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Thanksgiving Lesson Pack - Holly Springs Baptist Church€¦ · A great song to add for...
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• ...................................................Idea Starter: New Twists on Thanksgiving 4
• ..................Idea Starter: Scriptures and Biblical Facts about Thankfulness 7
• ........................................................Object Lesson: Jonny & the Silly String 9
• .......................Object Lesson: Lord, Make me a Servent on Thanksgiving 14
• .....................................................................Object Lesson: The Tangerine 18
• ..................Craft: Silly String Rings to Practice Charity on Thanksgiving 23
• ..........................................................Craft: Small Blessings Treat Holders 25
• ....................................................................Craft: Cage Free Colored Eggs 27
• ..................................................................Craft: Milk Carton Bird Feeders 29
• ..............................................................................Craft: God’s Lil Turkeys 31
• ..............................................Craft: Hand Print Turkey (For Younger Kids) 33
• ......................................................................Game: Show Me the Feathers 34
• ...................................................................................Game: Plenty of Peas 36
• ................................................................................Game: Thankful ABC’s 38
• ............................................................................Game: Chopstick Thanks 39
• ........................................................................Snack: Healthy People Salad 41
• ...............................................................Snack: Reeses Peanut Butter Hats 43
• ..........................................................................Snack: Trinity Apple Cider 45
• .......Snack: Space Wafer Sandwiches Show How God Softens Our Hearts 47
• ................................................Bible Science: Which Foods Contain Starch 48
• ..............Bible Science: Eggs Can Float in the Middle of a Glass of Water 49
• ...........................................Song: That’s What I Love about Thanksgiving 51
• .................................................................................Song: Thank You, Lord 52
• .................................................................Song: It’s More Than the Turkey 53
• Parent Handout: 7 Mini Challenges To Make Your Kids Thankful At ................................................................................................Thanksgiving 54
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Idea Starter: New Twists on Thanksgiving
Perhaps you’ve done projects akin to the
hand-shaped turkeys and the turkey shoes for
several years running (or more!) and you’d like a
fresh take on Thanksgiving Day.
Therapeutic Value of an “Attitude of
Gratitude”
Therapists, personal achievement
coaches, and success mentors across America
have one. The message, having an “attitude of
gratitude” sprung up in the language of positive
thinkers more than a decade ago, but it’s just
becoming public knowledge lately that this
attitude promotes better health, both mentally
and physically.
In America, where we have so much to be
thankful for, an “attitude of gratitude” should be
part of daily living. If we instill the “attitude of
gratitude” in kids from a very young age, they
may turn into happier, healthier adults who
remember to thank God daily. The giving of
thanks can lower stress and fatigue and reduce
heart problems, according to many experts.
The Simple Things; the Simple Projects
You can have an easy time Thanksgiving
teaching children how to give thanks for all those
“little things!” Bring in your pet hamster, guinea
pig, cat or dog and have children admire the
softness of his fur, and his kind eyes. (Get
permission first!)
Nature walks are still beautiful in many
areas. Offer praise or even prizes to students who
can express beauty about even the smallest
things: God’s rocks, a pine cone, and handful of
rich soil. Teach them that all God’s brush strokes
are things to be grateful for in a world that is on
stress overload.
The movie Pollyanna is all but defunct
unfortunately. However the “Glad Game” still
makes a great Sunday school activity, especially
during Thanksgiving. Present students with
seemingly terrible situations and ask what they
can find to be glad about. Perhaps they’re
struggling with a challenge in their own lives.
Help them play the Glad Game, thereby
learning, “In everything give thanks…” (1
Thessalonians 5:18)
Great Thanksgiving Scriptures
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Other scriptures that teach the
importance of giving thanks include the
following:
Psalm 100:4 -- Enter into His gates with
thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
1 Chronicles 16:34-- Oh, give thanks to the
LORD, for He is good! For His mercy
endures forever
1 Chronicles 23:30-- stand every morning
to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise
at evening....
Psalm 177:7 -- Sing to the LORD with
thanksgiving; Sing praises on the harp to our
God ...
Colossians 3:15 -- And let the peace of
God rule in your hearts, to which also you
were called in one body; and be thankful.
An important way for students to show their
gratitude is by giving to others, who will in
turn be thankful for their services. As four-day
holidays don’t bear out as many vacationing
families what with the down economy, it might be
a great time to involve kids in a charity marathon,
visit to a nursing home, or to help out at the local
food bank. (Parents may be grateful too!)
Other Thanksgiving Ideas
Many teachers love to incorporate the
favorite foods of Thanksgiving into their lessons.
Here are some ideas to help with that, plus other
thoughts:
Coring out the insides of pumpkins can be
compared to our need to “empty ourselves”
so that Christ can fill us (with candy or
candles)
Pumpkin seeds are like the seeds of wisdom
we get each week in class. We take the seeds
God sews and eat them (as a yummy snack!),
and slowly our souls grow into spiritual
strongholds.
Scriptures on Thanksgiving made great
memorization games
A green bean or stalk of broccoli makes a
great example of how to thank God that even
his everyday vegetables are beautifully colored
and wonderfully made. Discuss the
nutritional value of each; examine their
beautiful colors and other fine details, then
make a yummy snack with dip!
A great song to add for Thanksgiving is the
Johnny Appleseed Blessing song, often used
for grace. Look it up on YouTube and you’ll
sing it for days.
Cornucopias might not only contain the
precious seasonal fruit, but words of
thanksgiving about each item!
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Set your goals to have children learn the
health and nutritional values of giving thanks
as well as the spiritual values. Help them to know
the importance of giving thanks in good or bad
situations. Tell “Pollyanna” stories, about people
who changed whole towns or school districts just
by having an attitude of gratitude and affecting
others.
Our country needs more joy. What a great
opportunity Thanksgiving can be to start your
students on the path of being great providers!
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Idea Starter: Scriptures and Biblical Facts about Thankfulness
Surely, teachers want to use gratitude scriptures for Thanksgiving activities and projects. There are so
many Biblical scriptures on thankfulness that some teachers may find that picking just the right ones is
overwhelming!
Below are our favorite scriptures that relate to Thanksgiving which Sunday school teachers are most
likely to love. They are
(1) brief, which means little fingers can manage to write them, even if they are just learning to write.
(2) popular and central to the Christian message, which means it’s important for kids to learn them,
and
(3) lovely and poetic, which makes them great to go on special Thanksgiving craft projects and take-
home gifts.
For very young children or for crafts where a very short scripture is needed, you can use the first or
second half of these verses, and they make perfect sense still!
Here they are in order that they can be found in the Bible:
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PSALM50:14LETUSNOTBECOMEWEARYINDOINGGOOD,FORATTHEPROPERTIMEWEWILLREAPAHARVESTIFWEDONOT
GIVEUP.
PSALM69:30IWILLPRAISETHENAMEOFGODWITHSONG,ANDSHALLMAGNIFYHIMWITHTHANKSGIVING.
PSALM92:1ITISGOODTOGIVETHANKSTOTHELORD,TOSINGPRAISESTOYOURNAME,OMOSTHIGH;
PSALM95:2LETUSCOMEBEFOREHIMWITHSONGSOFTHANKS.LETUSSINGHAPPYSONGSOFPRAISETOHIM.
PSALM100:4ENTERHISGATESWITHTHANKSGIVINGANDHISCOURTSWITHPRAISE;GIVETHANKSTOHIMANDPRAISEHISNAME.
PSALM107:1GIVETHANKSTOTHELORD,FORHEISGOOD,FORHISLOVEENDURESFOREVER!
PSALM118:28LORD,YOUAREMYGOD,ANDITHANKYOU.MYGOD,IPRAISEYOU!
EPHESIANS5:20ALWAYSGIVETHANKSTOGODTHEFATHERFOREVERYTHINGINJESUS’NAME.
COLOSSIANS3:15ANDLETTHEPEACEOFCHRISTRULEINYOURHEARTS,TOWHICHINDEEDYOUWERECALLEDINONEBODY;ANDBETHANKFUL.
1TIMOTHY4:4‐5FOREVERYTHINGCREATEDBYGODISGOOD,ANDNOTHINGISTOBEREJECTED,IFITISRECEIVEDWITHGRATITUDE;FORITISSANCTIFIEDBYMEANSOFTHEWORDOFGODANDPRAYER.
1THESSALONIANS5:18INEVERYTHINGGIVETHANKS;FORTHISISTHEWILLOFGOD.
HEBREWS12:28LETUSBEGRATEFULFORAKINGDOMTHATCANNOTBESHAKEN.
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Object Lesson: Jonny & the Silly String
Here’s a lesson that’s easy and meaningful about
how to be thankful, no matter what life throws at
you. Grandma gives Jonny a string to tie around
his finger the weekend before Thanksgiving. It’s
supposed to remind him to be grateful for what
he does have and help those who don’t have as
much. Amazing things happen! Share this
touching story…then use the Magic String
Activity that follows.
Household object: Piece of string
Other Materials
• Small gift box
• Bow or ribbon
Preparation
• Put the string in the box and put the
bow on top to look like a present.
• Put it under the table until it’s time to
use it.
Lesson
Jonny was not looking forward to
Thanksgiving this year. His dad had lost
his job in the down economy. Dad stayed
up half the night just staring out the
window, and during the day, when he used
to work during the week or play football
with Jonny on weekends, he slept. Dad
kept asking Mom, “What are we going to
put on the table on Thanksgiving? Soup
and grilled cheese?”
Grandma lived with them, too. Grandma
had no money to offer. But she had the
kind of smile that made Jonny smile
back, no matter what. The Saturday
before Thanksgiving, Dad was really on a
downtrodden path about the holiday.
Grandma called Jonny over to her easy
chair. She pulled a small box out of her
pocket.
Pull out the box with the bow on it and the string
inside.
“Got a present for you,” she said to Jonny.
“Open it.”
Jonny was hoping for a dollar or even five.
Not that he was greedy. However
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Grandma had gotten money, he’d give it
to Mom to help buy Thanksgiving dinner.
Open the box with a stricken look. Pull out the
string.
“This is my present??” Jonny asked. He
didn’t want to be rude. But it seemed like
a cruel joke. “Uh…yeah. Thanks,
Grandma.”
“You tie it on your finger,” she said. “And
every time you look down, think of
something you have that others don’t.”
Tie the string loosely around the finger of one
child in your class.
“You mean like heat, water, and a roof
over our heads,” he said a bit
sarcastically. Mom said lately that
Thanksgiving is about being thankful. But
what Jonny really wanted was a happy
Thanksgiving dinner to top it off, like
they’d always had.
“You can do better than that,” Grandma
said. “You’re so creative! What do you
have that Mrs. Hoppy across the street
doesn’t?”
“Two legs,” he said immediately. Mrs.
Hoppy had just lost her leg due to
diabetes. Jonny had noticed that her love
of gardening had had to be sacrificed
since the amputation this summer. There
were no fall mums in her yard that used
to be beautiful. Nobody had raked the
leaves.
He stared down at the string and
shrugged. “Guess I could go rake leaves
for her. Beats sitting around here when
Mom and Dad are moping.”
“That’s the spirit!” Grandma said.
“I can’t pay you,” Mrs. Hoppy said when
Jonny was done raking, even though she
looked overjoyed. “Wish I had money…
times are tough.”
“Tell me about it,” Jonny said. “I did it
just because, Mrs. Hoppy. Don’t worry.”
On his way home, he looked down at that
string, which had gotten a little dirty from
the yard work. He rolled his eyes,
thinking how Grandma’s ideas can be a
little wacky.
But when he looked up again, the
Ditmire’s house was right in view. Mr.
Ditmire was a painter, and his scaffolding
had broken. He fell two whole stories to
the ground and broke his back. Their
great dane, Muffin, was too big for Mrs.
Ditmire to walk. Jonny noticed poor
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Muffin where’d he’d seen the dog a lot
lately--looking mournfully out the dining
room window.
“Why not?” he asked himself. “Beats
sitting at home and listening to Dad.”
Imitate an out-of-control dog-walking scene with
your straight arm.
Muffin walked Jonny all over the
neighborhood but was so happy to see his
other dog friends! Jonny eventually
started laughing and was sorry to have to
bring Muffin back home.
When he got back an hour later, Mrs.
Ditmire offered him a dollar.
“No thanks,” Jonny said, staring down at
the little string on his finger. “I did it just
because…and turns out, it really was
pretty fun.”
“Please take it,” Mrs. Ditmire said. “We
are so grateful. You brightened Muffin’s
day and Mr. Ditmire is smiling for the
first time in a week!”
She wouldn’t take “no” for an answer, so
Jonny set off back home wondering what
you can do with one dollar. Save it, he
decided.
Passing Mrs. Hoppy’s house again, he
heard her call out.
“Jonny! I have a couple things in my
freezer I can’t eat because of my diabetes.
Will you take them home to your mom? It
was so nice of you to rake my yard!”
“Why not?” he said. Mrs. Hoppy could
no longer have sugar, and she gave Jonny a
frozen apple pie, some ice cream, and a
box of chocolate éclairs.
When he got home, Mom was writing a
list in the kitchen. “I had a perfect idea!”
she said. “This year for Thanksgiving,
we’ll have turkey franks!”
“…hot dogs?” Jonny asked, though
nothing would surprise him lately.
“And that way, I can afford your dad’s
favorite green bean casserole and his
favorite gravy, and sweet potatoes. We
can be really ‘swanky’ and have an hors
d’oeuvre—chips and onion dip!
“Well, here’s dessert,” Jonny said,
showing his mom what Ms. Hoppy had
sent before putting it in the freezer.
He looked down at that string again…
Look at the string on the child’s finger. He was
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grateful his mom could always find
something to be happy about.
He tossed the dollar on the table. “If
we’re having hot dogs, you might need
catsup or mustard…”
“Come to the store and help me,” Mom
said. “Maybe you’ll see something to add
to the table with that dollar—something
you’d really like.”
It was the last trip Jonny wanted to
make… watching other people buy huge
turkeys and lobster side dishes while they
bought hotdogs.
But he noticed that string on his finger …
Study the string on the child’s finger… “Beats
sitting around here,” he said. “Why not?”
His mom watched her pennies carefully,
but the price of gravy was double what it
had been last Thanksgiving.
“Inflation!” Mom rolled her eyes. “When
will it ever end?”
Maybe it wouldn’t, Jonny thought. But
he’d been playing with that dirty old
string while helping mom shop. It had
inspired him to reach high on the shelves
for an old person who couldn’t reach, and
catch a toddler who was running from her
harried mom with the baby in the cart.
He’d helped lift a 30-pound bag of dog
food for a man with a limp and told the
butcher his turkeys looked great.
You never have to stop making others feel
good. And that makes you feel good, he
realized. I would not have realized how
much fun it is to help others if it weren’t
for bad times…and this stupid string!
He handed his mom the dollar. “What I’d
really like on the table is dad’s favorite
gravy.”
Jonny was bagging their groceries and not
really listening to his mom and the
cashier until suddenly his mom started
laughing hysterically.
The checkout girl looked confused.
“What’s funny?” Jonny asked, starting to
feel tired from raking, lifting, dog
walking, and chasing babies.
“Say it again,” Mom motioned at the
cashier and jerked a thumb at Jonny.
“Say it so he can hear.”
The cashier was looking a bit crabby
herself. It was a year for bad moods,
Jonny supposed.
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“I was just telling your mom that her
super bucks add up. Maybe she wants
you to pick. Do you want your free turkey,
or do you want the free ham?”
Jonny remembered suddenly…his mom
had earned her superbucks every year at
the supermarket. But she had always
donated the turkey or ham they’d earned
to charity because they’d had plenty of
money in years past. Hence, Jonny’s mom
had simply forgotten it.
“We’ll take the free turkey!” she told the
girl. “And can you please take back these
hotdogs?”
The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:19
that “God will supply all your needs,
according to his riches and glory.” He
didn’t mean that God would give us
enough food to be unhealthy or that He
would make money grow on trees. Some
of our needs are to learn to rely on God,
to do for others regardless of how little we
have, and to learn to be thankful in all
situations.
Look what all it got Jonny. He got fresh
air in his lungs from raking leaves. He
got the joy of laughter while giving a dog a
chance to play. He made two homes on
his street glow with the warmth of
neighborly friendship. And for
Thanksgiving, he had turkey, all his dad’s
favorite side dishes, and a wonderful
desert.
God’s riches and glory feed your heart,
soul and mind as well as your belly. Other
Thanksgivings will become dim
memories. But Jonny will remember that
one clearly well into his twilight years.
And when seated at the table that year, he
found himself saying, “Thanks, God. You
work in mysterious but fun ways.
Especially thanks for Grandma and that
silly string!”
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Object Lesson: Lord, Make me a Servent on Thanksgiving
Note: Lesson includes a tasty apple snack for the end!
Household object: Serving Spoon
Introduction
Sylvia Serving Spoon makes a great
Thanksgiving story. She was just an old spoon,
and she really wished she’d been born ornate and
large and pretty like Lilly Lenox Dish or Tiffany
Platter, or graceful like Sir Lawrence Linen
Napkin. They got all the attention on the
Thanksgiving table, and all she got was used!
Then she realizes that by being a servant, she got
to taste everything.
Materials
An old stainless serving spoon
A pretty serving dish or platter
A pretty serving bowl
A pretty linen napkin
Some other serving dishes or plates (don’t
have to be as nice)
Apple pie, enough for all students to have a
piece
Serving plates for students for the pie
Plastic forks
Preparation
1. Cut the pie before class starts, then put it
aside.
2. Set a paper plate, napkin and fork out for
each student at the table.
3. Put the serving dish, bowl and napkin on the
table in front of you.
4. Fold the linen napkin in some pretty way.
Lesson
Today let’s take a trip back to the Land of
Make Believe….where all things are
possible… Hold up Sylvia Serving Spoon. And
anything can become a real person.
Meet Sylvia Serving Spoon. If you’re a
serving spoon, the Thanksgiving Table is
like the prom or something. All the dishes
get dressed up with beautiful food. Dip
Sylvia in the bowls. And the people at the
table rave about how pretty and tasty
everything is. Hold up Lawrence Linen
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Napkin. And they put linen up to their
mouths and eat with pretty manners.
Sylvia Serving Spoon is really excited.
She’s been cast into the back of an old
drawer for years now. She really wants to
be a part of this super luxurious
Thanksgiving table.
Once the guests are seated, she notices
how pretty all the dishes are. “Look at
Lilly Lenox Dish!” She tells herself. All
decked out in stuffing with real
cranberries and so many beautiful spices.
She looks like a wedding dish! And
Tiffany Platter? Why, she’s all dressed in
turkey! Everybody’s got on something
except….
Shake Sylvia a little this way and that.
Except me! I’m just a dumb serving
spoon. There’s no way to dress me up!
Sylvia suddenly felt horrible, like the most
frumpy old thing on the table. She
became aware of her scratches, of the
fact that she didn’t shine so brightly.
Touch Lilly Lenox and Tiffany Platter and make
little laughing noise.
Sylvia just knew all the other dishes were
laughing at her plainness and her
scratches. Shake Lawrence Linen Napkin and
gasp. Did Lawrence Linen Napkin just say
I was fat???
And she noticed that as people passed her
around…they mentioned the beautiful
dishes, the great smelling food…but they
never mentioned her! They just passed
her round and round…
Pass Lilly Lenox Dish to the child next to you and
Sylvia Serving Spoon. Pretend it’s a real fest. Go
ahead! Pass all the dishes! Everyone use
Sylvia! Dip in!
As the dish goes around and the spoon, warn the
children….It’s a shame, but you see, it gets
kind of worse for Sylvia! The hostess has
a problem. She’s got all this beautiful
stuff. But she’s only got one serving
spoon. Sylvia also has to do all the work!
Is that not fair or what?!
Pass Tiffany Platter. Sylvia suddenly
knows…she’s got the worst deal under the
sun! Her silly owner was so busy
preparing food that she forgot to polish
the other serving utensils. You can’t put
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tarnished and smutty pieces full of
carbon on the table.
Well, the owner is trying to distract
everyone from Sylvia by pointing out this
dish and that. Sylvia just…goes ahead
with it. There’s got to be something good
in this situation. Doesn’t the Lord say,
“In everything give thanks, for this is the
will of God?” Especially on
Thanksgiving??
So she just tastes a bit of this and a bit of
that and helps out the dinner guests as
best she can. And she begins to notice.
Gee, these YAMS taste really good!
MMMM! And these baked potatoes? Start
passing around what other dishes you have. Have
Sylvia be passed all around the table.
Yummy! I’ve never tasted such a fresh
turkey, she notes. What awesome green
beans! What delicious waldorf salad!
Hey! Maybe I am having a good time!
And the more she thought of to be
thankful for, the more things came to
mind! “I started out being a little
thankful, and suddenly I can think of lots
of things!”
I’m glad I’m just a scratched up ole
drawer spoon! That’s because…I don’t
tarnish. I might not be really pretty…but
I don’t get really ugly either! I’m rock
steady! I shine just enough all the time.
I may be the humblest servant at this
party, but hey! I just thought of
something else.
Ask for Sylvia Spoon back, and have her “jump
up and down” like a puppet. Tiffany Platter
and Lilly Lenox might be a lot prettier.
But because I’m the humblest servant, I
got to taste everything at this table! And
Lilly and Tiffany only got to taste one
thing!
In Matthew 20:126, Jesus said, “In the
Kingdom of Heaven, the first will be last,
and the last, first.”
Instead of trying to be the prettiest or the
biggest or the bestest or the shiniest…
Let’s take a lesson from Sylvia Serving
Spoon this year. Let’s try to be the best
servants to others. People may not notice
us right off…but there’s loooooong-term
rewards coming our way.
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For one… we’ll get to taste all of God’s
blessings…
And when we get to eternity, we’ll get to
hear him say, “Well done, good and
faithful servant! You are now first in the
Kingdom of Heaven!”
This turned out to be the best
Thanksgiving ever! Let’s get Sylvia to
help us serve us apple pie!
Serve Apple pie to students using Sylvia.
Note: Your students can play our game included,
“Thankful ABC’s” while eating…
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Object Lesson: The Tangerine
MESSAGE:
God gives us thousands of things to be thankful
for each day. Yet sometimes we can only think of
a few things at a time, or we keep thanking Him
for the same few things over and over while not
even seeing the rest. Thanksgiving is a time for
thanking God for all the blessings in our lives. A
simple tangerine can help us see lots of ways to
be thankful and can trigger us to think of more.
RELATED SCRIPTURES:
James 1: 17
OBJECTS NEEDED:
One tangerine and one paper plate for each
child; one container of squeeze-out chocolate
syrup, one cup of rainbow jimmies or coconut,
one spoon. If tangerines are not in season in
your area, navel oranges will do. Make sure fruit
is ripe enough to peel easily.
PREPARATION:
If fruit is not peeling easily, peel yourself with a
paring knife before the start of class. Put out
paper plates. Keep the fruit in a bag where it
won’t distract.
LESSON:
James 1: 17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is
from above, coming down from the Father of the
heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting
shadows.” So who should be the Person we
thank for all our blessings on Thanksgiving?
Answer: God.
Let’ts talk about some of the things we are
thankful for today. Who wants to say something
they’re thankful for?
Take various answers; it will generally be things like toys
and clothes.
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We remember to give thanks, but oftentimes, it’s
for things that seem really big and expensive or
time consuming. Like that giant toy, that
electronic gismo, that great grade in school.
When we remember to be thankful, we are
thanking Him for the same things over and over,
and we’re not seeing the rest. God’s incredible
blessings are all around us. It’s easier to see when
we remember to thank Him for the simple things,
too.
For one, he made this simple, little tangerine. It
looks like no big deal, but there’s a secret behind
it. Lots of secrets, actually. You see, often God
tries to tell us things about Himself in the things
that He makes for us. But you have to believe in
Him and be receptive to what He has to say
about Himself.
Hold your tangerine up.
Look at this almost perfect piece of fruit. Do you
think, by looking at this, that God cares about
color?
Answer: Yes!
When God created the world, it was important to
Him that we have interesting things to look at.
He is quite an artist, the way he designed fruit,
isn’t he? That’s one secret. God is a great
painter, who likes having fun with colors. Let’s
touch it. What does a tangerine feel like?
Pass it around the class.
Tangerines are kind of miraculous. They’re kind
of wrinkled, but they’re also kind of smooth at
the saem time, aren’t they? How is it that
something can be kind of opposite things at
once? Kind of rough, yet kind of smooth?
Let them either answer or think about that.
And tangerines are also kind of soft, but feel the
nice protective shell that God gave to it. He’s
trying to protect it, so that by the time we eat it, it
won’t be all bruised and torn up. Hence, it’s shell
is kind of soft, but it still protective.
By looking that this tangerine, would you say that
God cares about the way things feel?
Answer: Yes.
Secret number two: God is sensual. He cares
about how things feel to us. He could have made
us out of metal instead of out of flesh and blood.
But he wanted us to know soft and hard and
warm and smooth. He had some fun making
those sensations and making us. Let’s peel the
skin away and start seeing what’s underneath.
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Begin to peel your tangerine. Stick it to your nose. Pass it
around and tell them to do the same.
Do you think, by putting this to your nose, that
God cares about how things smell?
Answer: Yes!
God could have created people without noses, but
we can be thankful for all the great smells of life!
I can still remember how my mom smelled like
perfume when I was a little girl. When she was
getting ready to go out, I used to stand behind
her and…breathe in deeply. MMM! She smelled
good.
And how many of you do this? You come home
after being outside or at a friend’s house, and you
walk in your front door, and …breathe in deeply.
You can tell it’s meatloaf, or one of your favorites!
Let them announce some of the things they like to smell
from the kitchen.
We surely can thank God that He created noses,
and that some great smells from our childhood
will stay with our precious memories into
adulthood. And let’s move along…
Break off one section of the tangerine and chew and
swallow it.
Based on how a tangerine tastes, do we think that
God cares about how things taste?
Answer: Yes!
God gave us so many great tastes that we can be
thankful for. What are your favorite things to taste?
Let them announce some things they like to taste the most.
We can thank God for giving us mouths and taste
buds. He could have created a race of beings
where, if we needed nutrition, we just shoved
some rock-shaped thing into our sides and started
digesting it. But God wanted us to know “sweet”
and “sour” and “buttery” and “chocolate-y” and
“cheesy.”
With this one, beautiful little tangerine, God has
given us reasons to give thanks for touch, sight,
smell and taste.
Give out tangerines to all.
Now you can peel your own tangerine. Stop to
touch, see, smell…but only taste ONE section!
We have another way to understand God by
using the rest.
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Oversee, and make sure no one eats more than one slice.
Tell them to thank God as they touch, smell, taste…
One final thing we can do each time we eat a
tangerine…we can use the sections to think of
things to thank God for.
Start separating the sections of your tangerine, laying them
down one at a time. As you go, say
God, we have so much to thank you for, just for
today! Thank you for…
…the nice soft blankets that I woke up to this
morning that kept me warm all night. Lay down a
slice
…the hot water to use with my shower, since
many people don’t have hot water! Lay down a
slice
…the cool air blowing in my window that already
smells like snow…to remind me that Christmas is
coming! Lay down a slice
…for the sounds of my family around me, since
many people are lonely… Lay down a slice
…for the warm, good muffin I ate for breakfast
and the butter that melted into it… Lay down a
slice
…for my car that got me safely to church so I
didn’t have to walk for miles… Lay down a slice
…for my friends, whom I enjoy seeing in
church… Lay down a slice
…for our warm and cozy church building, as
many people around the world have to worship
outside or in tents or in basements! Lay down a
slice
…and finally God, thank you for giving me the
gift of teaching and all these wonderful kids to
teach every Sunday… Lay down your last slice.
Everyone, silently peel away your slices, one by
one, and think of the things to be thankful for
that are simple like my things…the things you
can easily forget, maybe just since you woke up
this morning…
Allow them time to do this.
Being thankful is kind of magical. When you
give thanks to God, He gives more back to you.
There is the old saying to do with both giving and
gratitude: “You can’t out-give God!” For all your
thanks, He wanted you to have something even
more special today. …
Get out the chocolate syrup and the jimmies. Put
a blotch of each on each child’s plate so they can
dip their tangerine sections before eating them.
Let’s give thanks and enjoy!
CONCLUDING PRAYER:
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Father, thank you for all you give to us, and
especially on Thanksgiving, we’d like to
remember the simple things that we find so easy
to forget…like the gifts of sight, the gift of great
smells, the wonder of touching your creations,
and the wonderful joys of eating them! Amen.
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Craft: Silly String Rings to Practice Charity on Thanksgiving
Using the example of “Jonny and the Silly
String,” make silly string rings that kids can wear
home Thanksgiving Week. When they look
down, the ring will prompt them to be thankful
for what they have…and to think of someone
who doesn’t have it quite as good as we have it.
Acts of good will may come naturally!
Materials
• String - Cut string into six-inch pieces,
enough for each child to have one
• Scissors
• Colorful craft beads (with holds in both
ends), one for each child
• Table fork
Instructions
1. What’s most important is helping kids
tie a knot loosely enough that the ring
can come off without much effort, but
tightly enough that it won’t fall off five
minutes later.
a. Practice this method on yourself
or your assistant a couple times:
b. Have the child hold his hand up
with his fingers spread out very
straight.
c. With his other hand, have him
hold up a table fork so that the tips
of the prongs are just above the
bottom of his ring finger
d. Tie the string so that it includes
two of the prongs. Tie it securely
in a double know without
wrinkling the skin.
e. Pull the prong out, and the string
should fit snugly but should pull
off
2. After tying the double knot, thread a
bead through one of the ends.
3. Tie it in a double knot off to the side
4. Cut both ends off the string so that they
are very short.
Discussion
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Jonny was able to do nice things for
his neighbors, just by thinking of some
things he had that they didn’t. Can you
think of neighbors who are elderly or
unwell or down on their luck? What nice
things might you do for them? Let kids take
turns answering.
When Jonny was in the
supermarket, he helped a lot of people.
Before that day, he hadn’t really seen
people needing help. It’s like he was
looking right through them. What helped
him remember to help others? Seeing the
string.
When you wear your string this
week, what can it do to make your life full
of God’s riches and glory? Remind us when
to help people…people we weren’t really seeing
before.
How many of you think you can
really find people to help by wearing your
string ring? What else might you have to
do? Ask God to remind you through the
Holy Spirit. I can’t wait to see you all next
week and hear how your string ring
helped you have a better and more
enriched Thanksgiving!
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Craft: Small Blessings Treat Holders
In everything give thanks, says first Thessalonians
5—and tough economic times provide a great
opportunity to do just that. These miniature
treat holders contain a minimum amount of
treats, and they’ll remind students to thank God
for the small stuff !
Materials
• Cardboard egg cartons
• Orange, brown and yellow craft paint
• Tissue paper (white, or any other color
available.)
• Scissors
• Small googly eyes (available in most craft
stores. If not available make eyes from white
and black construction paper.)
• Glue
• Small treats (M&Ms, jelly beans, mini
chocolate chip cookies, etc.)
• If needed, white and black construction
paper
• Plain white bond paper
• Pen or pencil
Introduction
Today we will be making “small blessings
treat holders” and we’ll be filling them
with small blessings! This Thanksgiving
one out of every 8 people is without a job.
Lots of families have lost homes. Times
are challenging! But that’s when we can
begin to thank God for the small stuff—
and he blesses us so many little times
every day. This craft can help us think of
those times!
Instructions
1. Cut individual egg cups from cartons.
2. Paint each egg cup yellow, orange or
brown. (We want cups of different colors.)
3. Cut three inch squares from tissue paper.
4. Put a dab of glue in the middle of the
cup. This will keep tissue paper in place.
5. Press tissue paper inside of the egg cup.
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6. Glue two Google eyes on each cup. If
Google eyes are not available, cut white
circles for eyes and a smaller black circle
for eyeballs.
7. On a small piece of white bond paper
write “Thank you God, for the small
stuff.”
8. Fold paper into a small square and place
in treat cup.
9. Fill the cup with treats.
Conclusion
Everybody hold off from eating your
treats. For every treat we eat, let’s take
turns thinking of one little thing God did
for us today!
Go around the table, and as each student says
“God helped me find my slippers,” or “God
made the sun come out,” etc., they can eat one of
their little treats. Go around a couple of times
before letting them either eat the rest or take
them home.
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Craft: Cage Free Colored Eggs
We often associate colored eggs with Easter. But
with the emphasis today on Cage Free Chickens,
we’ve not only got greater humanity—we’ve got
eggs the color of turkeys. They make great
decorations for the Thanksgiving table or
sideboard. Farmers setting their chickens free is
wonderful news. And it’s a lot like how Jesus sets
us free from the cages of sin.
Materials
Brown cage free eggs, hard boiled, enough for
everyone in the class to have one or two
Marker pens
Craft store feathers (optional)
Orange and yellow felt
Hole punch
Green and orange construction paper, two
sheets of each
Scissors
Stick glue
Staple
Preparation
1. Hard boil eggs the night before and
refrigerate.
2. Using the orange and yellow felt, create tiny
beaks and eyes for the turkey faces that will
be on the eggs.
a. The beak will be a tiny, upside-down
orange triangle. Cut them out with
scissors.
b. The eyes will be round yellow circles
with a black dot in the middle. Use a
hold punch to make them out of the
yellow felt.
3. Put all in a Ziploc bag.
4. Cut Green construction paper into strips
½-inch thick. You are going to staple each
into a ring that the little egg turkey can fit
in. So you might want to practice rolling
the strip up and stapling it at the right size
such that the turkey fits and stands up.
5. If you don’t get craft store features, make
tiny feathers out of the brown and green
construction paper, four for each student.
Cut out the shape of a tiny feather then
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make little cuts on a slant and spread them
so that the construction paper has the look
of a feather.
Instructions
1. Have students design faces on their egg
turkey. First they should apply the orange
beak nose and eyes. Then they can add
their black dot to each eye.
2. They can draw on little smiles below the
nose, then add eye brows and wavy lines
down near the “chin” to be the gobbler.
3. The can add feathers to the top, in a pile,
but with some facing opposite directions.
They can fill in other feathers by drawing
them on.
4. Finally, they should put stick glue on their 1-
inch strips, all along the edge. This will not
only help hold the base together, but when
they stick the egg in, it will stick.
5. Reinforce the stand with a staple before
sticking the egg in.
Conclusion
It used to be that farmers were not
thinking about the chickens at all.
Chickens had to spend their entire lives in
a little cage that was no bigger than a foot
tall and a foot wide. They had to walk on
wires if they walked at all, and they were
very sad.
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Craft: Milk Carton Bird Feeders
One way to show thanks is by doing something
nice for somebody else. That includes the birds!
Kids who want to really show thanks for their
holiday meal can make a Thanksgiving for birds
—usng these feeders.
Materials • An empty gallon milk carton
• Thin wire or strong string
• Scissors
• Marker
• Birdseed
• Markers or paint (optional for decoration)
• Wooden dowel or sturdy tree twig
• Stapler
• Construction paper
Instructions
1. Clean an empty milk carton with hot water
and rinse thoroughly.
2. With marker, outline two large holes to be cut
on two opposing sides of the carton. Cut out
holes.
3. Staple the top edges of the carton closed, so it
looks like a slanted roof.
4. Leave about two or three feet of strong string
or wire hanging while wrapping the
remainder around the base of the holes.
After the string has been wrapped around a
few times, leave about two or three feet
hanging.
5. Staple the hanging end of string to the
carton. Now take the two hanging ends and
tie them together.
6. Make small holes under the large cut-out
holes. Push a wooden dowel (available in
hobby shops) or a strong slender tree twig
through the carton leaving about three inches
sticking out on both sides to make a perch for
the bird.
7. Cut construction paper to fit around the
carton. Paste and decorate with colored pens.
It is optional to paint instead of using
construction paper.
8. Fill the carton with birdseed up to the holes
and hang on a tree branch.
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Note: Older children can follow the same
process using a plastic
milk jug, which will last longer outside.
Discussion
Job 38:41 says that God “hears the cries of
newborn ravens crying to Him for food.”
Jesus said that not a single bird falls to the
ground and dies without our Heavenly
Father knowing it (Matthew 10:29). God
cares for the smallest of birds, and you
can too—especially now that the weather
is getting cold. If you’re really thankful
for all your blessings, do unto others as
you would have them do under you. That
includes the birds! Hang your birdhouse
up outside when you get home. And when
you’re having Thanksgiving dinner, you
can feel great about having given the birds
Thanksgiving dinner also!
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Craft: God’s Lil Turkeys
As Christians, we all have little things in common
with turkeys. This lesson will show! This craft,
making God’s lil turkeys, will give kids a laugh
and a great feeling of being loved by their
Heavenly Father
Materials:
• Nine inch Styrofoam craft balls, 1 for
each child
• Four inch Styrofoam craft ball, 1 for each
child
• Craft sticks, 2 for each child
• Brown and orange craft paint
• Google eyes, 2 for each child
• Yellow felt for beaks. If yellow felt is not
available, make beak from yellow
construction paper.)
• Craft paper in color of choice for
feathers.
• Scissors
• Glue
• Straight pins (if needed)
Introduction
As Christians, we all have little things in
common with turkeys. Compared to God
and all his wisdom, we’re not all that
bright. We spend a lot of time gobbling
(complaining and acting fearful) instead
of crowing about God’s good news. The
greatest thanks we can give on
Thanksgiving is for our great turkey
farmer—the Lord himself—who gladly
takes on the impossible task of making us
into roosters. Let’s make Lil Turkeys—
just like us—to put in the Lord’s good
hands!
Instructions
1. Cut a sliver off the bottom of the nine
inch ball so that it will sit on a surface
without rolling.
2. Paint the nine inch ball with dark brown
craft paint.
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3. Paint the four inch ball with light brown
(tan) craft paint. (Tan paint can be made
by mixing brown paint with white paint.)
4. While waiting for the paint to dry, make
“feathers” by cutting different colored
construction paper into approximately ten
inch by two inch strips. (Longer if
needed).
5. Round off the tops of each strip so that it
looks like a feather, and then fold each
strip lengthwise to form a seam.
6. On each strip write one word of the
following: GOD WATCHES OVER ME
NOW AND FOREVER GOBBLE!
GOBBBLE!
7. Attach the smaller ball (the head) to the
larger ball to the body of the turkey with
a wooden craft stick.
8. Create facial features using Google eyes, a
piece of yellow construction paper or felt
to form a beak, and a piece of red
construction paper to form the wattle.
Glue eyes to the head. Use straight pins
or glue to stick beak and wattle on the
head.
9. Glue wooden craft sticks to the bottom
third of the feathers and insert into the
body of the turkey in a fan shape.
Conclusion
The Bible says: “Let us not become
weary in doing good, for at the proper
time, we will reap a harvest if we do
not give up (Galatians 6:9).” God
wants us to know that our hard work
does not go unnoticed. If we go to
Sunday school, pray, and listen to the
word of the Lord, then God will
reward us, not only by giving us
eternal life in Heaven….but with
blessings here on earth as well! Next
time you are tiring at studying, or
chores, or even being Christian,
remember God is watching and He
won’t let your hard work go unnoticed.
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Craft: Hand Print Turkey (For Younger Kids)
Thanksgiving wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without
a child’s handprint turkey. Even though you may
have done this before, each new class of
youngsters will love doing this. It also gives us the
opportunity to teach young children that Jesus
always hears our prayers and wants to hold our
hands.
Materials:
• Light colored construction paper
• Pencil
• Marker
• Crayons
Introduction
We’ll make turkeys by tracing our hands.
First Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In
everything give thanks, for this is the will
of God.” Our turkeys will help us
remember that THANKS is the most
important part of Thanksgiving.
Instructions
1. Place child’s hand on sheet of light brown
construction paper. (If light brown is not
available, use any light color.)
2. Have child trace around his or her hand
with pencil. (If child cannot manage this,
one of the older children can help.)
3. When pencil tracing is made, go over it
with dark marker.
4. Use black crayon to draw the turkey’s eye
and mouth on the thumb.
5. Use red crayon to draw the turkey’s
wattle, and yellow crayon to draw the
beak.
6. Use different colors for each of the fingers
which will be the turkey’s feathers.
7. Ask each child to tell the class what they
are thankful for.
8. At the top of the paper, I AM
THANKFUL FOR…and let them fill in
things they are thankful for on the turkey’s
finger “feathers”. If child has not yet
learned to write, one of the older children
can write for them.
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Game: Show Me the Feathers
This race to the finish will not only help kids be
thankful—it will get them thinking fast! At the
end, they’ll have an art project to put on the wall!
Materials:
• 2 brown poster boards
• 9 pages of colored printer paper
(preferably 3 red, 3 green, 3 yellow)
• Scissors
• 2 glue sticks
• 2 thick black markers
• Duct tape
Object
Students will race to fill their team’s turkey with
feathers while challenging their minds to be as
thankful as possible.
Introduction
During Thanksgiving dinner, many
families have everyone take a turn to say
something we are thankful for. We mainly
say a few of the bigger, more important
things, like our health, family and
friends. But there are thousands of things
that we are thankful for that we might
take for granted. Take a good night’s
sleep, a nice fall day, or even a quiet night
at home spent with family. Little things
are often so common, that they go
unnoticed, that we forget how important
they are to us until they’re gone. That’s
what makes it so hard to remember them
when we are giving thanks. Today, we’re
going to challenge ourselves to think of
the little things as we play a game.
Preparation
• Turn each poster board length wise and
draw the outline of a feather-less turkey.
• Using the duct tape, hang the turkeys five
inches apart on a wall.
• Cut out ovals in the colored paper that
are four inches long and one inch wide.
These will be the feathers. You should get
twelve feathers per sheet of paper.
• Mix up the colors.
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Instructions
1. If possible, divide the class in half making
to even teams.
2. Have each team sit in a straight line 10
feet in front of their turkey.
3. Place half of the feathers, a glue stick,
and a black marker beside the first person
in each line.
4. When you say “Go!” students will have
three minutes to get as many feathers
glued onto their turkey as possible.
5. In order to decorate the turkey, the
student must first write something they
are thankful for on a feather.
6. They will then put some glue on the back
of the feather.
7. Next they will run up to their team’s
turkey and stick it on the outline of the
turkey.
8. They may not repeat items within their
team; all feathers on one turkey must have
something different written on them.
9. Once one student runs up to the turkey,
each team member behind them will
scoot up a space.
10. The next person in line may begin to
write on a feather but will not be allowed
to run up to the turkey until the person in
front of them is seated at the end of the
line.
11. Only one person from each team is to be
standing at all times.
12. Students may only write on one feather
per turn.
13. They may not help each other to think of
thankful items; each item must come from
the person writing it.
14. Once three minutes is up, count the
feathers on each turkey.
15. Whichever team has the most feathers,
wins.
Conclusion
Look at all of the things we are thankful
for. While celebrating Thanksgiving, there
is an emphasis for us to be thankful. But
God wants us to be thankful each and
every day. And if we just think of some
little things, we will be able make every
day a little like Thanksgiving.
1 Chronicles 23:30 says of the people of
Israel: “They were to stand every
morning to thank and praise the Lord.
They were to do the same in the evening.”
Thanks is very enjoyable to God!
Let’s keep our turkeys on the wall to
remind us to be thankful for several
weeks!
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Game: Plenty of Peas
Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time of plenty.
Racing with plenty of peas will help students will
helps students remember that thanks should be
for the small stuff, too!
Materials:
• Box of straws (enough so that each
student gets one straw)
• 1 Bag of dried peas
• 4 Bowls
Object
Students will carry a pea across the room and
drop it into a bowl; the catch is that they can only
use a straw.
Introduction
The meaning of Thanksgiving is in the
name itself. Just switch the two words,
Giving Thanks. It’s that simple. This a
day where we can celebrate the things we
do for each other and the things God did
and does for us each day. We’ll revisit this
thought later, after we play a game.
Preparation
• Dump a half of a bag of dried peas into
two bowls.
Instructions
1. If possible, divide the class into two even
teams.
2. Have the teams form two straight lines
three feet apart.
3. Place a bowl of frozen peas beside the
first person in each line.
4. Ten feet in front of both lines, place an
empty bowl.
5. Give each person in line a straw.
6. When you saw “Go!” the first person in
each line will pick up a pea and will place
it in the center of their flat hand.
7. Next they will place the straw in their
mouth and will suck in so that the pea is
stuck at the other end of the straw.
8. They will then walk (no running with
straws in mouths!) the ten feet to the other
bowl.
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9. Once there, they will drop the pea into
the bowl.
10.If a student drops a pea before they get to
the bowl, it doesn’t count and they must
go back and try again.
11.If the pea doesn’t land in the bowl, they
must also go back and try again.
12.Repeat steps six through nine until two
minutes is up.
13.Count the peas in each far bowl.
14.Whichever team has the most peas, wins.
Closing
Peas are small. But each of the peas is
like one of those little things we should be
thankful for that we sometimes forget.
Everybody think of one thing that
happened already today that you can be
thankful for. Let them think and take some
answers.
Let’s not be pea-heads! Let’s thank God
for that thing with our whole hearts.
Psalm 92:1 says, “It is good to give thanks
to the Lord.” So let’s be sure to do so…
especially with Thanksgiving coming up!
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Game: Thankful ABC’s
Materials
None
Object
Students will list the things that they are thankful
for using the letters in the alphabet.
Introduction
We have a thousand zillion things to be
thankful for. But sometimes it’s hard to
think of many at all! Here’s one thing to
be thankful for: The Alphabet! Why?
Because it’s going to help us think of all
sorts of things to be thankful for!
Instructions
1. Have students sit in a circle or side-by-side.
Have the first student say “I’m thankful
for….” something that starts with the letter
“A”.
2. The second student will say “I’m thankful
for…” whatever the first student said,
followed by something that starts with the
letter “B”.
3. The third student will say “I’m thankful
for…” whatever the first and second student
said, plus something that starts with the letter
“C”.
4. The game continues until the class reaches
the end of the alphabet.
5. If there are more than 26 students, you can
separate the class into two different groups
and have them each play separately.
6. If there are less than twenty-six students, the
students will keep going around in the circle
until all letters have been covered.
Closing
The Bible says: “Now, our God, we give
you thanks, and praise your glorious
name!” (1Chronicles 29:13)
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Game: Chopstick Thanks
Application
God wants us to be thankful for the little things in
life as well as the big! This game will help
reinforce that desire.
Materials
Chopsticks, 1 pair for each child
2 unshelled walnuts
2 green beans
2 cranberries
2 bread squares from a bag of stuffing
Object
Students will pass along different sized objects
using nothing but chopsticks.
Introduction
God wants us to be thankful at Thanksgiving for
our huge meal. But he also wants us to
remember His part in the little things we get
every day. Sunshine to bring us light, sidewalks to
walk on, birds to make pretty singing, the smell of
your dad’s cologne…there are a million little
things we have to be thankful for, and some
people go their whole lives without thanking God
for any! Let’s do better! While we’re passing
little things…let’s say prayers of thanks for the
little things God does.
Instructions
1. Have the class sit in two circles, forming two
teams.
2. Give each child a pair or chopsticks and
pick one child on each team to start the
game.
3. Hand the starter child the unshelled walnut
and have him/her place it in between their
chopsticks.
4. Have them pass the walnut to the next
player using only their chopsticks.
5. As she passes, she should thank God for
some little thing: “Thanks, God, for
sunshine!” or “Thanks, God, for buttons!”
Originality is grand!
6. The next child will repeat these steps with
whoever is next to them and so on.
7. Once the walnut has made it around the
circle, repeat the steps above with the green
bean, cranberry and bread square.
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8. If a child drops an object, he must say
“thanks, God, for [something else]” before
picking it up and passing it. If the object
drops while one child is passing to another,
both must thank God for something small.
9. The first team to pass all the objects wins.
Closing
We were able to think of a lot little things
to be thankful for, weren’t we? What were
some of the favorites that you heard from
your teammates? Let them discuss.
Remember 1 Timothy 5:18: “In
everything give thanks, for this is the will
of God in Christ Jesus concerning you!”
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Snack: Healthy People Salad
While stuffing ourselves with gravy, potatoes,
dressing, pie and hors d’oeuvres on Thanksgiving,
it’s easy to forget that our bodies are the temple of
the Holy Spirit (and therefore we shouldn’t
engorge ourselves)! This healthy snack will not
only be appreciated by parents if served the
Sunday after Thanksgiving…it will also help kids
can their body temples back on track!
Material
• Half canned peach
• Curly lettuce
• Large marshmallow
• Raisins
• Maraschino cherry
• Shredded yellow cheese
• Celery
• Peanut butter (or cream cheese if needed)
Introduction
Apostle Paul in1 Corinthians 9:27, “I
discipline my body and keep it under
control.” That’s because our bodies are a
“temple” of the Holy Spirit! But what
happens on Thanksgiving?? We tend to
overeat and stretch out our pillars! This
snack will help us get back to being sturdy
and temperate temples.
Instructions
1. Place peach half on plate, flat side. (That will be the “body” of the figure we are making.)
2. Place curly lettuce leaves around the bottom of the “body”. (That will be the skirt on the figure.)
3. Place large marshmallow above the peach for the head.
4. Cut celery to size and fill with peanut butter. (In case of allergies, cream cheese can be used instead.)
5. Place one celery piece on each side of the body for arms.
6. Place two celery pieces beneath the “skirt” for legs.
7. Use raisins to make eyes, nose and buttons, and feet. (Place buttons on body of figure.)
8. Use a slice of the maraschino cherry to make the mouth.
9. Use shredded cheese to make hair.
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Conclusion
Let’s thank God for our special holidays
when we can stuff ourselves full. But then
let’s also thank him that we don’t eat like
that every day! How big and out of shape
would we be? If we want to be good
temples of the Holy Spirit , let’s
remember to snack healthily and in
moderation, and to eat our veggies every
day. And of course…we’ll look forward to
our Thanksgiving feast again next year.
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Snack: Reeses Peanut Butter Hats
These yummy treats will give an opportunity to
tell the story of how the early pilgrims gave
thanks to God for a successful harvest. They
prepared a feast using the fruits of that harvest
and invited Native Americans who helped them
survive when they first arrived.
Ingredients
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
• Chocolate icing
• Strip of black licorice (that comes in strips which can be pulled apart vertically and cut to size)
• Paper plates
• Any flat surface cookie
Instructions
1. Place cookie on a paper plate.
2. Cover cookie with brown icing. (If you
can find chocolate covered cookies it is
not necessary to use chocolate icing.)
3. Place unwrapped mini Reese’s peanut
butter cup on center of cookie, wide side
down, and use a dab of icing to press into
place.
4. Place a strip of black liquorish just around
the bottom of the cup to form band
around the “hat.”
5. Use yellow icing to make gold buckle on
band of the hat. (Orange Chiclets can be
used instead of yellow icing, if available.)
6. Note: The chocolate on the cookie will
form the brim. If there is still space on
the cookie after the brim is formed, cover
that space with white icing.
Conclusion
There are many references in the Bible in
which Jesus tells his disciples to “follow
Me,” even if it meant giving up all their
possessions to do that. Those pilgrims
who left their homes so that they may
practice their religious beliefs set across a
massive ocean and came to an unknown
world with few of their possessions. But
they so much wanted to follow Jesus and
practice their own religion without
persecution that they put their faith in
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Him and trusted Him to help them make
that journey. Let’s remember those brave
pilgrims when we eat our Reese’s treat—
and also remember to follow Jesus where
ever he leads us…like they did.
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Snack: Trinity Apple Cider
Materials
• Apple Cider, enough for every student to have
a cup
• Cinnamon Sticks, several
• 1 can mandarin orange sections in syrup
• Wooden spoon
• Tall pitcher
• Can opener
• Strainer (if serving to very young children)
• Styrofoam cups, one for each student
• Canned whip cream
• Cherries
Preparation
Open the can of mandarin sections. Put all
materials on the table in front of the children.
Teacher’s Words:
Most of the things we thank the Lord for
on Thanksgiving are things we can taste,
touch, smell, hear or see. What about the
things we can’t see? Like the Father
Himself, his son Jesus, and the Holy
Spirit?
Our faith says that there is only ONE
God. Our heavenly father is God. Jesus is
God. The Holy Spirit is God. And yet the
Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are three
distinct beings. One God: three distinct
beings. How can we be thankful for what
we don’t even understand? Let’s try to
understand it.
The Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
—are sort of like this cider, these
cinnamon sticks, and these mandarin
orange sections. Very different, aren’t
they?
God the Father like this cider. Pour it into
the pitcher.
He fills the whole universe and is the
basis for all things.
Jesus is like these cinnamon sticks. He
had a physical body when he was here on
earth. Stir the cider using one of the sticks. He
made the gospel understandable to
mankind. He died for our sins, break a
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stick in two and drop both parts and the other
cinnamons sticks in the cider pitcher. Then He
went back up to be with God the Father.
When Jesus went up to heaven, he sent the
Holy Spirit, who is a lot like these
delicious mandarin sections. He
“sweetened life” for us. He fills us and
helps us know what to do every day. Pour
the mandarin sections and juice into the pitcher.
Stir with the wooden spoon.
Three distinct beings. ONE GOD. This
delicious and spicy cider is certainly ONE
RECIPE, isn’t it? It’s got the base, the
spice and the sweetener, and it will tasty
yummy. But we certainly can’t separate
out the tastes of cinnamon and mandarin
from the cider now, can we?
Have the assistant begin to pour into glasses. For
very young children, use the strainer, as they
might not like “things” floating in their beverage.
This whip cream is like us—we stand on
the Father, son and Holy Spirit and rely on
them to keep us afloat in life.
Add a squirt of whip cream on top of each glass.
The cherry…what is that? That’s like our
thanks! God the Father sent us Jesus, and
Jesus sent the Holy Spirit so that we can
rest safely in our lives on the love of the
Trinity! Let’s decorate ourselves with
thanks!
Add a cherry to each.
Let’s drink up and thank God for the
things we can’t see…like the Holy
Trinity…now that we understand it a little
better!
Serve.
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Snack: Space Wafer Sandwiches Show How God Softens Our Hearts
Materials
Box of spice wafers
Marshmallow fluff
Milk
Knife
Plates for serving cookies
Cups for serving milk
Preparation
Pour a glass of milk. Make sure the
marshmallow fluff opens easily so that you aren’t
struggling with it in the middle of the lesson.
Discussion
Take two spiced wafers out of the box and hold
them up together in one hand. Before I met
Jesus? I was a lot like this spice wafer. I
was very hard and dark. I kept falling
apart. Separate the two cookies. I knew I
needed spiritual help. I asked Jesus to
come fill my life.
Open your marshmallow fluff and spread some
on the wafers with a knife.
I was hard and dark. Jesus was “the
light”. He spread his love all through me.
Put the two cookies together so that they make a
marshmallow sandwich. Every day, I go into
God’s Word, which also is full of light. Lift
the cup of milk.
I take Jesus with me into the Word, so that
I can understand.
Dip the sandwich cookie in the milk.
It’s like a miracle! Reading God’s
wonderful word softens my heart right up.
And look! I’m not so dark, now that I’m
filled with the wisdom of God’s word, and
the love of Jesus keeps me together!
Take a bite of the cookie. Mm! I taste pretty
good too!
Pass out plates, cups, milk, cookies, and help the
children spread marshmallow fluff inside.
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Bible Science: Which Foods Contain Starch
Thanksgiving meals are full of starch. Along
with turkey and vegetables there are potatoes,
biscuits, corn and, of course, stuffing made from
bread. We’re not going to tell our students not to
stuff themselves on Thanksgiving Day. After all,
that’s what Thanksgiving is all about. But your
students might want to know which foods contain
starch and which one’s do not. This easy
experiment will help show!
Material
• Tincture of iodine (available at drug stores)
• Some cubes of foods that won’t spoil quickly such as fruit, potatoes, bread, cheese, cucumbers, celery.
• Newspaper
Introduction
When we talk about moderation we are
not only talking about moderation in
eating or drinking. We are also talking
about moderation in our lives. We are
talking about restraint, self-control, and
fairness. Pay attention to the words of 1
Corinthians 10:31 – “So whether you eat
or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the
glory of God. “
Instructions
1. Place the food cubes on the newspaper.
2. Ask students to guess which items contain starch.
3. Squeeze a tiny drop of iodine on each cube of food.
4. The iodine will turn purple with the starchy food items
Conclusion
Let’s thank God for our special holidays
when we can stuff ourselves full. But then
let’s also thank him that we don’t eat like
that every day! How big and out of shape
would we be? If we want to be good
temples of the Holy Spirit , let’s
remember to snack healthily and in
moderation, and to eat our veggies every
day. And of course…we’ll look forward to
our Thanksgiving feast again next year.
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Bible Science: Eggs Can Float in the Middle of a Glass of Water
An egg looks like one of the plainest of God’s
creations. But looks can be deceiving. Present a
new way for students to thank God for simple
things not just by examining an egg, but by
watching it behave in the strangest of ways!
Materials • One egg
• Water
• Salt
• A tall drinking glass
Introduction
Here’s what looks like one of God’s
plainest creations! Hold up an egg with a
scoff. The shell is just as plain as can be,
and egg shells are not strong… You always
have to worry about dropping one and
making Mom mad when it splats! It’s
gooey and hard to clean up if you do.
But wait a minute…examine the egg with
your fingers.
How did God make it so smooth?? How
did he make something so fragile drop
out of a klutzy chicken? What’s inside?
Crack it gently! You want the yolk in tact. Drop
it into a dish.
It looks like a little sunshine! Wow, how
did God make the yellow all stay together?
What a beautiful color!
And what wonderful nutrients eggs have!
Eggs provide protein! Calcium! Iron! It
doesn’t taste good yet, but what if we
cooked it into a hardboiled egg and added
the wonderful ingredients to make a
deviled egg?
Close your eyes and pray: Thank you, God!
For amazing eggs!
Pretend you’re hearing something from God:
What?? What do you mean, it does even
more? What do you mean, an egg will
float?? The eggs I’ve always dropped in
water fall right to the bottom of the water.
Eggs don’t float! Pretend God is arguing with
you. Well, all right. I’ll try.
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Ask someone to fill a glass with water and drop
an unbroken egg nto the water. It will sink.
Hmm! I really thought the Lord was
speaking to me! I thought the egg would
float! Pretend you’re praying again. Wait…
He’s saying if he could make Apostle
Peter walk on water, he can make this egg
float! Look around at students. Should we
believe it?? Close your eyes again. Pray, then
open them. He’s saying that we shouldn’t
only be thankful for miracles…we should
be thankful for science too! He can make
this egg float using the laws of science he
created! Give a satisfied nod. Now…I think I
got it!
Have students follow these instructions.
Instructions
1. Pour water into the glass until it is about
half full.
2. Stir in lots of salt (about 6 tablespoons).
3. Carefully pour in plain tap water until the
glass is nearly full. Do this very slowly and
do not mix or stir the salty water with the
plain water.
4. Very gently lower an egg into the water and
watch the egg float in the middle of the
glass.
Explanation
God’s wonderful laws of science apply
here. Salt water is denser than ordinary
tap water. The denser the liquid, the
easier it is for an object to float in it.
When you lower the egg into the liquid it
drops through the normal tap water until
it reaches the salty water, at this point the
water is dense enough for the egg to float.
If you were careful when you added the
tap water to the salt water, they will not
have mixed, enabling the egg to amazingly
float in the middle of the glass.
Discussion
Everywhere we look, there is beauty in
things that we tend to look right past. We
often forget to give thanks for them.
Today, we can give thanks to God for his
great talents of mixing, beauty with
simplicity with nutrition with nature! We
can thank him that the Apostle Peter
walked on water, but also that his laws of
science are simply awesome!
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Song: That’s What I Love about Thanksgiving
Tune: Jesus Loves the Little Children
That’s what I love a-bout Thanks-giv-ing
All God gives for us to eat.
Tur-key stuff-ing and oh my,
For de-ssert it’s pump-kin pie
Let us thank him for each ver-y spe-cial treat.
2. How I love the mashed po-ta-toes
And the cole-slaw makes me sigh.
Cran-berries are the best,
I eat more than all the rest.
And to-day there’s whipped cream on the pump-kin pie.
That’s what I love a-bout Thanks-giv-ing
All God gives for us to eat.
Tur-key stuff-ing and oh my,
For de-ssert it’s pump-kin pie
Let us thank him for each ver-y spe-cial treat.
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Song: Thank You, Lord
Tune: A-men!
Thank you, Lord
Thank you, Lord
On Thanks-giv-ing Day
We say thank you, Lord!
Thanks all day
Lord, we pray
On… Thanks…-giv-ing
We say thanks all day!
Thanks for life
Thanks for breath
Thanks for ev-ery thing be-tween
Birth and Death
Thank you, Lord
Thank you, Lord
On Thanks-giv-ing Day
We say thank you, Lord!
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Song: It’s More Than the Turkey
Tune: Over The River and Through The Woods
It’s more than the tur-key and pum-pkin pie
That we’re so thank-ful for
It’s things we dream of and peo-ple we love
And bless-ings by the sco-re.
It’s more than the boun-ty, the har-vest store
That we’re so thankful for.
It’s know-ing God’s love shines down from a-bove
And will keep us safe ever-more.
It’s more than the gra-vy and cran-berry sauce,
That makes us bow our head
It’s paus-ing to say, we thank you each day
For all our da-ily bre-ad.
Thank you for houses so cozy and warm,
For all of this we cheer.
We thank you a-gain, as we tell you a-men
For bless-ings so rich and so dear.
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Parent Handout: 7 Mini Challenges To Make Your Kids Thankful At Thanksgiving
Adults quickly grasp the idea of counting their
blessings, but without the benefit of perspective
that comes with many life experiences, kids often
take blessings for granted. But we want children
to understand blessings and gratitude—especially
at Thanksgiving!
As one mother of five put it, “I can get my kids to
say thank you for lots of things. I’m not sure they
really feel thanks. They can look overjoyed for a
present on a birthday or Christmas morning, but
it’s directed at the object, not the giver, and
truthfully, I don’t see them get many gifts that
keep them grateful for more than a couple days.
And yet, I believe genuine thankfulness is an
important part of spirituality.”
The Bible does say, “In everything, give thanks, for
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning
you (1 Thessalonians 5:18).” We struggle as
grownups thanking God sufficiently; how can we
get our kids to do it?
You can help our kids begin the journey to
developing genuine thanks—and it doesn’t take a
lot of lecturing and prodding! You can make
Thanksgiving extra special this year, just by
starting the right dinner table conversations in the
week leading up to the Big Meal. Kids have very
diverse schedules between school, sports, lessons,
homework, etc. But generally speaking, kids still
eat dinner at the same time and with at least one
parent.
When dinnertime rolls around, turn off the TV
and turn on the fun…first using our seven specific
categories in which kids can feel thanks.
Developing gratitude is fun if you keep in mind
one important fact: the secret lies in the details! Take
one category a night and make a game of breaking
it down into specifics.
The more specifics you can dream up with them,
the more likely it is that your kids will feel
gratitude. When Thanksgiving finally arrives, it’s
more likely you will have genuinely grateful
hearts seated around your table.
Mini Challenge #1: Thanks for family:
mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters.
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Since these people are the ones that children tend
to take most for granted, it is a good stating place.
But don’t just say, “Be thankful for Mom!” Start
digging for specifics with a question, like: “What
are some of the things Mom does for you?
Often kids give general answers, such as “Mom
cooks my food.” They can develop bigger
attitudes of gratitude by asking, “What does
Mom cook that’s your favorite?” When they say,
“Mom makes the best macaroni and cheese,”
their hearts will light up more.
If kids like the way Mom cleans the house, ask,
“What do you like best? Clean sheets? Clean
clothes? The vacuum lines in all the carpets after
she vacuums?” Mention enough specifics, and
kids will catch on and think of some of their own.
Praise the really creative ones and the very
specific ones. Do the same with fathers, brothers,
sisters and grandparents.
Mini Challenge #2: Thanks for shelter.
Children love their homes, and many who have
modest homes consider them a palace. By asking
what they love most about their homes you can
lead them to a variety of fun answers. Warmth is
a priority when it’s cold outside. While many
homes do not have a fireplace, those who do will
probably be thankful for it. Other things include
shelter from rain, their bed with warm blankets to
sleep under, light from electricity, and in the
summer, screens to let the air in and to keep the
bugs out. Discuss each room in your house and
what kids like most about it. It can be anything
from the softness of the toilet roll in the
bathroom to the candle on the dining room table.
The details will stick, and they may think of the
gratitude they discussed whenever they see that
object for a while!
Mini Challenge #3: Thanks for Food.
Obviously you will hear a lot about pizza, hoagies
and McDonalds, but bringing up the details in a
normal night’s food can encourage gratitude.
Hold up a carrot and say, “Look how shiny it is.
How did God get carrots to be so orange! He is a
very special artist.” Swirl your fork in mashed
potatoes and note how creamy they look. Notice
the perfectly straight and orderly rows of seeds in
a cucumber. Ask kids what smells best on their
plate. Ask them what’s best about their favorite
dish and note God’s creative hand in it with
questions like, “How did God get pizza cheese so
chewy?”
Mini Challenge #4: Thanks for our
country. Most children know the Star Spangled
Banner and will know that we are the land of the
free and home of the brave. But in many cases
the words are meaningless unless they are
explained in detail. The older children may be
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helpful in making the younger ones understand
about freedom, because they have had some
knowledge of countries where people were not
free to worship, seek education, and earn a living
as they please. Again, being specific about what
freedom does for us will help kids feel thankful.
Knowing your children’s’ ambitions, you can say,
‘If you lived in a communist country, you would
not be free to choose that career when you grow
up. You’d have to do what the government told
you to.” And even more importantly, tell them,
“Parents who go to church in certain countries
can go to jail for that. Their kids can be given
away. I’m so glad we’re free to worship our loving
God in America!” Freedoms kids might relate to
might include writing whatever poems we want,
buying whatever we want in the store, saying
whatever we believe without fear of breaking a
law, freedom to listen to whatever music we like
and watch movies that people freely created.
Mini Challenge #5: Thanks for our
bodies. Kids are often besieged with negative
information about their bodies. In school kids get
teased for being too thin, too heavy, too short, or
too tall, and if they wear something too old, too
tight or too colorful, it can bring on the
comments as well! Developing thanks can put a
more positive spin on things when kids look at the
details. Have them examine their fingers, then try
to eat four bites of dinner with their fingers
balled into fists. Ask why God gave them thumbs.
Have them shut their eyes and hold their noses
and try to guess which food item from your plate
you’re holding in front of them. Point out how
you can’t taste gravy when you’re holding your
nose. Show your awe in how God designed smells
and noses and freckles on noses.
Mini Challenge #6: Thanks for nature.
God’s artistry and his own love of detail can be
seen in nature. Kids almost know instinctively to
appreciate the sky, clouds, seashore, fields and
mountains. It gets really fun when gratitude is
encouraged for more specific things like “how our
kitty cat’s tail curls and uncurls when she walks”
or “the stripes on a zebra” or “fish lips and how
they blow when our goldfish swims along.” Bring
in a pine cone or a fall flower from outside and
ask kids to notice as many cool details about it as
possible. Thank God for each detail.
Mini Challenge #7: Thanks for God and
Jesus. We teach kids to thank God and Jesus, but
we also need to remind them to be thankful for
our Heavenly Father and his Loving Son. We
may find that kids are more challenged over
feeling grateful for the Creator than for his
creation! That’s because they can’t see or hear
God. The details of God can make children far
more thankful. Mention attributes such that God
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never sleeps. Remind them of Luke 12:7 which
says “the very hairs on your head are numbered,”
and tell them God knows every littlest thing
about them. Remind them that Jesus came and
arose from the dead so that we can go to heaven
with him. Ask them how long they think eternity
is or how to understand eternity. Remind them
that Jesus promised to come back to earth
someday and that we can look forward to
watching for Him.
In all of this, you can increase gratitude by
reminding kids that their thankfulness isn’t just a
general feeling that drifts off into space. It is
directed at God, who enjoys when we are
grateful. Kids may not think they are capable of
making God smile. But he didn’t send his son to
die for people capable only of making him frown.
God enjoys us. He wants to be a big part of our
lives, our hearts, our thinking, and He wants to be
noticed. When we thank him, he enjoys it
similarly to how we do. Think of how you would
feel if your kids thanked you for the way you fold
wash, the kindness in your voice, the smell of
your hair, your taste in candle scents, the stories
your read at bedtime, the way you tie shoes. You
would have a new lease on life! Teach your kids to
offer up a blast of gratitude for the little things
each time they think of one.
Galatians 6:7 says, “As you sow, so shall you
reap.” Make your kids grateful to God this
Thanksgiving by pointing out all the details of his
wonderful creation, and it will come back to you
in blessings and more things to be thankful for.
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