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Spice up your November lessons with some Indian corn-themed activities and crafts.

1-2-3 Come Do Some Indian Corn "Craftivities" With Me!

Yesterday I posted cornucopia-themed activities.  (Scroll down to see that blog article.) To add some more variety to your November lessons, I have some cute  Indian corn items that I think you and your kiddo's will enjoy. Corn was a life saving food that both the Indians and Pilgrims ate in a variety of ways.

All of these activities appear in the Indian Corn Craftivities packet.  Click on the link to view/download it.

My personal favorite is the melted crayon corn.  Since we made apples and fall trees using this technique, my students know what to do.

The photo truly does not do this craftivity justice.  The results really look like Indian corn; my kiddos were amazed with the awesome results.  I thought the raffia bows added that finishing touch. I tied them ahead of time for my Y5's to staple at the top of their corn. 

Another favorite of mine is the fingerprint corn.  The one in the photo I did with my 1-year-old grandson, Kaiden.  I couldn't believe he sat so quietly while I pressed his index finger into the different colored stamp pads!  

I made the corn husks out of a lunch bag and then crumpled them up.  You could also trace & cut a child's hand print to glue at the base.   The British word for corn is maize so I added a play on words sentiment. ("I hope you have an 'a-maize-ing' Thanksgiving.")

Since he was sitting so quietly, I also wanted to do the ever-popular turkey hand print with him.  While I was putzing with his hands, I thought it would be fun to turn them into a family turkey and include a tracing of his mom's and dad's hand too.   The heart says: My family is turkey-riffic.  

I used Kaiden's little hand for the wing and bent it up, to add some 3D pop.  The beak is also 3 dimensional. You could do this new twist with your students too.  Simply send the construction paper home with a note and directions.  I've included a letter in the packet: Family Turkey Prints.

Getting back to our Indian corn theme, have students color in the corn kernels.  It's  a great fine motor skill.  However, to make this less tedious, I made it a game. 

Students choose a partner and take turns rolling a dice.  Whatever number they roll they color in that many kernels of corn.  Remind them to use a variety of colors. (I bring in some samples of real Indian corn to show them the variety.)

Older students can roll 2 dice and add them together.  I've included a math worksheet where they can show the equations on the back. 

On the front, students guess how many kernels are on the cob.  They make tally marks each time they color, and then count by 5's to find out the answer. (There are 110.) 

I've also included several other worksheets to reinforce more  standards, such as this Indian corn graphing activity.

There's a patterning activity, and a graphing paper craft where students also color the Indian corn. 

When I ate lunch with my friend Alma, she made tamales wrapped in cornhusks.  She said she bought the cornhusks from the grocery store. 

I thought adding some to one of my students' craftivities would add that finishing touch, so I bought a pack and we stapled them to the base of our cob for a realistic touch.

As long as you're doing a few corn-themed things, why not buy a bag of popcorn.  I LOVE popcorn, and it was something even the Pilgrims had, although I think they used it to make some sort of mushy cereal.

I'm munching popcorn right now (for breakfast) because I needed to take this photo and couldn't resist.  I think your kiddo's will have fun with these 1-to-1 correspondence Indian corn cards. 

Print, laminate and trim the full-color cards, or run off a set of black and white. After students wash their hands, pass out some popped and un-popped corn.  Children can place the popped corn above the cards for lower numbers, and put the kernels on the corn for all of the numbers. 

When they have completed their work they can eat their cup of popcorn.  (Collect and recylcle the un-popped kernels to use again next year.)

If you want your kiddo's to take a black and white set home, put a dollop of Elmer's glue on a small paper plate.  Give children a Q-tip to make a glue dot on their corn cob and place however many kernels on it that match the number.  Set aside to dry.  I've also included a page of interesting trivia about popcorn.

Finally, since my brain never shuts off, I'm forever asking "What educational thing can I make or do with this?"   While grocery shopping last week, I saw that many stores had Halloween candy 50% to 75% off and wondered how I could incorporate candy corn with Thanksgiving. 

I always made some little treat for my kiddo's just before they left on break and thought maybe other teachers would like to do that too.  

Run off the candy corn note and pass it out 15-minutes before dismissal. To expedite the activity, count 5 pieces of candy corn out for each child the day before and put them in Dixie cups.

I made a template with the star on it for really little ones to place their candy on, as well as one without the pattern to challenge students to make the star.  It's interesting to note that when the bottoms touch a bit they will make the 5-sided pentagon shape. Woo hoo another teachable moment!

Except for the family turkey print, (separate link) all of these activities can be found in the Indian Corn Craftivities packet. 

Thanks for visiting today.   I'm off to go find my Thanksgiving decorations.  Am anxious to take down Halloween and put up some cute little turkeys.  Wishing you a happy day and blessed November.

"We should be thankful for the wonderful things we have, and the awful things that we don't" -Unknown

1 2 3 Come Do Some Cornucopia Craftivities With Me

Instead of just doing a turkey or Pilgrim theme in November, add some variety with cornucopias!  Plenty of Cornucopias is a 37-page packet filled with a nice selection of ideas.

Introduce your lessons by asking if anyone knows what a cornucopia is. I spent some time searching the web for background and enjoyed learning some new trivia, which I put in a 1-page Cornucopia Tidbits page.  To reinforce the new vocabulary word, I've included a trace and write worksheet.

My Y5's especially enjoyed the lunch bag cornucopias because we sparkled them up with a bit of glitter glue. I pre-folded the bags over and demonstrated how to twist the bottom to turn it into a cornucopia. 

This is wonderful fine motor practice. As you can see by the photograph, these make a lovely bulletin board.

There are two options to choose from.  One is simply a coloring page of the fruit spilling out.  Students color, cut and glue to the inside of their bag. 

To ensure that they used lots of colors, I told my kiddo's that whatever colors they used, we would add those glitter colors. 

It was amazing how this resulted in really great coloring!  I set the glitter-station up as an adult-run center.

For the other option, run off the fruit patterns on construction paper.  Rough cut.  Students trim and glue to the inside of their cornucopia bag.  I assemble one as a "how to" sample. 

The Rip & Tear Mosaic cornucopia is also great fine motor practice.  Encourage students to rip the 1/2 inch paper strips into color piles and then rub their glue stick over a certain area and place their "tiles" down.

I show how to press the torn paper around the edges of a food, and then fill in the rest of the area. 

Remind students that they can overlap pieces and that there should be very little white showing through. 

These also make a beautiful bulletin board.  The mosaics really pop on a black background.

The "Plenty of Shapes" cornucopia, reviews 2D shapes.  Another activity you can do with this shape craft, is to brainstorm with students about what real foods come in those shapes. i.e and egg is an oval shape.

How many can they think of?  I've included a list of my own that you can share with your kiddos, after they've completed theirs.

I've also included a matching "Shape Up!" spinner game.

Children choose a partner and take turns spinning.  Whatever shape they land on, they color that shape on their recording sheet. 

Encourage students to say the names of the colors and shapes as they play the game. 

Students also write down their favorite shape and something in real life that's that shape. i.e. circle-pizza.

3 cornucopia number puzzles, review counting forwards and backwards, as well as skip counting by 10's.  They make a nice independent center or something for "early finishers" to work on.

There are several writing prompts + a November Word Search.

Finally, I think your students will enjoy the November word search.  A word search is not only fun, but reinforces new seasonal vocabulary as well as spelling. 

The Roll & Color Cornucopia game is also a fun way to reinforce numbers and colors. 

Click on the link to view/download the Cornucopia Craftivies packet.

Thanks for visiting today.  I hope you can stop by tomorrow for some wonderful Indian corn-themed activities.

My daughter's expecting a baby girl any day now, so I have much to do today and much to be thankful for.  My feet have definitely hit the floor running!  Wishing you a relaxing afternoon.

"He who thanks but with the lips thanks but in part; for the full, the true Thanksgiving, comes from the heart." -J.A. Shedd

37 pages.

Instead of doing just turkey stuff, add variety to your November lessons, with some cornucopia craftivities.

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The turkey's body is traced from a child's shoe; the feathers are handprints.  Includes several options of how to make this adorable keepsake, as well as 2 poems to choose from + a letter home asking for parental help.

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Encourage students to trace the numbers, as they color however many feathers that match the number on the turkey's tummy. 

1-2-3 Come Do Some More Turkey Crafts and Activities With Me!

The month of November always seems to fly by.  There is so much to get accomplished in such a short amount of time.  I basically based the month around scarecrows, turkeys, pilgrims and Thanksgiving; reinforcing standards with those themes.  

Such as, 1 to 1 correspondence, which is really important for little ones.  So they don't get bored doing these counting activities, switch things up by matching your themes. 

I designed some sweet turkey counting cards for 1-to-1 correspondence.  Print, laminate and trim and put in your math center or do as a whole group activity.  

I only included a few numbered turkeys per card, as students are less apt to bump their work and send things flying.  It's also less frustrating for Pre-K kiddo's when they are just learning. 

Pinching an item and placing however many objects onto the matching numbered turkey, is also an excellent fine motor skill.  As you can see in the photo, I used flat-backed rhinestones.  My little girls especially enjoyed using this "bling-bling" manipulative.  Pony beads also work well. 

The cards only go up to 10, but I've included a blank template, so you can program higher numbers.  There's also a black and white pattern.  If you want, run off copies for your students to color and glue sequins or whatever to the feathers.  Click on the link to view/download the 1-to-1 Correspondence Turkeys.

Continue with counting with the Tummy Tickler Booklet.  Encourage students to trace the numbers and color however many feathers on the turkey that match the number on his tummy. 

So that little ones hands don't "poop out" with so much coloring, or their work becomes scribbling, because they are tired of coloring; have children only color 1 or 2 of the higher numbered turkeys, and take several days to complete the booklet.  Click on the link above to view/download it.

My Y5's especially enjoyed all of the daily hands-on craftivities that I set up as independent centers. 

I did the Keepsake Turkeys with my 2nd and 1st graders, as well as with my K's and Y5's for many years. 

Older students can trace their own hand and foot (with their shoe on) and cut them out.  K's can pick a partner to help.  (Older elementary reading buddies are also a nice option.)

To expedite things for me, I sent a note home to parents to have this done.  I've included it in the packet if you want to go that route.

I just completed the one in the photograph, with Kaiden, my 1-year-old grandson; he added his scribbles and my daughter LOVED it, as did all of the parents in the past. 

I used 2 "shoe prints" for the body of my Y5's to make their turkeys fatter and less "shoe-looking".  The photo shows them on our "Wall of Fame".  I sprinkled the Keepsake Turkeys in with our Indian corn crayon melts.  (More on them in another blog article.)

For the beak, cut 1 & 1/2 inch wide strips of yellow construction paper and then cut these into squares.  Students fold them into a triangle and glue one half to their turkey, so that the "beak" opens.

I also pre-cut the "wattles".  To make an easy wattle, simply cut a heart shape and glue it upside down. (This is what my Y5's did in the photograph.)

I have 2 poems you can choose to put on the turkey's tummy if you want:  ("I'm a little turkey, as cute as can be. I'm very thankful, for my wonderful family.") or (This is a turkey oh so fine.  Look at the body; the feet are mine! The feathers are traced from my hands too.  I made this turkey because I love you. ) Click on the link to view/download the Keepsake Turkey directions and poems. 

Thanks for visiting today.  Feel free to PIN away.  To ensure that "pinners" return to THIS article, click on the green title at the top; it will turn black.  Now click on the "Pin it" button on the burgundy menu bar.  I design and blog daily, so I hope you can pop by tomorrow to grab the newest FREEBIES. 

"It isn't what you have in your pocket that should make you thankful, but what you have in your heart."  -Unknown

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It's so important to continue practicing 1-to-1 correspondence with little ones, so that this remains interesting and fun for them, switch things up with a seasonal theme.  Laminate the cards and put them in your math center, with an assortment of manipulatives.

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Comparing the 1st Thanksgiving with today's current celebration, via a Venn diagram, is a quick and easy way to assess what your students know, as well as help them understand the concept of comparison and contrast. 

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A helpful bibliography of my all-time favorite turkey & Thanksgiving books.