Sunday, October 22, 2023

Teaching Children About The First Thanksgiving: My Thanksgiving Coloring Book (Plus FREE Thanksgiving Lesson from Answers in Genesis)

Teaching Children About the First Thanksgiving

Most American children are familiar with Thanksgiving and all the festivities that come with the fall holiday. They have probably completed many turkey crafts and they are probably used to family Thanksgiving dinners, but do they know why we celebrate Thanksgiving in America? It's important for children to understand the reason we celebrate our holidays. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on God's blessings over our lives and to thank God for those blessings. Teaching children about the first Thanksgiving will not only help them understand the Christian origins of the holiday, but also help them understand the hardships the first settlers suffered as our great nation was just beginning.

Teaching Children About the First Thanksgiving

I have created a Thanksgiving coloring book to help children learn the important history behind Thanksgiving. The coloring book contains 8 coloring pages explaining, in simple language, the history of the first Thanksgiving. After those 8 pages, children will enjoy the opportunity to draw a picture of something they are thankful for. They will color a turkey. On the last page of the coloring book, children will list 5 things they are thankful for. The 13th page in the booklet will offer a Bible verse for children to memorize from Psalm 106:1.

Praise the Lord
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His love endures forever. Psalm 106:1

My Thanksgiving Coloring Book is available here.

My Thanksgiving Coloring Book is available here in our Etsy shop.

More Ways to Teach Children About the First Thanksgiving

The History of Thanksgiving (+ Unit Study Ideas) from Hess UnAcademy

Thanksgiving Devotion for Kids (with Printable!) from Just Homemaking

Pilgrims & First Thanksgiving Activities from How to Homeschool My Child

Here is a Thanksgiving video you can show your children or your students.

Once your children or students understand the history of the first Thanksgiving, you can teach them to be thankful all year long. Children can learn to have thankful hearts even in circumstances when they don't feel thankful. One way to teach children to keep thankful hearts is to read to them or read with them books about Thanksgiving and gratitude.

Books About Thanksgiving and Gratitude for Kids

The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Give Thanks to the Lord

Give Thanks to the Lord

P is for Pumpkin

Now that we understand that history and thankfulness to God are the roots of our American Thanksgiving celebrations, let's focus on the family dinners. Our extended family gets together every year, both my side and my husband's side. I think family Thanksgiving dinners are my favorite extended family functions because so many of us get together on that day and on that night when we can't make it happen at any other time during the year. Our family is HUGE. We have several generations involved so with all the in-laws and multitudes of cousins, it's not easy to get everyone together all in one place for one meal. Thanksgiving is the one day and one night when almost everyone can be there. It's still rare that every single living member of our family can get together in one place at one time, but every once in a while, it happens. I think I like Thanksgiving better than Christmas for extended family because there are no gifts involved. There are no expectations for anyone except to just be there and experience the love in our family that, quite honestly, is becoming more and more rare. We always have lots of food and more love than we can imagine spreading through our entire family. Usually, it's lunch for my husband's side and dinner for my side. In addition to food, we enjoy lots of music and singing. We enjoy family stories, old time gospel, contemporary Christian music, and someone usually sprinkles in a little county music to the mix. Sometimes I stand in a place where I can see everyone. I look around the room and take it all in. Oh how my grandparents and my husband's grandmother would love to see their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and now great-great grandchildren sharing their gifts and talents, but most of all, loving each other so well. The unconditional love of family is truly a gift not to be taken for granted.

Missy Robertson wrote a book along with Brave Books about the unconditional love of family. Her book teaches children about unconditional love. I could write about her experience, but I would rather you hear it from her.

Now, you can watch Missy read the book.

Missy's book, Because You're My Family, teaches children that obeying their parents is required and there are consequences for disobedience, but we love each other because of our relationships with each other, because we are family - not because of what we do or don't do when we disobey or make mistakes.

Get your copy of Because You're My Family here.

Because You're My Family by Missy Robertson with Brave Books

Because You're My Family by Missy Robertson and Brave Books

Because You're My Family (Open Book) by Missy Robertson and Brave Books

Get your copy of Because You're My Family here.

FREEBIE FROM ANSWERS IN GENESIS: Free Thanksgiving Lesson

Free Thanksgiving Lesson from Answers in Genesis

Faith Gateway offers many Thanksgiving resources for children and adults. You'll find children's books, devotionals for adults, Bibles, and more. Check them out here.