Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. I love getting together with family and having wonderful food. Every couple years or so my birthday is Thanksgiving day too! So much to be thankful for. I want to be sure to continue our bible lessons through the holidays and want to share with you a Montessori preschool Thanksgiving bible lesson that I know your preschooler will love.
Why We Give Thanks
The idea of thanksgiving is throughout the entire bible. I love having the idea of thanksgiving be founded in the bible when we talk about the Thanksgiving holiday with our children. Here are a couple examples to share with your children, even if you read it to them in their own children’s bibles:
“Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.” ~Psalm 95: 2-4
“You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” ~2 Corinthians 9:11-12
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” ~1 Chronicles 16:34
Thanksgiving was started because of the thanks the pilgrims gave God for His gracious and sufficient provisions after a difficult start in America. President Abraham Lincoln officially set the last Thursday of November, in 1863, “as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father.” I love reminding our children how God was the start of Thanksgiving, just like He is the reason for Christmas and Easter too!
Thanksgiving Books
There are many wonderful way to help teach preschoolers about Thanksgiving. My children love books so that is usually my first choice to introduce a topic. Here are a few Montessori approved books to use in your Montessori preschool Thanksgiving bible lesson:
The Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Story Bracelets
I found the idea of a Thanksgiving Story Bracelet from My Montessori Journey blog. Samuel (4) really enjoyed this project. He listened to all the instructions and the review of what the colored beads represented. As his first introduction to Thanksgiving as a preschooler this was perfect! Easy and informative with a hands on activity.
Avalyn (2) used this project mostly as a fine motor skill and color recognition project. I wouldn’t hesitate to do this project again with both children. The kids really enjoyed it and the material were already in our craft boxes!
We Are Thankful
I taught my children an easy Thanksgiving prayer for us to use during meal prayer time. The prayer is sung to the tune of Where is Thumbkin
We Are Thankful
We are thankful, we are thankful
For our food, for our food.
And our many blessings,
And our many blessings
Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord.
Thanksgiving Resources and Crafts
The Natural Homeschool has a super cute upcycled turkey craft.
Living Montessori Now always has a ton of wonderful links and inspiration.
Natural Beach Living shares a wonderful No-Cook Cinnamon Play Dough that will make you feel like your eating apple pie on Thanksgiving day!
Simply Montessori has Free Printables for Thanksgiving.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving this year with your preschooler!
Beautiful post Marie! I adore the Thanksgiving holiday as well for all that it represents. The bracelet idea looks like a wonderful hands on learning activity! Thanks for sharing.
Great! I want to a better job with thanksgiving in our house. I LOVE the thankful prayer/song! I have been wanting a different song that what is usually used in the classroom, singing thanks to the earth. I will be using this one with my preschoolers! 🙂
Love the song! Thanks for posting in time for Canadian Thanksgiving too! I have “Thanks for Thanksgiving” by Heather Patterson in my Montessori Preschool class.
Thanks for visiting Carrie! 🙂