Thanksgiving Storytime Plan
posted in programming, picture books, children's literature, storytelling |
Storytime Plan: Thanksgiving
Created by: Laura Baas
Age Group: Preschool
Time: 30 minutes (additional materials included as time fillers if needed)
Introduction and Song (5 minutes)
Introduction:
I’m thankful that you’re all here today. We all have many things to be thankful for, although some days we may need to think harder about what those things might be than on other days. Today we’ll be having some fun thinking about being thankful and about the day that we’ve set aside specifically for thankfulness—Thanksgiving. Since it’s the day that many people consume some turkey, let’s begin with a turkey fingerplay. Follow along with me…
Song:
The Turkey
The turkey is a funny bird.
[Action: Hook thumbs together and spread fingers out like a turkey’s tail.]
Its head goes wobble, wobble.
[Action: Wobble head back and forth.]
And all it knows is just one word:
[Action: Hold one finger in the air.]
“Gobble, gobble, gobble.”
[Action: Use hand to mimic a mouth that’s gobbling, by opening and closing your hand while making gobbling sounds.]
Books (20 minutes):
Note: If children seem restless, insert an active song into the middle; otherwise, plenty of these tales include rhyming books which can be made participatory to keep the audience involved (*denotes book in rhyme).
1. Thanksgiving at the Tappletons by Eileen Spinelli
The Tappleton’s always make Thanksgiving special; each Tappleton has a job to do. Unfortunately, this year everything goes haywire, beginning with the turkey’s slide down the icy hill into the pond. In the end, it’s a good thing that Grandmother is there to save the day. Truly funny tale about being thankful for family and for what you have and not what you don’t have. It does have quite a few words, so would be best used as the main lengthy tale or not at all (or with an older audience).
*2. I know an Old Lady who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson
Who among us has not overeaten at Thanksgiving? Jackson tells this tale in cumulative tale fashion by depicting a guest growing bigger and bigger as she consumes more and more of the Thanksgiving feast (children who have read the I know an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly will find this tale particularly delightful). Again, the story has quite a few words, so gauge your audiences attention capacity.
*3. Thanksgiving in the Barn by Nadine Westcott
In this rollicking, rhyming pop-up book, one-of-a kind barnyard characters pop-up to toast Thanksgiving and thankfulness. With a tin-eating goat, a filthy pig, and a thankful turkey, Thanksgiving in the Barn tells us that anyone can be thankful anywhere at any time.
*4.Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dave Pilkey
In this poem storybook told in a rhythm analogous to “The Night Before Christmas”, school children at Mack Nugget’s farm save the lives of eight turkeys.
*5. Albuquerque Turkey by BP Ford
Albuquerque is a turkey, And he’s feathered and he’s fine, And he wobbles and he gobbles, And he’s absolutely mine. This silly, catchy rhyme continues until the end where a surprise awaits for Albuquerque and all.
*6. Off to Plymouth Rock by Dandi Daley MacKall
The Pilgrims’ voyage to the New World and the Native Americans’ guidance that culminated in the first Thanksgiving told in verse.
*7. Over the River: A Turkey’s Tale by Derek Anderson
The age-old holiday song is retold from a different perspective with this time it being the turkey family on the way to Grandma’s house.
8. Sometimes It’s Turkey, Sometimes It’s Feathers by Lorna Balian
This one’s great, but it’s too long for most storytimes. Nevertheless, it’s a must for display. In the story, an old woman and her cat find a turkey egg, bring it home, watch it hatch, and raise the turkey—all with the intention of getting a scrumptious Thanksgiving dinner as the end product of the efforts. However, by the time Thanksgiving rolls around she finds herself sharing the day with her turkey friend instead of eating it; the final illustration is priceless. Sometimes… is a sweet tale of friendship and thankfulness for friends.
Recommended Poetry: It’s Thanksgiving by Jack Prelutsky and Marilyn Hafner
These poems can be substituted in place of or in addition to some of the above stories. Perhaps even request audience participation in selecting which poems to read.
Song and Conclusion (5 minutes):
Song:
If You’re Thankful and You Know It
(Tune: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re thankful and you know it,
Clap your hands.
If you’re thankful and you know it,
Clap your hands.
If you’re thankful and you know it,
Then your face will surely show it.
If you’re thankful and you know it,
Clap your hands.
If you’re thankful and you know it,
Stomp your feet, Shout “I am!”, Do all three (Clap your hands, Stomp your feet, Shout “I am!”), or add other verses as desired
Conclusion: Thanks for coming in today. I hope you are thankful and you know it. I know that I am thankful that you were all here, and I’m thankful for all of these books to read and enjoy. Don’t forget to stop by the children’s section and pick up a few to read over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Possible Time Fillers (in-between books or at end):
SONG OPTIONS
I Eat Turkey…
(To the tune of: Frere Jacques)
I eat turkey,
[Action: Point to self]
I eat turkey.
[Action: Point to self again]
Yes, I do,
[Action: Nod head]
Yes, I do.
Turkey in my tummy,
[Action: Rub tummy]
Yummy, yummy, yummy.
Good for me,
[Action: Point to self]
Good for you.
[Action: Point to others]
Turkey Trot…
(To the tune of: The Hokey Pokey)
You put your right wing in.
You put your right wing out.
You put your right wing in,
And you shake it all about.
You do the turkey trot
And you turn your self around.
That’s what it’s all about.
Additional verses: Left wing, Drumsticks, Stuffing, Wattle(Head), Tail Feathers(Bottom), Turkey Body, etc…
OR
I’m a Turkey
(To the Tune of: “Yankee Doodle”)
I’m a turkey, big and fat.
[Action: Spread arms wide]
I spread my tail. I walk like that.
[Action: Spread fingers like a turkey’s tail and waddle]
Each day’s corn I will not miss,
[Action: Pat and rub stomach]
And when I talk, I sound like this:
[Action: Point to mouth; Cup hand behind ear]
GOBBLE! GOBBLE! GOBBLE!
[Action: Shout]
CRAFT OPTIONS: Search the web for a simple Thanksgiving Day craft such as the ones found at Activity Idea Place. Sample crafts from the site include making Turkey Headbands or Hand Turkeys.
Additional Books for Display (Code: PB—picture book, BB—board book, ER—easy reader, CB—chapter book):
1. If You Were at the 1st Thanksgiving by Ann McGovern (CB)
2. 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving (I Am American) by Catherine O’Neille Grace (Wampanoag side of the Thanksgiving story) (CB)
3. Alligator Arrived with Apples by Crescent Dragonwagon (PB)
4. Clifford’s Thanksgiving Visit by Norman Bridwell (PB)
5. Dora’s Thanksgiving by Sarah Wilson and Robert Roper (PB)
6. Fat Chance Thanksgiving by Patricia Lakin and Stacey Schuett (PB)
7. Firefighters’ Thanksgiving by Maribeth Boelts (PB)
8. Garcias, the Thanksgiving Turkey by Joy Cowley (PB)
9. I Am the Turkey (I can Read Book) by Michelle Spirn (ER)
10. Merry Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing and Isidre Mones (PB)
11. Milly And The Macy’s Parade by Shana Corey (PB)
12. Molly’s Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen (PB)
13. P is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet by Carol Crane (PB)
14. Perfect Thanksgiving by Eileen Spinelli and JoAnn Adinolfi (PB)
15. Secret of Saying Thanks by Douglas Wood and Greg Shed (PB)
16. Snappy Little Thanksgiving by Derek Matthews (PB—pop-up)
17. Thank You, Sarah!!!: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson (PB)
18. Thank You, Thanksgiving by David Milgram (PB)
19. Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes (PB)
20. Thanksgiving Day at Our House: Thanksgiving Poems for the Very Young by Nancy Carlstrom (PB)
21. Thanksgiving in the White House by Gary Hines and Alexandra Wallner (PB)
22. Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland and Sonja Lamut (PB)
23. Thanksgiving Mystery (Scooby Doo Reader) by Gail Herman (ER)
24. Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation (Time-Traveling Twins) by Diane Stanley and Holly Berry (PB, 48 pages)
25. Thelonius Turkey Lives! by Lynn Rowe Reed (PB)
26. This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story by Laura Krauss Melmed and Mark Buehner (PB)
27. This Is the Turkey by Abby Levine and Paige Billin-Frye (PB)
28. Turk and Runt: A Thanksgiving Comedy by Lisa Wheeler (PB)
29. Ugly Pumpkin: A Thanksgiving Story by Dave Horowitz (PB)
30. A Plump and Perky Turkey by Theresa Bateman (PB)
31. How Spider Saved Thanksgiving by Robert Kraus (PB)
32. Story of Thanksgiving by Nancy J. Skarmeas and Stacy Venturi-Pickett (PB)
33. We Gather Together…Now Please Get Lost! By Diane de Groate (PB)
34. One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims by B. G. Hennessy (PB)
35. Thanksgiving Mice! by Bethany Roberts (PB)
Note: For more Thanksgiving books to display see Laura Baas’ WorldCat.org list for Thanksgiving–Juvenile Audience (largely includes K-8 recently published literature).
Note 2: Another resource for finding books about Thanksgiving is the Oyate website where they have listed recommended books about Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving books to avoid, and primary sources from a colonialist perspective.
