'Handy' Thanksgiving Wreath

What You Need:

• Construction paper in strong fall colors
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Permanent marker

What You Do:

1. Help your kid lay their hand down, fingers apart, and trace around it on several different colors. Then have them cut out a set of twelve hands (one for each month of the year).
2. Tilt each paper hand slightly and arrange the group to form a wreath shape—but don’t glue yet! Have your child practice their handwriting by writing one of the months of the year on each hand, starting with January at the bottom and ending, clockwise, with December.
3. Below each month name, have your child write one thing they feel thankful for in that month of the year. Maybe it’s snow, maybe it’s a birthday, or maybe it’s a special place the family visits. Whatever it is, give your kid props once they've written out their reason to be thankful.

This Thanksgiving, join your child in this “hands on” gratitude. Put the wreath on a wall or door near the table, and be thankful together. Invite your child to read what they've written for everyone to enjoy. Activities like this one tend to make the food taste just that much better…and it’ll boost your young learner's writing skills, and confidence too.