Thanksgiving Fun: Fingerplays, Songs, Stories and More!

Next Thursday brings my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving! Tomorrow, at the New Bedford Whaling Historical Park we will be celebrating this special day and of course turkeys! 

Here are some fingerplays and songs I will be using during the program. They are not my original pieces but found on many websites over the Internet without attribution. Please feel free to use them in your work. I hope they add something festive to your holiday.

FINGERPLAYS

Five Little Turkeys

Five little turkeys by the barn door (hold up open hand)
Four little turkeys flew up a tree (fly fingers into the air)I fell down and then there were three. (one finger falls to the ground)
Three little turkeys gobbled as they do
Three little turkeys gobbled as they do
Two little turkeys strutting in the sun.
The wind came along and then there was one. (make wind movements with left hand)
For he saw the farmer and now there are none. (left hand grabs right hand)

Turkey Dinner

Up and down, round and round (make circles in the air)

The turkey ran across the ground. (wave hands across the floor)

Over, under, in between (hold hands up, down, and between the legs)

Now the turkey can't be seen.

The farmer looks in front (look in front, holding hand above the eyes)

The farmer looks behind, (look behind, holding hand above the eyes)

Still the turkey can't be found.

There's the turkey (point across the room)

Running right (move hands right)

Running left (move hands left)

Over the hill and out of sight (move hands up and down)

No turkey for dinner tonight!

Turkey on the Farm – (Sung to The Wheels on the Bus)

The turkey on the farm says, "Gobble, gobble, gobble.
Gobble, gobble, gobble. Gobble, gobble, gobble."
The turkey on the farm says, "Gobble, gobble, gobble."
Thanksgiving Day is near.

The farmer on the farm goes chop, chop, chop.
Chop, chop, chop. Chop, chop, chop.
The farmer on the farm goes chop, chop, chop.
Thanksgiving Day is here.

The turkey on the farm says, "Please help me!
Please help me! Please help me!"
The turkey on the farm says, "Please help me!"
Thanksgiving Day is here.

The children on the farm say, "Come and hide.
Come and hide. Come and hide."
The children on the farm say, "Come and hide."
Thanksgiving Day is here.

The wife on the farm looks all around.
Looks all around. Looks all around.
The wife on the farm looks all around.
Thanksgiving Day is here.

The people on the farm eat Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Kentucky Fried Chicken. Kentucky Fried Chicken.
The people on the farm eat Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Thanksgiving Day is here. 

The turkey on the farm says, "Gobble, gobble, gobble.
Gobble, gobble, gobble. Gobble, gobble, gobble."
The turkey on the farm says, "Gobble, gobble, gobble."
Thanksgiving Day has passed.

STORY STRETCHERS

My Turkey

I have a turkey big and fat (bend out arms at sides)
He struts around this way and that (strut around)His daily corn he would not miss (pretend to peck at corn on ground)And when he talks, he sounds like this (make gobble sounds)

Turkey Trot- Submitted (Sung to "Hokey Pokey")

You put your right wing in. 

You put your right wing out. 

You put your right wing in, 

And you shake it all about. 

You do the turkey trot 

And you turn yourself around. 

That's what it's all about.

SONGS

Hello Mr. Turkey! (Tune: If You're Happy and You Know It)

How are you? (clap, clap)
Hello, Mr. Turkey
How are you? (clap, clap)
With a wobble, wobble, wobble
and a gobble, gobble, gobble
Hello, Mr. Turkey
How are you?

Thank You Song (Sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)

Thank you for the sun so bright 

Thank you for the moon at night
Thank you for my family
Thanks for friends who play with me
Thanks for everything I see
I am thankful, yes sirree!

Thank you, Thank you; This We Say  (Sung to "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star")

Thank you for the earth and sky. 

(Form circle with fingertips; then point to sky)

Thank you for the bids that fly. 

( Flap arms)

Thank you for the food we grow. 

(Cup hands together; then slide one arm upward as if to grow)

Thank you for the streams that flow 

(Flutter fingers as hands move to side)

Thanks you, thank you; this we say: 

(Point to lips.)

Thanks for all we have today! 

(Spread arms out wide.)

FLANNEL BOARD

10 Little Turkeys

Cut a turkey shape out of brown felt. Cut out of colored felt a pile of brown straw, a pile of white snow, a blue sky background, a red barn, a yellow bag of corn, and a green tree for the turkey to sit in. Place all the shapes, except for the turkey, on the flannel board. Then sing the song with the children and let them take turns placing the turkey on the appropriate shapes.

Ten little turkeys sat in their pen 

"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.
One little turkey flew far away 

But the other nine decided to stay!

Nine little turkeys sat in their pen 

"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.

One little turkey flew out of the gate,

And when he was gone, there were eight.

Eight little turkeys sat in their pen.
"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.
One little turkey flew far away
But the other seven decided to stay.

Seven little turkeys sat in their pen.
"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.
One little turkey hid with the chicks,
And when she was gone, there were six.

Six little turkeys sat in their pen.

"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.

One little turkey flew far away 

But the other five decided to stay.

Five little turkeys sat in their pen.
"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.

One little turkey hopped out the door,

And when he was gone, there were four.

Four little turkeys sat in their pen. 

"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.

One little turkey flew far away 

But the other three decided to stay.

Three little turkeys sat in their pen. 

"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen. 

One little turkey flapped her wings and flew.

And when she was gone, there were two.

Two little turkeys sat in their pen.

"Hide, turkeys, hide!" said the little red hen.

One little turkey flew far away.

But the last one decided to stay.

One little turkey sat in his pen.

"Hide, turkey, hide!" said the little red hen. 

The last little turkey flew off toward the sun 

And when he was gone, there were none.

STORIES

A Season of Gratitude - A blog post from 2010 filled with facts, stories, curriculum connections and more.
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2010/10/a-season-of-gratitude.html 

Karen Chace 2012 ©

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This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.