cute and the kids loved looking at their "trees" to see what they were thankful for. Since making their Thankful Trees, the kids randomly blurt out things they're thankful for or things that make them happy.
This visual project has really helped them understand what it means to be thankful for something....in their special toddler ways, that is!