Table Time Activity: Thanksgiving Necklace
Skill Check
This activity focuses on color recognition and fine motor skills.
Growing My Skills
1. Gather string, noodles and paint if desired.
2. Paint a variety of noodles fall colors such as orange, yellow, red and brown. Allow to dry.
3. String dried noodles onto string to create a necklace or bracelet.
Relaxation Time Activity: Gratitude Pie
Skill Check
The goal of this activity is to help your child think about what they are thankful for or preferences they may have. While also building their creativity and fine motor skills!
Growing My Skills
1.Gather materials.
2. Please help guide child through this craft (hand-over-hand or prepping certain materials may be necessary) as it is more challenging (please see Pinterest link for step-by-step instructions).
3. Ask your child questions that will help them connect with the craft they are making; what they like, what they don’t like. What makes them feel happy? This is a great way connect with your child and learn about their preferences!
Creative Time Activity: Thanksgiving Meal Collage
Skill Check
The goal of this activity is to help your child feel empowered and familiarize them to try new foods!
Growing My Skills
1. Gather materials.
2. Ask your child questions about their preferences (this or that).
3. Ask your child about their likes and dislikes throughout activity.
4. Model/share your own preferences and likes/dislikes.
5. Help your child cut out the pictures they like.
6. Help your child glue the preferred picture on their plate. Ask your child questions like what kind of food they like, this or that questions, what the food smells like/tastes like/feels like?
Movement Time Activity: Bowling
Skill Check
The goal of this week is to use your visual-motor skills to bowl and knock over pins or drink & food packages!
Growing My Skills
Set up bowling pins or a variety of empty drink bottles and food packages.
Use a visual marker on the floor (tape, piece of paper, magazine) that your child needs to stand behind or on while bowling.
Up the challenge by having the pins farther away.
Increase the sensory input by having them stand with their backs to the pins, bending over, and looking between their legs to roll the ball.
You can even try rolling the ball in different positions: laying down on tummy, crawling position, kneeling.
Mealtime Activity: Cooking in the Kitchen
Skill Check
The goal of this activity is to encourage child’s participation in preparing Thanksgiving food, instead of just eating.
Growing My Skills
Prepare food purchased in the grocery store, wash food and wash hands!
Set up a preparation station in the kitchen safe for your child to help prepare food (Make sure the burners are turned off and sharp objects are out of reach!).
Offer jobs child can do with hand-over-hand prompting, examples include scooping, dumping, mixing, measuring, counting and chopping with an age appropriate utensil.
TIP: offer frequent verbal praise for participating in mealtime preparation.
TIP: when presenting the final meal, praise your child for helping and try to let them present the food they prepared.
TIP: name foods after your child they helped cook, i.e. “Mia’s salad” or “Bobby’s pie,” or “Lisa’s extravaganza surprise (aka soup)”