How to Create a Thanksgiving Lesson Plan for Kindergarten

The first Thanksgiving was a special time in our Nation’s history that brought the Pilgrims and Native Americans together in celebration. Today we celebrate Thanksgiving by giving thanks and spending time with our family. Make your Thanksgiving lesson plan come alive for the children in your classroom by taking the students on a journey back in time to meet the Pilgrims and Native Americans. Explore this time in history through art, storytelling and preparing foods from the time period.

Things You'll Need

• Blue butcher paper
• Tape
• Soil
• Plastic cups
• Seeds
• Brown construction paper
• Crayons
• Empty oatmeal containers
• Old newspaper
• Masking tape
• Thanksgiving pictures
• Glue
• Construction paper in assorted colors
• Large bowl
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup cornmeal
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Electric griddle
• Pilgrim hats
• Native American headdresses
• Paper plates
• Colored feathers
• Construction paper turkey heads and feet
• Favorite Thanksgiving dishes
• Turkey sandwiches
• Pumpkin pie
• Cranberry sauce

Instructions

1. Create a boat in the middle of your circle time area by taping blue butcher paper to the floor. Tell the students that you are going to take a journey on the Mayflower. You can use this time to share pictures and stories about the Pilgrim’s voyage on the Mayflower.

2. Provide each student in your class with soil, small plastic cups and corn seeds. Explain to the children that they are going to plant crops just like the Pilgrims.

3. Make a drum by giving each student a piece of brown construction and crayons to decorate it with. After they have finished their picture, give them an empty oatmeal container and help each child cover it with their decorated construction paper. Place old newspaper inside of the drum and seal shut with masking tape.

4. Ask the children to cut out pictures related to Thanksgiving such as Native Americans, turkeys, pilgrims and families from magazines. Provide the children with glue and construction paper to make a Thanksgiving book.

5. Bake Native American journey cakes with the class. Combine 1 cup of milk and 1 egg in a large bowl. Mix in ¾ cup of cornmeal, 1 tsp. salt and 1tsp. of sugar until it is smooth and free of lumps. Pour the batter onto an electric griddle and cook it until it is golden brown on both sides.

6. Have the class recreate the first Thanksgiving. Provide pilgrims hats for half of the classroom and Native American headdresses for the other half. Have the Native Americans welcome the Pilgrims to their new home.

7. Make Thanksgiving turkeys to decorate the classroom walls. Provide each child with a paper plate, colored feathers, construction paper turkey heads and feet. Show the children how to glue the feathers to the top of the plate before adding the turkey’s head and feet. When the children are finished, hang the turkeys around the classroom or on the bulletin board.

8. Prepare a Thanksgiving feast for the class. You can ask the children’s parents to bring in their family’s favorite Thanksgiving dish. Or, if you prefer, you can prepare a simple meal that the class can help you with such as turkey sandwiches, pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the local library for a source of age appropriate books and movies about Native Americans and Pilgrims.

• Always check for food allergies in any ingredients you are serving.

• Be sure that you do all cooking away from the students.