This week’s Passport Pals was two days before Thanksgiving in the United States, so we had a special Thanksgiving focus.  These are the plans I used:

Passport Pals: England – Thanksgiving

Welcome Song: Come on everybody and clap your hands, stomp your feet, jump up high, swing your arms, spin around, sit right down, watch me spin the globe . . . on the way to Passport Pals.

We are learning all about ENGLAND this month! What continent is England on? EUROPE! Let’s sing our Continent Song!

Continent Cheer (GGM #3)

A long time ago, there were people who lived in England who came on a boat to America. They started a new life here in America! Their first year here was very, very difficult . . . but they survived. They decided to set apart a day to give thanks and we still celebrate that day! Does anyone know what day that is? THANKSGIVING!

Read “Thanksgiving Day” by Gail Gibbons

Magnet Story: I found a template for a pilgrim boy and girl from a google search. Then I copied the pictures on cardstock so that I had ten girls and ten boys. One of my sons helped me color all the pilgrims, and then I put a magnet on the back of each one. I brought in a pizza pan to be used as my “story board” and then placed the pilgrim children on the story board one at a time as I said the following poem.  The kids really seemed to enjoy this, so the work was well worth it!

Pilgrim Children

Pilgrim children did not play
on that first Thanksgiving Day

The first chopped wood which he could take
to help his sister cook and bake.

The second took a great big sack,
and brought some nuts, all they could crack.

The third one got a turkey and
she helped to roast it in a pan.

The fourth ground corn to make the bread

The fifth made covers for the bed.

The sixth one brought a pumpkin by
she cut it up to make it pie.

The seventh came and popped some corn.

The eighth fed horses in the barn

the ninth watched food or it might burn,

the tenth churned butter in a churn.

Pilgrim children did not play
On that first Thanksgiving Day.

Read “William’s House” by Ginger Howard

Use Lincoln Logs to make houses. (I brought in Lincoln Logs for and let the kids use them to make houses. I was surprised that none of the kids in my group had played with Lincoln Logs before. As a result, I had to show them how to use them. They had a good time making houses, though, and we were able to talk about what it would have been like to have to make houses back when the Pilgrims first came to America.

Is your family getting ready for Thanksgiving Day? What do you do to celebrate Thanksgiving? Let’s read another book about Thanksgiving!

Read “Thanksgiving is Here” by Diane Goode

Song: Going to Gramma & Grandpa’s House by Dave Kinnon #4 (found on Daring Dewey cd)

Stamp Passports