Thanksgiving Activities for Sunday School
Thanksgiving is more than a turkey dinner; it is a time to thank God for His mercy and grace. You can use various activities in addition to a Sunday school lesson to help children understand why they need to be truly thankful and ways to express their thankfulness. As always, teachers should make the lesson fun to engage young minds. The older age groups can assist the preschoolers in many activities.
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Crafts
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Crafts are a great addition to any Thanksgiving-themed Sunday school lesson. The traditional hand drawn turkey cutout is not the only craft available. Children can make their own standing pilgrims out of paper towel rolls and construction paper. They can also make Thanksgiving place mats out of construction paper, Thanksgiving cutouts and laminating sheets. Be sure to have the children write things they are thankful for on their place mats. They can make plastic cups into "turkey cups." Don't forget play dough crafts for the preschoolers.
Games
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There is an abundance of Thanksgiving games you can use to teach a lesson. Keep in mind your class size when preparing for a Thanksgiving game. Play "Turkey Bingo" with scripture verses in each square; corn kernels can be used for bingo pieces. "Pilgrim Voyage" is a game in which one child stands in a space named "The New World." All the other children close their eyes and pretend to be "ships." The "New World" person calls out directions to the "ships" to lead them to the New World. The first ship to find it wins.
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Drama
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Bringing the Thanksgiving lesson to life through drama is an excellent way to get children of all ages involved. Acting out the play in front of the congregation can even enlighten the adults. You can write Thanksgiving plays strictly for your children's class, or download them online or purchase them from a retail store. Plays can also be divided into several short skits. Skits make a good classroom activity as well. Thanksgiving plays are not limited to pilgrims and Indians. They can be set in the modern day as well.
Cooking
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Children love to "create" things. Thanksgiving is a great time to teach children through cooking. Have the kids bring their favorite recipe from home, or introduce them to some Old World dishes, often found online. Prepare a complete Thanksgiving dinner for the church, or just a few small Thanksgiving snacks for the class to enjoy while listening to the lesson. Preschoolers love to help stir and pour. The teen class can assist the younger classes if needed.
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References
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