Thanksgiving or Christmas?

I could have titled this post "Out of the mouths of babes" again, because I'm going to start with a kid quote from one of my own children.

It was Christmas day, and the family was all gathered.  Presents were long since opened, and delicious smells were coming from the kitchen.  My barely 4 year old son asked me, "What are we eating for Christmas?"  I started listing the dishes, "Turkey, stuffing, green beans, potatoes... all the things we ate at Thanksgiving."  "Not leftovers AGAIN!" he moaned.

I think sometimes our youngest children have trouble remembering which holiday is which, and what symbols represent each one.  Pumpkins are a bit ambiguous, good for both Halloween and Thanksgiving, and a roast turkey dinner gets served up more than once at this time of year also.  Families gather for many holidays - so what exactly are the differences?

I've created a new activity for preschool and kindergarten kiddos, aimed at helping them figure all this out, and here it is :

Here's the finished Venn Diagram, with symbols sorted out by holiday.  I hope this helps the kiddos figure it all out! 

 

Want to add a literature component to this activity?  Try reading  Over and Over by Charlotte Zolotow.  It's a beautiful book about a young child experiencing the celebrations of a year, trying to sort them all out, just as my son did way back when.

What ever holidays you celebrate, I hope they are filled with family, love and joy!

                                                                                                                           - Paula