CHILDREN: Thanksgiving Traditions – Blessings and Books

A couple of Thanksgivings ago, we started what is now a tradition for us and one that we all look forward to each year. Give everyone a bowl of dried black-eyed peas and a small lidded jar. Go around and take turns dropping a pea into the jar for each blessing you can name and anything for which you are thankful. As you can imagine, it all starts out nice and sincere and then it gets silly and fun as everyone tries to come up with creative answers to get more peas in their jar. But here’s the good part… add them all together on New Year’s Day and cook them up for a year of blessings ahead and gratitude for the year you are leaving behind! When you make a last minute Thanksgiving grocery run, grab a bag (or two) of black-eyed peas and try it… your kids will love it!

We also have two Thanksgiving books – ‘Thank You, Sarah’ and ‘Give Thanks to the Lord’ – that we pull out each year and read them while waiting for the Macy’s Day Parade to start. They are great additions to your bookshelf! For even more suggestions see the list at the bottom.

Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving

by: Laurie Halse Anderson, Matt Faulkner

This book will be a Thanksgiving favorite for years to come! It tells the inspirational story of the very persistent Sarah Hale (author of “Mary Had a Little Lamb”) whose determination made Thanksgiving the national celebration that it is today. It took her 38 years and numerous presidential requests but she got it done! The illustrations and writing are clever and carry the story along truly making history come alive.

Give Thanks to the Lord: Celebrating Psalm 92

By: Karma Wilson, Amy June Bates

Sweet, sweet Thanksgiving book to share with the kiddos! Celebrate the joys and blessings of Thanksgiving, family and food in this book by Karma Wilson. We love to pull it out each year to read, remember and reflect on everything for which we are thankful.
Other suggested titles for Thanksgiving: (www.sheknows.com)

The Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving

Your preschoolers will love learning about the history of Thanksgiving and the journey of the pilgrims to America in this book.

The Story of the Pilgrims

This book tells the story of the pilgrims’ dangerous voyage to America, first harsh winter and amazing first Thanksgiving feast.

Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks

With a message about being grateful, this book for preschoolers takes the emphasis off the pilgrims and the Thanksgiving feast, and puts it on giving thanks.

What Is Thanksgiving?

This Thanksgiving board book is written in rhyme. It’s the perfect choice for teaching your little ones about giving thanks for our blessings.

…If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620

This fact-filled book for elementary schoolers answers an assortment of questions about the pilgrims’ journey, the Thanksgiving feast and their first year in America.

Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving

Aimed at children 5 years old and up, this Thanksgiving book tells the story of Squanto and how it came about that he learned English and was living in the exact place where the pilgrims landed.

The First Thanksgiving: Step into Reading

This is the story of how the first Thanksgiving came to be, vividly told with color illustrations and easy-to-read for Level 3 readers.

Pilgrims of Plymouth

This wonderful book shows your child just what it was like to be a pilgrim child living in 17th-century Massachusetts. Photographs of historical reenactments and lively text pull the young reader into this historical period in time.

1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving

With spectacular photographs taken during reenactments at Plymouth Plantation, this engaging book tells the Thanksgiving story from the view of both the English colonists and the Wampanoag people.

Thanksgiving: The True Story

Geared toward children ages 10 and up, this book delves into the history of Thanksgiving and discusses many of the Thanksgiving traditions that we celebrate today.

Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember

This 80-page book aims to enrich your family’s awareness about the history of Thanksgiving, God’s role in that history and the importance of gratitude. This Thanksgiving book is also accompanied by a music CD.

The Mayflower and the Pilgrim’s New World

After a dangerous journey across the ocean, the passengers on the Mayflower were helped by the natives they encountered in the Plymouth region. For 50 years, they maintained a fragile peace, but then what happened? This book includes maps, artwork and photos to interest the older reader.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!