THANKSGIVING STORY BRACELET

Every year I receive requests for the “Thanksgiving Story Bracelet.”  You will need to purchase the beads and pipe cleaners and demonstrate how to make the bracelet before asking the children to do it.  Practice reading the poem several times as children touch each color.  Encourage the children to tell the story of the first Thanksgiving independently using the beads as a clue.  Send home a copy of the poem so the children can share it with their families.

^{With this bracelet you will know    (Start with a pipe cleaner.)}

^{The first Thanksgiving that was long, long ago.}

^{The Pilgrims set sail from far away}

^{On the Mayflower with tall white sails.   (Insert a white bead.)}

^{They sailed many days across the ocean blue.  (Add a blue bead.)}

^{The seas were rough, but the ship came through.}

^{At last they spotted land so green.  (String on a green bead.)}

^{They were so happy they cheered and screamed.}

^{The first year was so hard and black.  (Now a black bead.)}

^{Many died and wished that they could go back.}

^{But the Native Americans gave them a hand}

^{And helped them survive in the strange new land.}

^{They decided to celebrate in a special way}

^{And that became the first Thanksgiving day.}

^{They prepared a feast with turkeys brown  (Add a brown bead.)}

^{And red cranberries that they had found.   (Time for a red bead.)}

^{Yellow corn that they had learned to grow  (Insert a yellow bead.)}

^{And orange pumpkin pies, don’t you know!   (Last an orange bead.)}

^{But before they ate the turkey and dressing,}

^{They all held hands for a thankful blessing.  (Twist the ends of the pipe cleaner to make a bracelet.)}
Turkey Handshake
One child opens her fingers wide to make the feathers.  The other friend makes the turkey's head and body by sticking out their thumb and placing it next to the feathers.