Thanksgiving Learning at Home

The holidays bring so many things into our lives which we hold special. They also bring extra time to spend with our families. Whether you are looking for things to fill the time, new traditions to start, or activities to enrich learning while your children are on break from school, we've put together 6 ways to learn at home during the Thanksgiving holiday. 

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Learning in the Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most learning-rich rooms in any household. With opportunities for reading recipes, practicing procedural (recipe) writing, measuring, mixing, using basic math skills, etc., you can easily sneak in authentic and fun learning opportunities while you prepare meals for the holidays.

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Sharing Traditions

While you're working together to create that special recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation, take time to discuss the special traditions that your family holds near and dear. Oral storytelling of traditions is a fantastic way for your child to practice and improve their listening comprehension skills. Additionally, sharing family traditions helps your child develop an understanding of their individual, family and larger culture.

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Historical Significance

We've come a long way in understanding the historical truths of what Thanksgiving was and wasn't. Taking some time to share the historical context of this holiday can provide some important history lessons. If your children are older, you can deepen those conversations to discuss historical truths versus misrepresentations. 

ParentsTogether.org offers some great tips and resources for having these conversations. 

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Spreading Gratitude

Significant to the Thanksgiving holiday, is the expression of gratitude towards others and even ourselves. Setting some time aside to write down or express those things in our life we are most thankful for can help your family build empathy and offer practice in reflection. Take the gratitudes to the next level by sharing them outloud or incorporating them into a visual craft. Having these moments to share can help strengthen speaking and active listening skills. 

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Thanksgiving Creativity

Have family members who love to get crafty? Spending time together while making thank-you cards, paper turkeys, decorated leaves and scarecrows, etc. can be a great way to bond. Additionally, crafting helps with fine motor skills, pattern recognition, problem solving, creative and critical thinking, etc. Following directions and building patience are also benefits of family craft times. 

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Playing Games

Any time there is uninterrupted time at home, bringing out the games can be a great way to keep busy, have some fun, and practice many important skills. Game play offers a variety of ways of learning including: reading, math, logic, prediction, social skills, and more. 

In addition to the classic board games, there are many family fun game ideas you can find across the internet and social media.

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