Hands-On Thanksgiving Lesson Plan for 3-Year-Olds: Gratitude & Family Crafts

Discover a complete 2-day Thanksgiving lesson plan designed for 3-year-olds. Perfect for homeschool or preschool classrooms, this guide uses play-based learning to teach gratitude and the importance of family. Includes step-by-step instructions for fun, hands-on activities like a 'Thankful Turkey' craft, a family handprint tree, and a fall sensory bin to develop fine motor skills. Foster social-emotional growth with clear learning objectives and differentiation tips for all toddlers and preschoolers.

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Lesson Plan: My Thankful Family

Topic: Thanksgiving, Family, and Gratitude

Age Group: 3-Year-Olds

Total Time: 3 hours (split over two 1.5-hour sessions)

Contexts: Homeschool (primary), Classroom, Early Childhood Centers

Learning Objectives

By the end of this two-day lesson, the learner will be able to:

  • Identify at least two family members.
  • State one thing they are thankful for, with prompting.
  • Participate in a simple craft related to Thanksgiving.
  • Follow 1-2 step instructions during an activity.

Success Criteria

"I know I'm successful when I can..."

  • Point to my handprint and my family's handprints on our tree.
  • Help glue a feather on my turkey.
  • Tell my grown-up one happy thing, like "my teddy bear" or "Mommy."
  • Help put away my toys when we sing the clean-up song.

Materials Needed

  • Day 1:
    • Large piece of paper or poster board
    • Brown, green, red, and yellow non-toxic, washable paint
    • Paper plates for paint
    • Wipes or a basin of water for cleanup
    • A simple picture book about families or Thanksgiving (e.g., "I Am Thankful" by Sheri Wall)
    • A sensory bin or large container
    • Bin fillers: Dried corn kernels, small play food (fruits/vegetables), scoops, and small cups
    • Speaker or phone for music
  • Day 2:
    • Paper plate (1 per child)
    • Construction paper in fall colors (red, orange, yellow, brown)
    • Child-safe scissors (for adult use)
    • Googly eyes
    • Glue stick
    • Brown crayon or marker
    • A simple puppet (a sock puppet works well!)
    • Child-sized play dishes and utensils (or real ones with supervision)

Day 1: What is Family and Thanksgiving? (90 Minutes)

Part 1: Introduction - Welcome to Our Family Story (15 minutes)

  • Hook (I Do): Start by sitting together in a cozy spot. Say with excitement, "I have a special story today! It’s about a happy time called Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a day to say 'thank you' for all the wonderful people and things we have, especially our family!"
  • Objectives (I Do): "Today, we are going to learn about our amazing family and make a beautiful family tree to show how special everyone is. We will also play with some yummy Thanksgiving foods!"
  • Interactive Reading (We Do): Read a simple picture book about families or Thanksgiving. As you read, point to the pictures and ask simple questions.
    • Talking Points: "Look, here is a mommy. Who is our mommy?" "They are eating yummy food. Do you like to eat yummy food?" "Everyone is happy together. Our family makes us happy!"

Part 2: Body - Hands-On Activities (60 minutes, including breaks)

(Activity 1: Our Family Tree - 25 minutes)

  • I Do (Model): On the large paper, draw a big tree trunk and branches with brown paint or a marker. Say, "This is our family tree! Now it needs leaves. Our hands will be the leaves!" Dip your own hand in green paint and make a print on a branch. "Look! My hand is a leaf on our family tree."
  • We Do (Guided Practice): Help the child dip their hand in a color of their choice. Guide their hand to press onto the paper. "Great job! Let's press down... one, two, three... lift up! Wow! This is YOUR leaf." Repeat with other available family members, using different colors.
  • You Do (Independent Practice): Let the child point to the handprints.
    • Talking Points: "Whose hand is this? Yes, that's Daddy's!" "And whose tiny hand is this one? It's yours!" "Look at our whole family together on the tree. Our family is special."
  • Formative Assessment: Observe if the child can point to their own handprint when asked. Note their engagement and ability to follow simple directions.

(Movement Break: Turkey Trot! - 10 minutes)

  • Put on a fun, simple song like "Turkey Trot" or any energetic kids' music.
  • Instructions: "Time to be turkeys! Let's flap our wings (arms) and gobble! Can you trot around the room like a turkey? Gobble, gobble, gobble!"

(Activity 2: Thankful Foods Sensory Bin - 25 minutes)

  • I Do (Model): Show the child the sensory bin. "Look at all this Thanksgiving food! This is corn." Pick up a scoop, scoop some corn, and pour it into a cup. "I am scooping the corn. It makes a cool sound!"
  • You Do (Explore): Let the child freely explore the bin. Encourage them to scoop, pour, and handle the play food.
    • Talking Points: "What did you find? An apple! Apples are yummy." "Can you pour the corn into the big cup?" "Thanksgiving is a time for yummy food with our family."
  • Formative Assessment: Watch how the child interacts with the materials. Are they using the tools (scoops)? Are they exploring different textures?

Part 3: Conclusion - Our Amazing Tree (15 minutes)

  • Recap (We Do): Gather back at the family tree painting (even if it's still wet, you can look from a distance). "Wow, look what we made today! We made our family tree."
  • Reflection (You Do): Point to the handprints again. "We learned that our family is important. And we learned that Thanksgiving is a happy day for our family." Ask, "Can you show me your special handprint one more time?"
  • Clean-up: Sing a clean-up song while putting away the sensory bin materials. This reinforces following routines.

Day 2: Showing We Are Thankful (90 Minutes)

Part 1: Introduction - The Thankful Puppet (15 minutes)

  • Hook (I Do): Use a puppet to greet the child. In a funny voice, say, "Hello! I'm Timmy the Turkey! Yesterday you learned about families. Today, we're going to learn how to say 'thank you' for all the happy things!"
  • Review & Objectives (We Do): "Timmy the Turkey wants to know, do you remember our family tree? Who was on it?" After they respond, say, "Great job! Today, we are going to make our very own Thankful Turkey and practice helping our family!"

Part 2: Body - Hands-On Activities (60 minutes, including breaks)

(Activity 1: Thankful Turkey Craft - 25 minutes)

  • I Do (Model): Show the child the materials. "We are going to make a turkey like my friend Timmy!" Glue googly eyes on the paper plate. Draw a little beak and feet. "My turkey needs feathers! These colorful papers will be the feathers."
  • We Do (Guided Practice): Ask the child, "What is something that makes you happy?" If they need help, suggest things like "Mommy," "your dog," "your blue truck." On a paper feather, write their answer and say the word out loud. "Great! Let's write 'Mommy'." Then, help them put glue on the feather and stick it to the back of the plate.
  • You Do (Independent Practice): Repeat for 3-4 feathers. Let the child choose the feather color and try to apply the glue stick themselves.
    • Talking Points: "You are thankful for your teddy bear! Let's put the red feather on for your teddy bear." "Your turkey has so many beautiful, thankful feathers!"
  • Formative Assessment: Can the child name something they are thankful for with prompting? Can they participate in gluing?

(Movement Break: Feather Hunt! - 10 minutes)

  • Hide a few of the leftover paper feathers around the room.
  • Instructions: "Oh no! The turkey lost his feathers! Can you help me find them? Let's go on a feather hunt!"

(Activity 2: Helping Hands Practice - 25 minutes)

  • I Do (Model): Set up a small play table. "On Thanksgiving, we can help our family get ready for the special meal. I will show you how to set the table. First, we put down a plate." Place a play plate on the table. "Then, we put a cup next to it."
  • We Do / You Do (Practice): Give the child a plate, cup, and fork. "Now it's your turn! Can you set a spot for your teddy bear? First, put down the plate." Guide them as needed. Let them practice putting the items on the table.
    • Talking Points: "Great job! You are being such a good helper." "Helping our family is a way to show we are thankful for them."
  • Formative Assessment: Observe if the child can follow the two-step direction ("put down the plate, then the cup").

Part 3: Conclusion & Summative Assessment (15 minutes)

  • Recap (We Do): Bring out the Thankful Turkey craft. "Look at the wonderful turkey you made today! It shows all the things you are thankful for."
  • Summative Assessment (You Do): Point to one of the feathers on their turkey. "Can you tell me what this feather is for?" The child can point, say the word, or make a sound associated with it. This demonstrates their connection of the object to the concept of thankfulness.
  • Share and Celebrate: "You did an amazing job learning about being thankful! Let's go show our turkey to the family. We can say, 'I am thankful for you!'"

Differentiation

  • For Learners Needing More Support (Scaffolding):
    • Use hand-over-hand guidance for all painting, gluing, and sensory bin scooping.
    • Offer only two choices at a time (e.g., "Do you want the red feather or the yellow feather?").
    • For the "thankful" concept, focus only on one concrete thing, like "I am thankful for Mommy." Repeat it often.
  • For Learners Ready for a Challenge (Extension):
    • Encourage the child to count the feathers on their turkey or the handprints on the tree.
    • Let them try to draw a picture on the feather of what they are thankful for.
    • In the "Helping Hands" activity, use real (non-breakable) dishes and have them help set their actual spot for a snack.
    • Ask more open-ended questions: "Why does your family make you happy?"

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