Teaching Thankfulness in a Family-Oriented Daycare
As a family-oriented daycare, we want to observe the season of Thanksgiving by thanking all our daycare families. Thank you for trusting us with your children.
Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to teach toddlers about gratitude and the joy of giving thanks. One way we do this is in our daycare is with Thanksgiving-related crafts. Engaging children in Thanksgiving crafts is not only enjoyable but also helps them understand the importance of gratitude and community. As an added bonus, doing crafts also provides an excellent bonding opportunity.
Three Thanksgiving Craft Projects for Toddlers
In this blog, we want to inspire you to do some Thanksgiving crafts at home this year. Each project allows for creativity and self-expression, making Thanksgiving a heartwarming experience for your children and you. The following craft projects are fun and simple ways to create precious keepsakes.
Thankful Handprint Turkey
Start by helping toddlers trace their hands on a piece of construction paper. Once the handprints are outlined, let them color each finger to represent the turkey’s feathers. Glue the picture to a paper plate. The palm can serve as the turkey’s body, and toddlers can add googly eyes and a beak.
Thankful Tree
A thankful tree is a beautiful way for children to express what they are thankful for. With a large piece of brown paper, cut out a tree trunk and branches for your child. Help your child cut out leaf shapes from different colors of construction paper. Encourage toddlers to color and decorate the leaves and write or dictate what they are thankful for on each leaf.
Gratitude Jars
This project promotes reflection and sharing. Decorate small jars with stickers, paint, or ribbon, turning them into “Thankfulness Jars.” Each day leading up to Thanksgiving, have children help write (or draw) something they are thankful for on small slips of paper. Place these in the jar, and on Thanksgiving Day, read them aloud together.
The Academy Is a Family-Oriented Daycare