Art: Indian Headbands

We are busy preparing for our Thanksgiving Feast this Friday. Today we made Indian headbands which will serve as our party hats.

Step 1: Have the kids decorate their headband strip with makers/paint.

Step 2: Have the children pick out the colors of feathers that they would like to include on their headbands. This is a good way to help them make requests, as well as identify/learn about different colors. (I had the feathers precut, you could have your students cut the feathers out themselves depending on ability or the goals you're working on. You could also use actual feathers)

Step 3: Measure the headband to the correct length and staple. We will be taking a picture of each child in their Indian headband for their portfolio.



Art: Gobble, Gobble!

Turkey Hands are one of my favorite activities. The child has to sit with a teacher, or another student (if another student is helping you make sure they are more advanced in fine motor skills). Paint the child's palm + thumb brown, and then paint each of the fingers a different color. Have the child press their hand down on the paper. Once it has dried you can have the students add eyes, a beak and feet. I like to hang my finished products on a giant butcher paper turkey.

How is this helpful to SpEd?: This activity helps students to interact with one another and adults. Everyone is working towards a common goal, so communication and relationships naturally are formed. The students have the opportunity to discover and talk about the different colors involved. This is a sensory experiment and words such as "cold, tickles, sticky, messy, etc." can be introduced.

Some students might have issues with getting their hands messy. I usually do this activity close to a sink so that they know that AS SOON as they are finished they can wash their hands. If you don't have a sink in your classroom try using a bowl with soapy water.

Free Download: Music: Ted the Turkey

Here's another Thanksgiving song about turkeys. Each child holds a TURKEY PUPPET and points to the different body parts (head and feathers) on their puppet as they sing along. Not all of my studnts are able to sing along, so the puppets provide a fun way for them to still interact and participate. The "gobble gobble" sounds are also really enjoyable for students who are still learning to communicate.

Ted the Turkey

(Sung To: I'm A Little Teapot)

I'm a little turkey, my name is Ted.
Here are my feathers, here is my head.
Gobble, gobble, gobble, is what I say
Gobble, gobble, gobble, It's thanksgiving Day!

The turkey puppets are available here. Simply print out as many as you need, cut them out, lamenate them, and tape them to a popsicle stick. You make wish to write the word TURKEY or TED on the puppet to further increase exposure to litearcy.

I make one per student, and one per adult. Usually a total of 12). Its important for the adults to sing along and participate, as they serve as great models to the students.

Free Download: Music: Did You Ever See a Turkey?

Our main song for our Thanksgiving theme is titled, "Did You Ever See a Turkey" and is sung to the tune of "Did You Ever See a Lassie".

Did You Ever See a Turkey

Did you ever see a turkey, a turkey, a turkey
Did you ever see a turkey with feathers so bright?

With red ones and brown ones and yellow ones and orange ones,
Did you ever see a turkey with feathers so bright?

I make a poster for each of the main theme songs we learn. The posters help to serve as a visual or focal point for students who may otherwise be uninterested. Posting the words also promotes early literacy. This poster has a picture of a cartoon turkey that can be downloaded here. I cut out 2 sets of feathers in each of the colors mentioned in the song ( red orange brown yellow). As we sing the song a child can match the loose feathers to the feathers on the turkey.