While many of us are anticipating the Christmas season, we can’t forget to celebrate Thanksgiving.
November is officially here, which means it’s time to talk turkey- activities, that is! Read on for a list of our favorite Thanksgiving activities for the classroom this year.
Turkey Crafts for the Classroom
We love crafts in the special education classroom for so many reasons, including the opportunity for fine motor practice and multi-sensory exploration. Check out our roundup of our favorite turkey crafts!
Which one will you try with your students?
Give your students the chance to explore nature with this Pinecone Turkey Craft. If your schedule allows for it, take your class on a nature walk to collect the pinecones. If that isn’t possible, or you don’t have access to pinecones on the school grounds, purchase them from a retailer like Jo-Ann’s Fabrics. Bonus points for buying the cinnamon-scented ones!
Squeeze in some fine motor practice with this Cotton Ball Painted Paper Plate Thanksgiving Turkey Craft. This is an alternative painting technique that the kids will have a blast trying and might want to do again in the future. Cotton ball painted Christmas trees, anyone?
Explore the concept of gratitude with these Paper Bag Turkey Puppets. Before doing the craft, hold whole or small group discussions about thankfulness and give students the chance to share what they are grateful for in their lives.
Create a vibrant and colorful turkey with this Do a Dot Thanksgiving craft! This is a simple activity that can be done independently. If you’re looking for a vibrant set of dot markers, I recommend the Do a Dot Brilliant Markers from Amazon!
Turkey Visual Recipes for the Classroom
Cooking is a powerful tool in the special education classroom because it helps students follow directions, cultivates sequencing, and fosters those super important life skills! Visual Recipes help to guide students through the cooking process step-by-step and are even great for non-readers.
We’ve put together our favorite Thanksgiving-themed recipes in the November Visual Recipes with REAL Photos download over in our Teachers Pay Teachers shop. Along with five recipes, you’ll also receive a sequencing mat to guide your students through the cooking process.
In this digital resource, you’ll receive no bake visual recipes for:
- Turk-eppers
- Grateful Grub
- Candy Pretzels
- Fruit-copia
- Fruit Salsa
If you’re new to cooking in the classroom and want to know which supplies you’ll need to get started, start here.
Turkey Science Experiments for Kids
Kids love science, and these turkey STEM experiments are sure to be a hit in the classroom. Be prepared, though, because some of these might get a little messy. But it’s all for the sake of learning, right?!
The Turkey Egg Drop is always a blast. This activity requires critical thinking skills and should probably be done outside for an easy-ish clean-up.
These Thanksgiving Turkey Bombs are a fun way to explore chemical reactions, but brace yourself and give your students a little heads up. The ‘pop’ from this experiment might make you jump!
Your students can investigate the concept of wind with this Feather Experiment. With minimal materials needed, this is a great experiment to do when you’re pressed for time or just want to whip out something simple.
Watch the magic of crystals with this Salt Crystal Experiment. This one is perfect for students who don’t like to wait, because unlike other crystal experiments, this one only takes one hour to form!
What are your favorite Thanksgiving activities for the classroom? Share them with us in the comments!
