Love to Laugh and Learn

Fun and interesting learning activities to do with the children in your life

Love to Learn about the Nativity

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Love to Learn about the Nativity

Love to Learn About the Nativity
Love to Learn About the Nativity



Nativity Scene: A representation of the birth of Jesus, God’s Son. It usually includes Mary, Joseph, a manger with Baby Jesus, some Shepherds and animals. Sometimes you will see 3 Kings or Wisemen included in the Nativity scene even though they were not there the night of the birth.

It is a good practice to think often of the great gift God sent to us; His only son, Jesus. Not just at Christmas but all through the year. But with Christmas Eve here, what better story to share with your family than the story of the night Jesus was born. It doesn’t matter whether you read the story straight from the Bible or a simple version that will be easier for your child to understand, just be sure to remind your family what Christmas is really about.

There are many great Bible translations out there but I enjoy the Christmas story from the King James Version. That is the version of the story that I grew up with and it’s the one quoted in the Charlie Brown Christmas movie.

Christmas Story
Craft
Finger Plays
Songs
Story Time
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Christmas Story

“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”
– Luke 2: 1-20 KJV (If you would like to find another translation check out http://www.biblegateway.com)

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Craft

Flower Pot Nativity Scene

I first saw this craft on pinterest.com. After a little research, I found out that the craft was first posted on thebigmamablog.com You will find a couple different photographs of the craft created by different people.

Materials Needed:

2 medium flower pots
1 small flower pot
acrylic paint
2 medium wooden balls (for Mary and Joseph’s heads)
1 small wooden ball (for Jesus’s head)
fabric for their head coverings
white fabric to swaddle (wrap) Baby Jesus in
doll hair (or you can just color it in with a Sharpie)
roll of grapevine to create headpiece and staff
moss
silver pipe cleaner or aluminum foil (for the halo)
hot glue gun or Aleene’s tacky glue
Sharpie, fine point
hay (optional for manger)

Instructions:

1. Paint the smallest flower pot brown, to represent the manger.
2. Paint the two larger pots whatever color you want Mary and Joseph’s clothes to be.
3. Use the fine point Sharpie to draw facial features on Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus.
4. Glue heads onto biggest pots.
5. Cut fabric and glue coverings to the heads.
6. Wrap white fabric to look like a baby wrapped in blanket.
7. Glue into smallest pot. Add Baby Jesus head.
8. Make a halo out of a silver pipe cleaner or twist a piece of aluminum foil and form it in a circle to make a halo. Glue to Baby Jesus’ head.
9. Use a brown pipe cleaner or a piece of grapevine to make a shepherd’s staff and glue to Joseph
10. Be sure to check the images out on thebigmamablog.com

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Finger Plays

The First Christmas
(Action Rhyme)

Clop, clop, clop went the donkey’s feet,
(stomp feet like donkey walking)
Clop, clop, clop down the stony street.
(stomp feet like donkey walking)
Nod, nod, nod went Mary’s head.
(nod head up and down)
She was tired, and she needed a bed.
(stretch arms out and yawn)
Knock, knock, knock went Joseph at the door.
(act like knocking on door)
“Do you have room for anyone more?”
(hold hands up in a questioning motion)
“No, No, No!” the innkeeper said,
(shake index finger)
“I don’t even have one more bed.”
(hold up one index finger)
“Wait, wait, wait,” the innkeeper said,
(hold hand up, palm out, like police officer stopping traffic)
“You can use my stable for a bed.”
(put hands together under head, like sleeping)
“Shh, shh, shh…What is that I hear?
(hold index finger up to lips, then hold hand to ear)
The cry of Baby Jesus, oh so dear!”
(hold arms like rocking a baby)
– Original Author Unknown

Baby Jesus

Baby Jesus snuggles in deep,
(put hands together under head, like sleeping)
In warm but scratchy straw.
(scratch all over)
On a nearby hillside, shepherds hear,
(put hand to ear)
The angel’s song of awe.
(flap arms like angel wings)
They race to Bethlehem to see,
(run in place)
The king born in a stable.
(make animal sounds)
Then kneel before the Son of God,
(fold hands like in prayer)
A manger for his cradle.
(hold arms like rocking a baby)
– Original Author Unknown

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Songs

Away in a Manger

Away in a manger,
No crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head

The stars in the sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay

The cattle are lowing
The Baby awakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes

I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle,
‘Til morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray

Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there

Silent Night

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

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Story Time

Away in a Manger illustrated by Mike Jaroszko
Reading Level: Ages 4 and up
This is a beautiful picture book. Illustrations are put to the familiar Christmas carol. They bring the book to life and visual meaning to the beautiful words.

The Christmas Baby by Marion Dane Bauer
Reading Level: Ages 2 to 7 years old
I love this version of the Christmas story. It goes through the familiar pieces of the story; Mary and Joseph trying to find a place to stay, the animals rejoicing, the angels rejoicing, the shepherd rejoicing and the wisemen coming from afar. But there was a sweet addition to this story that I wasn’t expecting. At the end of the Christmas part of the story it says that the Baby smiled with God’s own smile but the book doesn’t end there. It goes on to tell a short story about what happens every time a baby is born; angels rejoice, moms, dads, grandparents rejoice and the baby smiles with God’s own smile. I definitely want to get this book for my grandchildren’s first Christmas!

The Christmas Story: From the Gospel According to St. Luke from the King James Bible
Reading Level: Ages 3 and up
I love the fact that this is the Christmas story taken straight from the Bible. The story starts with the decree from Caesar Augustus and goes through to the shepherds returning to their fields praising God. I love the illustrations by James Bernardin. They are sweet and tender. I definitely want to add this book to my collection and include it in our holiday traditions.

The Christmas Story adapted and illustrated by Kay Chorao
Reading Level: Ages 3 and up
This story is adapted from the Book of Luke 2:1-21 and the Book of Matthew 2:1-12, King James version. The story starts where Mary is visited by an angel and goes through them fleeing to Egypt then finally returning to Nazareth. This is a wonderful way to share the Biblical account of Christ’s birth to young children.

Listen to the Silent Night by Dandi Daley Mackall
Reading Level: Ages 3 and up
This is a beautifully illustrated and book written in rhyme. The theme running through the book is that on this Silent Night things are not so silent. There is the flip, flap flap of sandals, the swish, swish, swish of the desert sand and the baa, baa, baa of the sheep; to name just a few of the sounds that people encountered this special night.

The Nativity illustrated by Julie Vivas
Reading Level: Ages 4 and up
I found the illustrations to this story a little odd, but for the most part, they are cute and whimsical. They have been created in a muted water-color style. The thing that bothered me a little was the wings on the angels. They looked tattered and torn. This is a personal preference and not a statement on the illustrations as a whole.  There are no complaints on the story, as it comes straight from the Bible. If you are looking for a way to interest your younger children in the Biblical account of Jesus’ birth, I would check this book out.

Tiny Baby Jesus by Dandi Daley Mackall
Reading Level: Ages 4 and up
The thing I love most about this book is the way it compares the baby Jesus with the adult Jesus. It first talks of the Baby’s tiny tiny fingers and then goes on to explain how He used those fingers as a carpenter. It talks of His tiny feet and then of how His adult feet walked on the sea. This book is a great reminder to children of all ages that Jesus was not just a baby in a manger but grew up into a loving man and our Savior.

I pray that you have a wonderful Christmas with your families. Give hugs and kisses to everyone around you.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace.
based on Numbers 6:24-26

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Related Posts:

The Santa Claus Debate
The True Meaning of Christmas
The Christmas Star
Christmas Angels to Laugh and Learn With
Love to Learn the Meaning of Candy Canes for Christmas
Review – Christmas on Monument Circle, Indianapolis

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The Lame Valentine Sensory Bin

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The Lame Valentine Sensory Bin





I wanted to share with you, what I thought, was a lame Valentine sensory bin. Once again, I am reminded that I really shouldn’t prejudge an activity.

The Lame Valentine Bin
The Lame Valentine Bin

In case you haven’t heard, sensory bins are all the rage, right now. They offer a lot of benefits. Depending on what you put into your bin, your child could be using all four senses.

I was quite happy with my first sensory bin. It was a musical bin. You can read more about it in my post, “Generally Having Fun with Music”. But this bin, this lame Valentine bin….I was not at all happy with.

The Problem

One of the main reasons I was unhappy with the bin was because it really didn’t have many items in it. You can see through the bottom of the bin in several places because there really wasn’t much in there.

The Lame Valentine Sensory Bin
The Lame Valentine Sensory Bin

Many people add colored rice or beans to their sensory bins and I considered it but I was using this in my preschool class during our Valentine’s celebration. I had a lot of activities planned and I knew the kids would be a little wild, so I didn’t want to add sweeping up rice that would get scattered around the room.

Most of the items were purchased at our local Dollar Tree. There were small, smooth, hard, plastic hearts.

The Lame Valentine Bin: Plastic Hearts
The Lame Valentine Bin: Plastic Hearts

A few rubber erasers and some heart-shaped bracelets.

The Lame Valentine Bin: Erasers and Bracelets
The Lame Valentine Bin: Erasers and Bracelets

I added some foam hearts. A few had sparkly glitter on them and some were plain. There were also some little heart-shaped containers.

The Lame Valentine Bin
The Lame Valentine Bin

Once I realized how few things were in the bin, I almost ditched the idea of using it. But I was afraid that I wouldn’t have enough activities to keep the kids occupied for the day so I took it along.

One essential item I suggest you use with any sensory bin is a vinyl tablecloth to place under it. If you are using the bin at home, for just a few children, a 60” by 84” cloth will be enough. I have found that, for my class of thirteen preschoolers, a 60” by 120” works better. The tablecloth helps with any “spillage” that might happen. It makes cleanup easier.

The Realization

I decided to use the bin as a backup/last resort activity, since I was afraid it wasn’t good enough to keep the children interested. The class had been sitting at tables playing with the playdough I had made for them. One of the children got tired of the playdough so I decided to get the bin out since the rest of the class was still enjoying the activity at the tables. As soon as the bin came out, several more children decided they were done with their playdough and before I knew it, the whole class was at the bin. I was mentally preparing myself for the squabbling and fighting that was about to take place, over the few items in the bin. But much to my surprise and relief, the children really enjoyed the bin. They sat for a good 15 minutes playing contently with the items and with each other.

The Lame Valentine Bin: A Success
The Lame Valentine Bin: A Success

My Conclusion

So what did I learn from my lame Valentine’s bin? I learned that the bin doesn’t have to be over-stuffed with items for the children to enjoy it. It didn’t have to have the small pieces of rice or beans. The children still had fun with the bin and they were able to experience many different textures. So if you don’t have a bunch of items for your bin or you don’t want to have the mess of rice and small beans, your child can still enjoy a simple sensory bin.

What type of successes or failures have you had with sensory bins?

The Santa Claus Debate

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The Santa Claus Debate




Santa Claus or Not

Whether to let your child believe in Santa Claus or not has been a big discussion among the Christian community for quite a while and thus started the Santa Debate.

I grew up in a Christian home, went to a Bible teaching church and a Christian high school. I ran into a lot of people that didn’t want their children believing in Santa Claus. The household I grew up in, and the household I raised my children in, were not among the Santa unbelievers.

Center of Christmas Celebration

As a Christian, I believe that the main emphasis of the Christmas season should be honoring and celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. I believe that the important lesson from the season is the lesson of giving. During this time of the year, we should be finding ways to give of ourselves, expecting nothing in return. Much like God did when He gave us His precious Son, Jesus.

Jesus was the center of our Christmas season but we also believed in Santa Claus. Children believe in a lot of things when they are young that they will eventually out grow. They believe in monsters under their beds, that they will never ever want to leave home, and little girls believe they will grow up and marry their daddies. I do not believe it is harmful to let children believe in these things when they are young, but how you handle it when they start asking questions can be the tricky part.

When the Questions Come

I appreciate the way my mother handled the questions. She wouldn’t lie to us, but rather ask us questions to find out what we believed (and probably more importantly, what we wanted to believe).

When we would go to her and ask, “Is Santa real?” She would ask us, “What do you think?” Then we would have a discussion about it. Once your child gets old enough to look you in the face and ask if you are Santa, then its time to tell the truth. Of course, if you think they are still too young to tell them the truth about Santa you can try a few questions first like, “What do you think?” If they say they don’t believe you could be Santa, they will probably give you reasons like, “You couldn’t be Santa because you don’t have a sleigh.” If they give you an answer like that, then they probably aren’t ready to give up the idea of Santa but if they say something more like, “I think you are Santa because I saw some of the same toys that Santa brought in the back of your closet.” Then the jig is up and you should tell them the truth.

When I Found Out

I was somewhere around seven or eight years old when I had to face the realization that my parents were Santa Claus. My mom thinks that I had all ready figured it out but I was enjoying the fantasy. It was my younger sister that brought the fantasy to an end. She was between three and four years old. She went to our mom, looked her in the eyes and said, “Tell me the truth! Are you and daddy Santa Claus?” Well, with a straightforward question like that mom had no choice but to tell her. Mom says that based on the reaction I had towards my little sister, I must have all ready suspected that they were acting as Santa Claus. I took my sister back to our bedroom and with tears running down my face I said, “Now you ruined it!”

My Reaction to the Truth

I may have been upset at my sister for blowing Christmas and Santa for me, but I was quite impressed and thankful for all that my parents had done for us and given us, without any recognition. For all those years, the love and gratitude for most of the presents had gone to Santa Claus. Now I was realizing that it was mom and dad that had spent all that money and had stayed up most of the night putting together toys and setting them around the Christmas tree.

Our Updated Santa Claus Visits

My parents were wonderful in the fact that even though we now knew the truth as to who Santa really was, he still came to visit as long as we wanted to “believe”. We did the same thing for our children. “Santa” wasn’t quite as extravagant in the years after the truth was revealed, but he still brought a few things and filled stockings.

Right now “Santa” only brings a few things for my husband and my stocking since the children are now grown and gone. Yes, I still believe in Santa Claus and I still enjoy being Santa Claus. I’m sure that I always will.

Related Posts:

The True Meaning of Christmas
Christmas Angels to Laugh and Learn With
The Christmas Star
Love to Learn About the Nativity

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The True Meaning of Christmas

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The True Meaning of Christmas





As I stated in my post, The Santa Claus Debate, although we included Santa in our Christmas celebrations, he was not the center of our Christmas holiday. Teaching our children the spiritual meaning behind the season was what we focused on. My posts for December are going to include different symbols of Christmas and their spiritual meanings. I will include crafts and books that you can use to make the learning fun.

As I was doing research for my different lessons, I found this story and thought it summed everything up very well. If you are not including Santa in your Christmas celebrations you could easily tell this story without putting Santa in it. If you need help with that, just let me know and I could edit it for you.

This story would make a great object lesson too. Find a very small table-top tree and purchase the different items that are talked about. We have stores here in Indiana where you can buy things for just $1. You could find most of the items for this story at one of those stores. The children could then help out in the telling of the story by pulling the different items out of a bag and adding them to the tree.

Have fun celebrating this very special time of year with your children as you teach them the true meaning of Christmas.

Teach the Children the True Meaning of Christmas

One December night, many years ago, I had just finished decorating for Christmas when I heard a noise at the front of the house. I turned on the porch light and opened the door. To my surprise just as I stepped outside, I saw Santa Claus climbing out of his sleigh. He placed his fingers over his lips, silencing me before I cried out.

“What are you doing…” I started to ask…but the words choked up in my throat as I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner, the eager, boisterous soul we all know, was gone. He composed himself by clearing his throat, then answered me in a whisper. “Help teach the children.”

I was puzzled. What did he mean? He anticipated my question, and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the sleigh. As I stood there bewildered, Santa stated again but more firmly, “Teach the children. Teach them the true meaning of Christmas. The meaning that has long been forgotten.”

I invited him in to warm by the fire as I tried to tell him that I wasn’t sure if I knew what he meant… when Santa reached into the toy bag and pulled out a brilliant shiny star.

“Teach the children that the star is the heavenly sign of promise,” he said. “God sent a Savior to the world and the star was the sign of that promise being fulfilled. The countless shining stars in the heavens, one star for each person on earth, represents the hope of all mankind.”

Santa gently laid the star on the fireplace mantle and brought from the bag a bright red Christmas tree ornament.

“Teach the children that red is the first color of Christmas. It was first used by the faithful people to remind them of the blood that was shed for all the people by the Savior. Christ gave His life and shed His blood that every man might have God’s gift of Eternal Life. Red is deep, intense, and vivid — the richest color of all, and it is a symbol of the greatest gift from God.”

“Teach the children,” he said as he pulled a small Christmas tree from the bottom of the toy bag. He placed it near the fireplace and gently hung the red decoration on it.

“The deep green branches of this tree is a perfect background for this ornament. This is the second color of Christmas,” he continued. “The pure green color of this evergreen tree remains this color all year round. This represents the everlasting plan for mankind. Green is youthful, hopeful, and the abundant color of nature. The needles on the tree point heavenward — symbols of man’s prayers as they go toward heaven. Trees have been man’s best friends. They have sheltered him, warmed him, and made beauty for him.”

Again, he pulled something from his bag; I heard a soft tinkling sound of a bell.

“Teach the children,” he said, “that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring for every person too, that they might find their way back — it means guidance and return. It further signifies that all are precious in the eyes of the Lord.”

As the soft sound of the bell faded, Santa lit a candle and placed it on the mantel. The soft glow from its tiny flame cast a glow about the darkened room. Odd shadowy shapes slowly danced and wove pictures upon the walls.

“Teach the children,” whispered Santa, “that at one time candles were placed on Christmas trees. They glowed brightly against the dark green branches showing man’s appreciation for the star of Bethlehem of long ago. Now, strings of colored lights have taken their place in remembrance of Christ’s birth.”

Santa turned the small Christmas tree lights on and placed a gift under the tree.

He pointed to the bow and said, “A bow is placed on a present to remind us of the spirit of brotherhood of man. We should remember that the bow is tied as all of us should be tied together, with the bonds of good will toward each other. Good will forever is the message of the bow and the gift, a gift of love.”

Santa reached for a candy cane, and held it out towards me.

“Teach the children that the cane represents The Shepherd’s staff. The crook on the staff helps bring back sheep that have strayed away from the fold. The candy cane represents the sweetness of giving not only at Christmas time, but also throughout the entire year. The spiral design is a symbol that we are, our brother’s keepers.”

Santa looked about the room, then again at the tree. His love and great feeling of satisfaction shone from his eyes. He could not help but sense the wonderment and admiration that I felt for him in my heart.

One last time, he reached into his bag and brought forth a large beautiful wreath. As he placed it on the door he spoke gently with love, “Please teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the eternal nature of love: it never ceases, stops, or ends. It is one continuous circle that only grows greater and greater when expressed. The wreath, the circle of love, plays a double role. It is made of many things and has many colors. It reminds us of God’s unconditional love and the true reason for Christmas. Please teach the children.” (Author Unknown)

Related Posts:

The Santa Claus Debate
Christmas Angels to Laugh and Learn With
The Christmas Star
Love to Learn About the Nativity
Love to Learn the Meaning of Candy Canes for Christmas
Review – Christmas on Monument Circle, Indianapolis

Thanksgiving Fun with Turkeys

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Thanksgiving Fun with Turkeys

Let’s have some fun with turkeys. Why is it that the turkey has become a symbol of Thanksgiving? The turkey probably was part of the first Thanksgiving meal along with deer, several types of seafood and many fruits and vegetables. Wild turkeys are found in 49 of the 50 United States. Alaska is the only state where they are not found. The fact that they are so wide spread across our nation is probably why they are a common symbol to our Thanksgiving.

Below are some fun activities to do with turkeys during this Thanksgiving holiday.

Fun Time
Fun with Food
Craft
Story Time
Related Posts

Fun Time

Since it’s almost Thanksgiving, I thought it would be fun to have a turkey themed day with my 2 year old great-nephew. We started out with a movie. The movie was Free Birds. It’s a story of turkeys that travel back in time, to the first Thanksgiving, to try to get turkeys off the menu. Although it is currently in movie theaters (November 2013), it might be on DVD by the time you are reading this. I would recommend watching it. It was a fun addition to our turkey themed day.

Right before naptime we read Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano. I love including books in our fun time. This turkey was also trying to find ways to not be included in the Thanksgiving festivities. I loved some of his disguises. I have more suggestions of fun turkey books below in my Story Time section.

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Fun with Food

You can find all kinds of fun turkey themed bento meals on Pinterest. If you aren’t familiar with Bento meals, they are artistically crafted foods that are popular in Japan. If you are on Pinterest, you can find several fun ideas by clicking here. I was especially inspired by the one I found on Creative Food. I adapted their idea to get this:

Fun with Turkeys: Bento style Turkey Sandwich with colored pepper tail and ranch dip

1. For the body, I made a turkey sandwich and cut it out with a circle cookie cutter.

2. I had purchased a package of 2 oz. portion cups (like the ones you might get butter or single servings of dressing in with your take-out food) at Costco. I used one of those for the head. I put some ranch dip in it.

3. We then cut eyes from a piece of American cheese with a straw. I used edible food markers to make the pupils in the eyes.

4. I cut the beak and feet out of carrot pieces.

5. I used a small piece of red pepper for the snood. (The snood is the fleshy piece that grows from a turkey’s forehead and hangs over it’s beak)

6. For the turkey’s tail feathers I cut thin slices of red, orange and yellow peppers.

The meal was a hit! Everyone gobbled it down (pun intended).

Fun with Turkeys: Turkey Bento Meals

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Craft

When I taught preschool, I would do this craft with my classes. I originally found it on Enchanted Learning. You use the child’s hands and feet to make the turkey. The original instructions say to use colored construction paper for the parts but my daughter inspired me to do something different. Read the instructions below to find out how to make this special Thanksgiving turkey and a fun memory of little hands and feet.

Hands & Feet Turkey

Fun with Turkeys: Materials Needed for Hands and Feet Turkey

Materials Needed:

Markers, crayons or paint
White cardstock
Brown construction paper
Wiggly eyes
Pencil
Glue
Scissors


Instructions:

1. Trace the child’s feet on the brown construction paper. Yes, both feet.

2. Cut out the feet. (I got my great-nephew started on the next part before I cut out the feet so he had something to do.)

3. Trace the child’s hands on the white cardstock. You will need 3 sets of hands (Since my great-nephew’s hands are small I was able to get a set of hands on a half piece of paper.)

4. I chose fall colors for the feathers (the fingers become the feathers). We used orange, red and brown. At first I gave Jeremiah the half sheet of paper, without cutting out his hands, for him to color. Since he is only 2 yrs old, I figured he would scribble more than actually color.

Fun with Turkeys: Hands and Feet Turkey Craft

Then he started coloring real intently on one corner.

Fun with Turkeys: Coloring

I decided to cut the hands out so he didn’t waste time working so hard on a piece that would get cut off and thrown away. Here he is working on one of the fingers.

Fun with Turkeys: Hands and Feet Turkeys

I would give him one color for each set of hands.

Fun with Turkeys: Hands and Feet Turkey Craft

5. Jeremiah helped me glue the feet together to make the body and then we arranged the hands to make the tail feathers.

6. Finally, we glued on the eyes.

7. I would recommend putting the child’s name and date on the back of the turkey. We took ours and had it laminated. I had to take the eyes off so we could laminate it but then we glued them right back on.

Here is Jeremiah and his prize turkey. I would recommend doing this activity every Thanksgiving, while they are little, just to see how much they grow from year to year.

Fun with Turkeys: Hands and Feet Turkey Craft

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Story Time

10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston
Reading Level: 3 to 5 yrs old
This book doesn’t have anything to do with Thanksgiving but since turkeys are closely associated with Thanksgiving I thought this would be a fun book to include. The story starts out with 10 fat turkeys “fooling” on a fence. There are lots of funny words such as, “Gobble, Gobble, Wibble, Wobble” and lot of silly antics out of the turkeys. This will be smiles and giggles to your little one..and a few from you too.

Gus, the Pilgrim Turkey by Teresa Bateman
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
Gus loved being a turkey and loved living on the farm until one day his friends told him some sad news. Gus was looking forward to playing in the snow and celebrating the New Year until his friends told him that turkeys usually don’t make it to the New Year. When his friends shared with him that turkey is one of the main items to eat for Thanksgiving he decided it was time to leave the farm. He travels far and wide to find a safe place to live. As he finds a new safe place to live he comes to the realization that he is now a Pilgrim. Pick up this fun little book for a light spirited look at Thanksgiving and the deeper definition of a pilgrim.

A Plump And Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman
Reading Level: Ages 4 to 8 yrs old
The people of Squawk Valley really wanted turkey for their Thanksgiving dinner but they couldn’t find one anywhere. The turkeys around Squawk Valley had become quite smart and learned to hide when Thanksgiving was near. The townspeople decided to trick the turkeys by having a special art event that featured turkeys. They posted signs all over the forest saying they were looking for a plump and perky turkey to be their model for the different art projects. Pete the turkey saw the poster and believed he could help out so he went to model for the special event. So Pete posed while the townsfolk created their turkey art. Everyone was excited because now they were going to be able to catch Pete and have him for their Thanksgiving dinner. Pick up this fun little book to see if the townspeople get to eat turkey for dinner or if Pete gets away.

Run, Turkey, Run! by Diane Mayr
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 7 yrs old
If you aren’t ready for your child to understand that the turkey we eat at Thanksgiving is a live animal, before we get it, then avoid this story. It is not a morbid, overly detailed, story but the fact that the other farm animals keep telling the turkey to run and the farmer is chasing him through the whole story means you will probably have to have the discussion. It’s actually a cute little story. The turkey tries to roll in the mud with the pigs and swim in the lake with the ducks in order to hide from the farmer. In the end, the farmer and his family eat grilled cheese sandwiches with peas and mashed potatoes. Have fun with the story of the turkey who got away.

Too Many Turkeys by Linda White
Reading Level: Ages 5 yrs old and up
This is not a Thanksgiving story but it is a cute turkey story. Fred and Belle have a tiny farm that they take very good care of. One day a baby turkey, which is called a poult, wanders onto their farm. Belle is not very excited about the idea but Fred says he will take care of the little turkey. The turkey ends up being a great benefit to the little farm until too many of his friends show up. Pick up this book and find out how having a turkey on the farm was helpful although a little stressful at times.

A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 8 yrs old
Mr. & Mrs. Moose are getting the table set for Thanksgiving. They are very excited to have all of their friends over but there is one thing that is making Mrs. Moose sad; there is no turkey for Thanksgiving. Mr. Moose wants to do what he can to make this a special Thanksgiving so he heads out to find a turkey. Pick this book up to find out what happens when Mr. Moose finally finds a turkey, it might surprise you.

Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 7 yrs old
If you aren’t ready for your child to learn that the meat on the table comes from live animals, it would probably be best to skip this book. Other than possibly needing to have that conversation, this book is adorable. Turkey is in trouble because Thanksgiving is almost here and he is the main course. He tries several disguises to hide from the farmer. In the end, he comes up with a fantastic substitution for turkey. Pick up this book and share it with your child to find out what the farmer’s family has to eat this Thanksgiving.

  Turkeys on the Family Farm (Animals on the Family Farm) by Chana Stiefel
Reading Level: Ages 5 to 8 yrs old
This is a wonderfully informative book about turkeys. Your child will get to see actual pictures of turkeys. They will learn how turkeys are raised and cared for, on an organic farm. They will learn the different terms used when referring to turkeys such as tom, hen, jake or poult. This is a great book to get some basic information about turkeys.

Turkeys That Fly and Turkeys That Don’t (Rookie Read-About Science) by Allan Fowler
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 7 yrs old
Your child will learn a lot of fun facts about turkeys. Even I found it interesting as to why some turkeys fly and some don’t. There are lots of pictures of wild turkeys and domestic turkeys so your child can see the difference. I enjoyed learning about the similarities and differences between wild and domestic birds, I’m sure your child will too.

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