November is filled with so much learning opportunities that it really doesn’t need much added to it. For my 5 yr old, holidays are a huge event right now. He loves counting down from one holiday to the next. We have several calendars set up and special markers added for Thanksgiving. We also made a paper chain that he can rip off and count everyday.
I am choosing to focus mostly on the meaning of Thanksgiving. These are some points I plan on covering this month:
- Who are Pilgrims and Native Americans
- Where the Pilgrims came from, where they ended up and how they got there
- Meaning of Thanksgiving (being thankful)
- What the first Thanksgiving was like
- Foods then and now
- Showing Kindness
- Basic Thanksgiving words and crafts
As extra bonus, there were a few special days from the calendar this month that I will throw in there.
- X-ray day (Saturday 11/8)
- Recycling Day (Saturday 11/15)
- Button Day (Sunday 11/16)
- Homemade Bread Day (Monday 11/17)
- Mickey Mouse Birthday (Tuesday 11/18)
- Traffic Light Day (Thursday 11/20)
The days that fall on weekends, I usually fit in where ever I need an activity.
There were also 2 days from last month that I either didn’t get to or I couldn’t find my materials that I will definitely work in this month.
- National Nut day
- Reptile Awareness Day
Every lesson I talk about letters and their sounds. We will be counting daily. I have a little bit of science, history, geography, art, cooking, and color recognition. My son and I read books daily. Utilize your library!
I get a lot of my ideas from Pinterest. Follow my board November Preschool Ideas I pin all ideas specific to the month in one separate board to keep me from having to search forever.
I also print out a monthly calendar and use a notebook to keep things easy and convenient. On the calendar, I mark the days of special events. This gives me a quick cheat sheet.
In my notebook is where I detail everything. I will write the date, the theme and different activities that go with it. Everything from the letters we learn, the book will read and the crafts or activities that I have saved on Pinterest. This keeps me from suffering from Mommy Brain and able to stay on track.
Another thing I do (most of the time) is print out different activities ahead of time, and keep it in a monthly folder.
I am not a very organize person, but these 3 things keep me on track and are worth my time.
Let me know what works for you!