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Tag Archive: Thanksgiving

How to Prepare a Special Kids’ Table for Holiday Gatherings

Written on December 22, 2011 by Deb Chitwood in Holidays and Celebrations

Many families have kids’ tables for their holiday gatherings. Making extra effort when you prepare the kids’ table can help create fun times and happy memories for everyone.

Here are some wonderful ideas from around the blogosphere that can you help you with your preparations:

Articles about Preparing Holiday Kids’ Tables

Decorating the Kids Table and More with Your Kids by Andrea Coventry has lots of great ideas for a kids’ table.

Thanksgiving Fun for Kids: Kids Table and Beyond by Andrea Coventry has ideas that work best for Thanksgiving but can be adapted for other holidays as well.

Make the kids’ table welcoming and fun by Becky Sher has lots of ideas for Thanksgiving that can be adapted for other holidays.

4 Fun Ideas for the Kids’ Table from the Inspired Room again focuses on Thanksgiving but has ideas that can be adapted.

Thanksgiving Kids’ Table: Make it Perfect from Holidash has ideas that are perfect for any holiday.

Creative a Festive Holiday Kids’ Table from HGTV has fun but elegant-looking ideas for a Christmas kids’ table.

Christmas Table Decoration from Kaboose has lots of great ideas for decorating a kids’ table.

How to Decorate the Children’s Table at Christmas from eHow.com has many festive ideas your kids can help with.

Ideas from Pinterest for a Kids’ Christmas Table

My Kids’ Christmas Activities Pinterest board has Christmas activities of all types. Many printables and crafts can also be made available as activities for the kids’ table.

Wishing you truly joyful holiday celebrations!

Linked to AfterSchool Linky Party, Living Life Intentionally Linky Party, Pinterest Tuesday, The Mommy Club Resources and Solutions at Milk and Cuddles and Crystal & Co. , Thrifty Thursday, Preschool Corner, Show-and-Share Saturday, Link & Learn, and The Sunday Showcase at Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas and Classified: Mom.

Tags: Christmas, holiday gatherings, how to prepare a kids' table, kids' Christmas table, kids' table, Thanksgiving

Thankful Today and Every Day

Written on November 24, 2011 by Deb Chitwood in Holidays and Celebrations, Montessori Inspiration, Thank You's

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Even though it isn’t Thanksgiving everywhere in the world today, I want to use this day to express special gratitude for my family and friends (in-real-life and online) and for Maria Montessori, who so profoundly influenced my teaching and the way I raised my own children (“Why I Used Montessori Principles in My Parenting Philosophy”).

Here are two beautiful Montessori videos I’d like to share with you on this day of Thanksgiving:

“A Peek inside a Montessori Classroom”

“Why Montessori”

While I say happy Thanksgiving today, I’ve been truly blessed and hope I can remember to be grateful each day. To you, my WONDERFUL readers, thank you so much for being an important part of my life and blog!

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy ThanksLiving!

DChitwood_ThanksLivingIsBetter

“ThanksLiving is Better” Word-Art Freebie

Tags: Montessori, Thanksgiving, ThanksLiving

Kids in the Kitchen on Thanksgiving

Written on November 22, 2011 by Deb Chitwood in Activities - Practical Life, Activities - Practical Life - Grace and Courtesy, Holidays and Celebrations

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Thanksgiving … love it! What a perfect time for family, gratitude, memory-making, and kids in the kitchen!

At our house, Will and Christina helped prepare part of the meal and set the table when they were little. As they grew older, they took responsibility for a lot of the grocery shopping, preparing our cranberry salad (post with printable vegetarian recipes), helping with every dish, setting the table, and getting the food on the table. If you’d like to know more about how my family traditionally spent Thanksgiving when Will and Christina were growing up, here’s my post: Homeschool Thanksgiving.

The more you can help your children prepare for Thanksgiving ahead of time and let them be part of the planning and preparations, the less stressful and more fun Thanksgiving Day will be for all of you. And your children will feel a special sense of pride and happiness in having an important role in the Thanksgiving preparations.

Here are links to some posts I’ve published with lots of resources to help your children truly be a part of preparing and enjoying the Thanksgiving meal:

I have a post on Montessori-Inspired Gratitude Activities, which can be used to help plan a gratitude activity for the Thanksgiving meal.

My Kids’ Thanksgiving Activities Pinterest board contains gratitude activities, kids’ crafts and other Thanksgiving activities, Thanksgiving placemats and other place setting ideas, and fun Thanksgiving foods for kids. My Pinterest board contains an overwhelming number of activities, but the beauty of Pinterest is that you can choose what your eye is drawn to. And you can have your child help you choose an activity as well!

Cutting Vegetables (from How We Montessori)

Give your child practice in food preparation: Montessori-Inspired Food Preparation for Preschoolers (photo from Kids Cutting post at How We Montessori).

Everyone will feel more comfortable if your child is prepared to meet relatives: How to Help Your Child Feel Comfortable Greeting Relatives.

Pinterest - Table Setting

Your child can learn to set the table beforehand. Just use one of the simplest ideas if you have little time to prepare: Table Setting.

Give your child some basic introductions to table manners before the Thanksgiving meal: How to Teach Your Child Table Manners for Holiday Gatherings.

Most children are excited about the upcoming holiday and will be happy with extra Thanksgiving-related activities. Montessori philosophy encourages you to prepare your child with lessons and activities reinforcing important skills. It’s fine to take time from your regular curriculum to truly prepare your child for an extra special Thanksgiving dinner.

Have fun – and Happy Thanksgiving!

Linked to Living Life Intentionally Linky Party and The Mommy Club Resources and Solutions at Milk and Cuddles and Crystal & Co..

Tags: food preparation, kids in the kitchen, Montessori, Montessori-inspired Thanksgiving, table setting, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving preparations

Montessori-Inspired Corn Unit

Written on November 17, 2011 by Deb Chitwood in Homeschooling, Unit Studies

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Tweezing Indian Corn (Photo from Barefoot in Suburbia)

A corn unit study is great anytime in the autumn, although I especially like it during November. It works very well with a focus on the harvest, First Thanksgiving, and gratitude.

Here are some helpful Montessori-inspired resources from around the blogosphere.

Montessori Printables

I have a post with Free Montessori Botany Materials for a Gardening Unit, many of which work for a corn unit.

Montessori Print Shop has inexpensive Autumn Season Cards and Vegetable Cards.

Montessori for Everyone has inexpensive Plant Stories and Types of Grains Nomenclature Cards.

Montessori-Inspired Corn Activities

Barefoot in Suburbia has tweezing Indian corn (photo at the top of this post).

Scrubbing Indian Corn (Photo by Andrea Coventry)

I have an Activity of the Week – Scrubbing and Tweezing Indian Corn, featuring two articles by Andrea Coventry.

Andrea Coventry has published another Indian corn post since then: The Top Five Uses For Indian Corn In Montessori Practical Life.

Transferring Corn with Tweezers (Photo from Leptir)

Leptir has posts on Maize/Corn (photo) and Corn, Chestnuts.

Stringing Indian Corn Colored Beads (Photo from Little Wonders' Days)

Little Wonders’ Days has a corn theme with many Montessori-inspired activities, including stringing Indian-corn-colored beads.

My Montessori Journey has Spooning Corn, Tweezing Corn, Indian Corn Art Project, Fall Bingo Game using field corn, Turkey Math Game using corn kernels, and Thanksgiving Story Bracelets (with a bead for corn).

Spooning Corn Kernels (Photo from Our Montessori Home)

Our Montessori Home has spooning and tweezing corn kernels.

Jocelyn Scotty has activities using corn in her Montessori Thanksgiving Activities for Young Children.

Pouring corn kernels (Photo from The Work Plan)

The Work Plan has a growing corn art project, pouring and tweezing corn kernels (photo), candy corn clothespins, and writing with cornmeal.

Montessori Buddy has corn transfer.

Carrots Are Orange has a corn kernel treasure bottle and an activity filling in letters with candy corn.

Seed Graphing (Photo from Counting Coconuts)

Counting Coconuts has pouring corn kernels, a November sensory tub with popcorn kernels, and seed graphing.

In his book Basic Montessori: Learning Activities for Under-Fives, David Gettman has sorting grains.

Grain Matching (Photo from United Montessori Association)

United Montessori Association has grain matching.

Just Montessori has types of grains and grain foods matching and a corn art activity.

North American Montessori Center has a sample elementary botany lesson on Humans and Plants.

Montessori Muddle has Corn, Chemistry and the Food You Eat for middle and high school.

Corn Unit Study Pinterest Board

I’ve also started a Corn Unit Study board on Pinterest. I’ll be adding activities of all types and for many levels throughout November.

Have you been using any corn activities at home or school?
Linked to AfterSchool Linky Party, Living Life Intentionally Linky Party, The Mommy Club Resources and Solutions at Milk and Cuddles and Crystal & Co. , Pinterest Tuesday, Show-and-Share Saturday, Link & Learn, and The Sunday Showcase at Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas and Classified: Mom.

Tags: corn unit, corn unit study, homeschool, Montessori, Montessori-inspired corn unit, Montessori-inspired Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, unit study

Montessori Monday – Montessori-Inspired Thanksgiving Activities

Written on November 14, 2011 by Deb Chitwood in Activity of the Week, Holidays and Celebrations, Montessori Monday

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Thanksgiving Story Bracelet (Photo from Little Wonders' Days)

I LOVE Thanksgiving! My kids used to say that they didn’t know which was their favorite holiday – Thanksgiving or Christmas. Thanksgiving’s emphasis on gratitude, family, and special meal memories is priceless.

There are lots of amazing activities online that can make the holiday even more fun in the days leading up to it. Here are some Montessori-inspired Thanksgiving activities that can work well at home or school:

Montessori Printables

Thanksgiving Cards and Booklet (Image from Montessori Print Shop)

Montessori Print Shop has free Fall Cutting Strips and inexpensive Thanksgiving printables.

Montessori for Everyone has free Thanksgiving Matching Cards.

Motherwell Montessori has free Montessori Thanksgiving Noun Sorting Work.

Montessori Workjobs has Turkey Nomenclature Free 3-Part Cards and Book and Montessori Turkey Activities.

Montessori-Inspired Activities

Montessori Thanksgiving Noun Sorting Work using Printable from Motherwell Montessori

I’ve published Montessori-Inspired Gratitude Activities, How to Help Your Child Feel Comfortable Greeting Relatives, Table Setting, How to Teach Your Child Table Manners for Holiday Gatherings, Homeschool Thanksgiving, and Activity of the Week – Montessori Thanksgiving Noun Sorting Work. UPDATE: My Montessori-Inspired Corn Unit also has lots of activities that work well before Thanksgiving. I also have a new post called Kids in the Kitchen on Thanksgiving.

Little Wonders’ Days has lots of Thanksgiving posts, including Thanksgiving Story Bracelets (photo at top of this post).

Simply Montessori has Free Downloads and Activities for Thanksgiving.

Button Turkey (Photo from Counting coconuts)

Counting Coconuts has a Button Turkey (photo), On Our Shelves – November and Pumpkin Pie Counting.

H is for Homeschooling has a Thanksgiving sensory bin.

We Can Do All Things has a Thanksgiving sensory box with tong and ladle activities added.

Clothespin Turkey Feathers Activity (Photo from To the Lesson!)

To the Lesson! has November activities including clothespin turkey feathers and table setting.

Montessori Mom has Thanksgiving Activities for Kids.

Writing with a Quill Like the Pilgrims Might Have Written Letters (Photo by Julie at The Adventures of Bear)

The Adventures of Bear has a number of Thanksgiving posts and activities, including writing with a quill like the Pilgrims might have written letters.

North American Montessori Center has Celebrating Thanksgiving in the Montessori Classroom, Montessori Practical Life Activity: Napkin Folding, Thanksgiving in Canada Touches Many Areas of the Montessori Classroom, Montessori Musings: Lasting Impressions on the Meaning of Thanksgiving, and Exploring the U.S. History of Thanksgiving in the Montessori Classroom.

Jocelyn Scotty at Examiner.com has Montessori Thanksgiving Activities for Young Children.

Spooning Cranberries (Photo from The Work Plan)

The Work Plan has Some Seasonal Language Works, Pumpkin Bread, and Practical Life (spooning cranberries photo).

Pirate Ships and Sealing Wax has Children and Holiday Meal Preparation.

My Montessori Journey has Thanksgiving Story Bracelets, Thanksgiving Festivities at School, Thanksgiving Songs, Our November Song List, Thanksgiving Lapbooks–Part 1, Thanksgiving Lapbooks–Part 2, Our November Poetry Basket, and November Poem.

Kids’ Thanksgiving Activities Pinterest Board

I have a Kids’ Thanksgiving Activities Pinterest board that I’m filling with Thanksgiving activities of all types and for many levels. I’ll be adding to it throughout November.

Does your child have a favorite Thanksgiving activity?

Montessori Monday Link-Up

If you have some Montessori activity trays/lessons to share, please link up below. Please also place the Montessori Monday button (using the code from the right sidebar) in your post or put a link back to this post.

And don’t forget to visit my co-host, Nicole, at One Hook Wonder! Nicole is the one who started Montessori Monday!

Thanks for participating! (Note: If you have a giveaway on your blog, please add it to my Family-Friendly Giveaway Linky Page – and check out all the great Christmas gift giveaways!)