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For many families, a traditional Thanksgiving dinner often involves roast turkey and cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and fruit pies. But this beloved holiday celebration finds its roots in a very different meal. Explore the story of the first Thanksgiving celebration with your preschooler by learning together not only about this historic meal but also about the people who shared it!
The Story of Thanksgiving
In North America in the early 1600s, after a challenging first year, settlers around the Cape Cod area gathered food for a harvest celebration. Members of the Wampanoag tribe helped them. Then English and Wampanoag men, women, and children shared a three-day feast of roasted venison, shellfish, corn mush, and other foods.
Sharing the Thanksgiving Story with Preschoolers
You and your preschooler can enjoy exploring the story of the first Thanksgiving through fun crafts, tasty treats, and good books!
Craft a Ship
Using construction paper or a sturdy piece of cardboard, craft and decorate a ship similar to the one used by the Pilgrims to travel across the Atlantic Ocean. Talk with your child about what it must have been like to travel on that ship, and have fun comparing your finished ones to the original!
Bake Cornbread
Bake some cornbread with your preschooler, top with a little honey, and discuss how the first meal shared by the Native Americans and the Pilgrims was similar to and different from the Thanksgiving meal that many American families enjoy today.
Share the Story
Check out picture books about the Thanksgiving story from your local library, such as “Giving Thanks: The 1621 Harvest Feast” (2001), by Kate Waters and Russ Kendall. This book shares the story of the first Thanksgiving celebration from the perspective of both a Wampanoag boy and an English boy. Talk with your child about questions and observations that come up while you read!
If you enjoyed this blog and want to read more, click below for our blog from last month!
Healthy Halloween Treats for Preschoolers
Want to learn more about Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy of Tomball located in Tomball, Texas? Our mission is to provide secure, nurturing, and educational environments for children ages 6 weeks – 12 years. We help children to bloom into responsible, considerate, and contributing members of society. For more information, give us a call or stop by for a tour! We’d love to get to know you and your family.