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ThanksGiving Lessons for Elementary Students

11/5/2025

Math and Language Arts for Thanksgiving

Making learning fun has always been my mission! These fun learning games are geared for elementary age students of varying grade levels. Whether you are working on reading comprehension or math skills, there is something for every elementary school grade below-- Just download, print and play! Teacher instructions are included with all of the sets below. Follow along for more Thanksgiving themed activities all November long!

Thanksgiving Reading Comprehension Set

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This colorful and engaging 19 piece set includes two games that cover three common core standards. The games can be used in learning centers, small groups or independently as they are self-correcting. The word book is interactive and asks the children to complete the pages by adding cut and paste pictures (included) as well as their own drawings. The word book and pictures can be laminated for use in a learning center with some dry erase crayons or markers. The book is non-fiction and tells a brief story of the pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving.

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This 19 piece set includes a mini-book that guides children through the events of the first Thanksgiving. There are pieces that can be glued to the pages of the book or students can draw their own. Also included are 7 simple sentence with coordinating picture cards that students can use to read and match together. An added challenge is to put them in the correct event order. This set is perfect for large groups, small groups, or individual instruction.

This set includes two games. No need for base ten blocks, but if you want to use them you can.
Game One: Count the turkeys on the ten frame and match it with the correct number in standard form.
Game Two: Count the base ten blocks pictured on the turkey, then find the turkey with the matching number in standard form on it.
These games are perfect for your kindergarten or first grade students.

Thanksgiving Base Ten and Ten Frame Games

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This colorful Thanksgiving themed 46 piece set includes 2 Matching Games (Match the base ten block turkeys to their standard form number turkeys and Ten Frames matching game) and a Math Word Book that asks children to write the tens and ones on each page and then write the number they represent in word form using a word bank. (numbers 10-20)

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Older Students Get to Enjoy the Fun Too!

Thanksgiving Dinner Division

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This set of 3 colorful Thanksgiving themed games contains 88 pieces (14 printable pages) of Thanksgiving division fun. Two levels of play insure that students of varying abilities will be able to play the games. The basic level teaches your students how to use repeated subtraction to divide the Thanksgiving foods evenly among the pilgrims in the game. The advanced level asks students to compare their sets to three division number sentences to determine which food matches the number sentence. These games are created with printable self-correcting labels for easy individual, small group or center based game play. Teacher notes for instruction and assembly are included.

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Teacher instructions included in this 88 piece set with varying ability levels.

Two Ways to PLAY!
Students are presented with food icons like a turkey leg, a bowl of cranberries, and pumpkin pie. They are challenged to split up the foods evenly between the pilgrims for each set- 2 pilgrims, 3 pilgrims, or 4 pilgrims.
Beginners match the food pictures with each pilgrim so that each one gets the same amount of each food within the set.
Advanced players find the matching division sentence for each food within the set.

Are you encouraging your older students to use better words in their writing? This set practices matching synonyms and antonyms of some commonly used words- Examples: Yummy matches with delicious (synonym) and bland (antonym). Excited matches with eager (synonym) and bored (antonym). Each turkey has a set of matching tail feathers with a synonym and antonym printed on it. Students are challenged to find each turkey's match. (6 turkeys in all)

Thanksgiving Synonyms and Antonyms

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This 15 piece, 8 page colorful Thanksgiving themed set is all ready to get your students excited about synonyms and antonyms. Your students will learn synonyms for words commonly used in writing and language around the Thanksgiving holiday by playing this engaging matching game. 1 follow up cut/paste activity and 1 follow-up writing assignment are also included. This learning set is common core compliant.

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This set also includes one re-printable blank turkey for you to write your own set of words and a follow-up challenge for students to re-write a short paragraph with more interesting words!

Thanksgiving Turkey Equivalent Fractions

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This colorful set includes 20 pieces of turkey themed matching game fun! Match the fraction on the turkey to the equivalent fractions on the tail feathers. Both turkeys and tail feathers have fraction models on them to help your students match. Teacher notes, self-correcting answers and answer key included! This is a perfect addition to your math center!

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Match the fraction turkey with it's equivalent fraction tail feathers. The pictures on each turkey and tail feather make it easy to find the matches. Example 1/2 is matched with 2/4, 4/8, and 3/6. Other fractions included in this set are 3/4 , 1 /3 , 1/4 , and 2/3 .
This set is perfect for small group or individual practice or can be used as a fun whole class game in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday. This game is perfect for third through fifth grade students.

Check out my curriculum page for more fun hands-on learning games and activities! Happy Thanksgiving!

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MUST have book for 25 Days of Christmas Books

11/4/2025

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐5/5 Stars for Beautiful World

The early reviews are in and BEAUTIFUL WORLD by Veronica Stanley-Hooper is at ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 stars. This whimsical book about a child's fanciful flight around the world to experience all of Earth's beauty is the perfect way to celebrate the peacefulness and beauty of the holiday season.

A Celebration of our World

Urban Artist Design says this about Beautiful World~
"Beautiful World by Veronica Stanley-Hooper is a stunning and heartfelt children’s book that celebrates the natural beauty and diversity of our planet. Through gentle, poetic language and exquisitely detailed illustrations, Stanley-Hooper invites readers to see the world with fresh eyes—filled with wonder, gratitude, and curiosity."

A Vivid Masterpiece
of Words and Illustrations

Paula D. Golden writes this about Beautiful World~
"A rhythmic dance of vibrant watercolors and thoughtful words that invites readers to experience the world and its natural beauty. Inspires readers to use their keen senses and inherent curiosity. This book, in my opinion, embodies a deep appreciation of nature, its environment, and its living connections between humans in this world."

Read it again and again!

Ker explains this about Beautiful World~
"The illustrations in this book are pure art, with gorgeous textures and colors and lots of things for kids to look at. Throughout, the author uses descriptive language and sound words to keep kids engaged. Even better, there’s a mindfulness quality that subtly models noticing. I’m ready to read it again!"
Urban Artist adds~
"The combination of lyrical storytelling and visually rich artwork makes it a joy to read aloud and a treasure to revisit time and again."

Find Beautiful World by Veronica Stanley-Hooper Here!

I wrote and illustrated this story with three things in mind:
1. I want children to see real artwork and know that every time they pick up a brush to paint they are creating beauty. I am so pleased with the way the pages in this book reveal the actual textures of the paint and paper.

2. I want kids to hear a lyrical story told with imagination. This story is written in the first person perspective, so that every child who reads it feels like they are the main character in the book.

3. I want children to hear literary techniques that build on interesting language and language patterns. This book is filled with alliteration and onomatopoeia. (Kids deserve to hear great words and artfully crafted stories again.)

It makes my heart happy knowing that I can share my vision of gorgeous landscapes, ocean depths, and rhythmic words with children everywhere.
I hope that you take the time to visit AMAZON and check out Beautiful World for the child in your life today~ then step outside and DREAM!

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STEAM for PreSChool and Kindergarten

11/3/2025

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Build a Straw Rocket

I was recently invited to attend a touch-a-truck event and brought along a fun STEAM activity for children attending to explore science! This Straw Rocket activity was easy and so much fun for children from 3-10 years old. I have to say many of the adults that attended loved this activity too!

Download the FREE Rocket Template

The main character in my book PLAY! explores many ways to pretend play. She meets friends throughout her day that pretend they are teachers, doctors, and many others. At the end of the book she dreams of being an astronaut.
Children love to see me dressed in my astronaut costume when I do events, so the Straw Rocket craft coordinated well with my costume.

This activity comes together in just a few minutes so it is great for a quick craft or small group activity. It can even be set up in a learning center.

Supplies Needed:

One paper rocket (cut out) Find the template HERE!
Clear gift tape
Crayons
2 Straws of different sizes. (One must fit inside the other.)
Duct tape, hot glue, or a flat iron for hair

The larger straw needs one end sealed off. You can do this with hot glue, duct tape, or you can heat seal it with a flat hair iron. I used a flat hair iron on a medium heat setting to tap the end of the straw in between the plates several times to warm it. Then, I used a pliers to pinch the straw closed to make a seal.

Assemble:
First, the child colors their rocket. Next, tape the larger straw that is sealed on one end to the back of the rocket--leaving the open end of the straw at the bottom. The final step for assembly is to insert the smaller straw into the larger straw. The rocket is easier for young children to use if the smaller straw is a bendable straw that is a contrasting color to the larger straw, so they can see which straw to hold onto.

Launching the rocket!
To launch the rocket, you must only hold the smaller straw. I call this one the blaster. The larger rocket straw needs to be able to move freely in order to fly. The child grabs the blaster straw and puffs air into it to launch the rocket straw up into the air. You can make a fun game of this by measuring how far or how high the rocket goes!