Thanksgiving Lessons and Activities for Older Children

Deciding on Thanksgiving lessons and activities for older children can be tough, but these activities and lessons are a lot of fun. Older children are more interested in the details of this holiday, and they can learn a lot more information about Thanksgiving than younger children. This article will provide you with detailed instructions on several Thanksgiving lessons and activities for older children.

Mayflower Compact

The Mayflower Compact is an important part of history that relates to Thanksgiving. This activity will help older children develop teamwork skills along with language arts and writing skills, and it will teach older children valuable lessons about history.

For this activity you will need a large piece of paper, tea bags, loose leaf paper, hot water, newspaper paintbrushes, pencils, a ruler, and a calligraphy marker. Break students into groups and provide them with a copy of the Mayflower Compact. Instruct children to read through the compact and create their own. Help students develop a rough draft on the loose leaf paper as a group.

Then help older children rip the sides of the paper off to give it in old feeling. Cover a table with newspaper and steep several tea bags. Let students use the tea to paint the paper and give it the appearance of being very old. Finally help older children to use the ruler, pencil, and marker to write their document on the paper.

Journal Entry

Another Thanksgiving lesson that makes a unique activity for older children is a journal entry from the point of view of a Native American or a pilgrim. This lesson will help older children learn about history, language arts, and independent work. For this lesson you will need paper, pen, and historical information related to the lives of pilgrims and Native Americans.

Start this lesson by assigning each child the role of either a pilgrim or a Native American. Then provide them with information on their assigned persona. Instruct them to write a journal entry as if they were the person they are assigned during the first Thanksgiving. Help students research and understand what life was like during this time. When assignments are complete you can have students read them aloud and hang them on the bulletin board.

These Thanksgiving activities and lessons are a great way to get older children involved in understanding the history and meaning of this holiday. These lessons are fun and creative, and they will inspire as well as educate older children.