Here are November craft ideas and projects that can be used in your child care center, classroom, or at home with your own children.
Well, here in good ole Texas, we are still waiting for some chilly November weather. With temperatures in the 80's most days, it is hard to convince the kids that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Nevertheless, it is a perfect time to introduce some new fall lessons, some great November craft ideas, and, of course, celebrate Thanksgiving.
November is a great time to teach about the history of corn, how "Americans" came to use corn, and how it was used in the first Thanksgiving. There are also a lot of great corn project ideas, songs, and games to play. Scarecrows are an important part of the success story when growing corn crops. Learn about scarecrow history and make some cute scarecrows of your own. Finally, the first "Thanksgiving" is an incredible history lesson that teaches us about the first colonists, how the Wampanoag Indians helped the colonists be successful in surviving their first year in the "New World," and how Thanksgiving came to be celebrated thereafter. Of course, you will find many Thanksgiving crafts ideas, Thanksgiving songs and poems, Thanksgiving games, worksheets, and more.
Let's see how fun November can be with these great November craft ideas!
The Importance of Corn
History of Corn: Corn is believed to have originated in Mexico about 7,000 years ago. It is considered a human invention because the corn we eat today was developed by humans from a type of wild grass called teosinte. From Mexico, corn or maize spread north throughout the Southwestern United States and south down the coast of Peru. Corn eventually made its way to present day North America about 1,000 years ago with the Indians that migrated. Indian corn was shared at the first Thanksgiving of 1621.
Kinds of Corn: There are 3 main types of corn that we commonly use.
Flint corn- Flint corn is also known as Indian corn and has kernels that range from white to red. It is grown in Central and South America. Popcorn is a type of flint corn.
Dent corn- Dent corn is either white or yellow and mostly used for feeding livestock. It is also used in many industrial products and foods.
Sweet corn- Sweet corn is the corn we typically eat either on the cob or as kernels. It contains more sugar than other types of corn so it is sweeter.
Play hot potato using Indian corn or plastic corn on the cob.
Roll the Corn on the Cob- Play a relay game with the toilet paper corn on the cob craft. Have the children line up in 2 teams. Place a box opposite each line. One child from each team will have to roll their corn cob craft using their nose down and around the box, then back to the other teammate. Each child will go once the other teammate completes the course.
Who's Hiding the Corn?- Have the children sit in a circle. Let one child leave the room and wait outside the door. Give a child in the circle a corn on the cob to hide in his lap. Bring the child back inside and give him 3 guesses as to who is hiding the corn. After the guesses, the child who is hiding the corn gets to go out of the room and guess next.
Play pin the husk on the corn on the cob.
Have the children crouch down low into a ball. The teacher can go around the room and tap someone to pop up like popcorn. Then, that child gets to tap on someone and so forth until all the children have popped up like popcorn.
Corn Math:
Give each child a ziploc bag with corn kernels inside. Have the child guess how many are in the bag, then count to see if the estimate is close to the real number.
Have the children sort different colors of kernels.
Corn Science: Parts of Corn
Ear or Cob- The part containing the kernels that is protected by a husk of tightly wrapped leaves
Kernels- the plant’s seed and the part that is eaten
Husk- the tightly-wrapped leaves that cover the ear or cob of corn
Roots- these go deep into the soil and carry food and water to the corn plant as well as anchoring the plant into the ground
Silk- long soft threads at the top of the ear of corn
Stalk- the stem of a corn plant that provides support and acts as a transport system for food and water
Corn Poems: Song in the Garden of the House of God (from the Navajo corn-planting ritual)
Truly in the east The white bean And the great corn plant Are tied with the white lightning. Listen! rain approaches! The voice of the bluebird is heard. Truly in the east The white bean And the great squash Are tied with the rainbow. Listen! rain approaches! The voice of the bluebird is heard. From the top of the great corn-plant the water gurgles, I hear it; Around the roots the water foams, I hear it; Around the roots of the plants it foams, I hear it; From their tops the water foams, I hear it. The corn grows up. The waters of the dark clouds drop, drop. The rain descends. The waters from the corn leaves drop, drop. The rain descends. The waters from the plants drop, drop. The corn grows up. The waters of the dark mists drop, drop. Shall I cull this fruit of the great corn-plant? Shall you break it? Shall I break it? Shall I break it? Shall you break it? Shall I? Shall you? Shall I cull this fruit of the great squash vine? Shall you pick it up? shall I pick it up? Shall I pick it up? Shall you pick it up? Shall I? Shall you?
Korosta Katzina Song (from the Hopi corn-planting dance, with Kachinas wearing rainbow masks)
Yellow butterflies, Over the blossoming virgin corn, With pollen-painted faces Chase one another in brilliant throng. Blue butterflies, Over the blossoming virgin beans, With pollen-painted faces Chase one another in brilliant streams. Over the blossoming corn, Over the virgin corn, Wild bees hum; Over the blossoming beans, Over the virgin beans, Wild bees hum. Over your field of growing corn All day shall hang the thunder-cloud; Over your field of growing corn All day shall come the rushing rain. Source: Corn Poems
Have each child bring a food to share for everyone to celebrate a children's Thanksgiving.
At circle time, have each child say one thing that they are thankful for.
Have each child bring a fruit or vegetable to fill the cornucopia. At the end of the week, count how much is in the horn of plenty, then feast on the goodies.
Cornucopia Hole In One- Children can roll a ball into a cornucopia that is on the floor several feet away.
Have the children dress as pilgrims and Indians and practice exchanging goods.
Children's Books about Thanksgiving, Indians, and Pilgrims:
Five Silly Turkeys by Salina Yoon
Clambake: A Wampanoag Tradition (We Are Still Here)by Russell M. Peters (Author), Michael Dorris (Foreword), John Madama (Photographer)
Turkeys, Pilgrims, and Indian Corn: The Story of the Thanksgiving Symbols by Edna Barth and Ursula Arndt
The Children of the Morning Light: Wampanoag Tales as Told By Manitonquat (Hardcover) by medicine st Manitonquat (Author), Mary F. Arquette (Illustrator)
Wampanoag (Native Americans) (Library Binding)by Barbara A. Gray-Kanatiiosh (Author), David Kanietakeron Fadden (Illustrator)
Arrow to the Sun (a Pueblo Indian tale) by Gerald McDermott
Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland and Sonja Lamut
This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story by Laura Krauss Melmed and Mark Buehner
My First Thanksgiving by Tomie dePaola
10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston and Richard F. Deas
The Importance of Corn
