November is the start of more family gatherings and activities! Here we have compiled a list of our favorite family activities for the month of November. Try a few or all of these activities to keep the kiddos engaged and entertained!
Fine Motor
Set the table! Food is fun! Gather pretend foods and tableware and set the table for Thanksgiving! Target quantity and spatial concepts while asking your child to follow directions (e.g., Put the cup above the spoon, Put the smallest plate on the left side of the bowl, Fold the napkin in half and place the fork on top, Place two spoons in the soup pan, Give each person the same amount of bread). To target fine motor skills, cut out pictures from the ad section of the newspaper, use a piece of paper as your place mat, and follow directions while gluing.
Arts & Crafts
Fall Leaves Artwork – Tape together five q-tips to make a bundle of leaves. Dip the q-tip into fall colored paints to create fall leaves on a tree or an entire fall scene.
Handprint and Footprint Turkey! Who doesn’t love making handprint and footprint crafts with their kids? They are instant heart melters. This craft is adorable to hang up or for the kids to give to people in their life that they are thankful for (like grandma and grandpa).
Motor Activities
Turkey Feather Hunt! Kids love searching for things! Games like this not only work on concentration; it also naturally leads to counting, color recognition and sorting.
Turkey Tag – Glue some large feathers to clothespins. The kids get one or two clothespins pinned on to the back of their shirt or coat. Then the person in charge yells “Run, Turkey, Run!” The kids run and try to get clothespins off of the others’ shirts. After a minute or so, the person in charge yells “Stop, Turkey, Stop!” Everyone has to freeze where they are. Then continue on like that. The first to get all of the clothespins wins!
Sensory Activities
Jump in the pile. Nature has provided you with your very own “ball pit” so take advantage of it. Jump into the pile of leaves. Throw them up in the air. Let the sensation of the leaves envelope you.
Go on a nature scavenger hunt. Get some kitchen tongs or tweezers out and let your little one explore the world outside. They’ll have fun searching for small items to pick up while working on their grip strength.
Reading Together
I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson. This silly Thanksgiving themed book provides lots of opportunities to work on vocabulary, sequencing, predicting, expanding sentences, and answering questions. The website http://www.
Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper. This is a fantastic book for elementary age children. It targets all of the crucial language skills (sequencing, predicting, answering questions, etc.) but also targets social skills including friendship, emotions, and teamwork. One of my favorites!
Music
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel, shake your bushy tail!
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel, shake your bushy tail!
Wrinkle up your little nose.
Hold a nut between your toes.
Gray squirrel, gray squirrel, shake your bushy tail!
The turkey is a silly bird. His head goes wobble wobble.
The only thing the turkey says is “Gobble, gobble, gobble”.
If You’re Thankful and You Know It
If you’re thankful and you know it
clap your hands (stomp your feet, shout I am, do all three)
If you’re thankful and you know it
clap your hands (stomp your feet, shout I am, do all three)
If you’re thankful and you know it
Then your face will surely show it
