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Thanksgiving Feast


Thanksgiving is just around the corner! What are some traditions you do with your students to celebrate?

Every year, it has been a tradition in our Kindergarten class to hold a Thanksgiving Feast. This was done for many years even before I joined the Kindergarten team. I have come to love having a feast. 

Here's a look at what this tradition entails in my classroom:

1. We bring the tables together to form one long table and cover them with orange or brown butcher paper. We all sit around the table together. The day before we make name tags and then I put the students next to kids they don't normally sit by. It is a great way to build class community and celebrate this holiday. 


2. The kids love bringing something to share with the class. It's usually finger foods like cheese sticks, pretzels, apple slices, etc. However, at one school I taught at, they did actual Thanksgiving food which was a lot more preparation for teachers and parents. So, I like to stick with finger foods and the kids seem to love it.

3.We talk about what we are thankful for. We go around the table and pass the handheld microphone around. Each person states something they are thankful for. I usually write the sentence stem on the board - "I am thankful for..." and do an example to help out my ELL students. It's always so sweet to hear what they are thankful for.


4. we make placemats to use at our feast. Some years we also make turkey hats to wear at the feast. This is usually done on a day or two before the feast so it's ready for the big day.

5. To get ready, I also send home a parent letter explaining the feast and parents are always invited to come on feast day as well. Included in the parent letter is a sign up sheet to bring something to share with the class. Then the day before, I send home a reminder note with the item they signed up to bring so they don't forget!



I created this sign up sheet to make it easier year after year to get ready for the feast. I also find it helpful to send a reminder page home the day before so parents don’t forget to send their items. If you would like to use this, feel free click here to head over to my TpT store at Candace Teaching Things or click the images above. It's a freebie!

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!







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