All About Thanksgiving

Yesterday we read a great book about where food comes from, so today we were able to follow up on that while continuing the Thanksgiving theme by sorting play food into piles according to whether or not it was something the pilgrims could have had, or whether it was a processed food that we only have today.

Sorting play foods

Once we had our food sorted out, Peyton wanted to play grocery store. Instead of setting up a modern grocery store, we talked about how Native Americans used wampum and used our own collection of seashells as play money. We practiced counting out enough wampum to buy different food items and got to work in addition and subtraction as well.

Counting out wampum.

Next we discussed Native American sand paintings. We pretended we didn't feel very well after we ate all the food we traded for, so we needed a healer. Since we don't have sand, we made out version of sand paintings with glitter. 

Glitter paintings

In preparation for our own Thanksgiving feast, our next activity was to practice setting the table. I drew a sample place mat that we could line up his play food pieces with.

Practicing place settings

Then he set up place settings without the mat for himself and Jack. Jack was thrilled.

His outfit changed, but this is just later in the day (we found clearance clothes at Target, and he liked them so much he wanted to wear them the rest of the day). We brushed up on our numbers a bit and did worksheets for 2, 3, and 4.

Number worksheets

Meanwhile Jack had a blast coloring.

Keeping with our Thanksgiving theme, we did Thanksgiving addition sheets.

Then we practiced reading comprehension with this great little story. He had to listen to the short story and answer the questions about it. He also got to practice reading. I read the questions for him, but he read the answer choices.

Reading comprehension

Then we went out and burned off some energy with a bubble walk. Who doesn't love a bubble walk?

Bubble walk!