Easy As Pie: Thanksgiving Core Vocabulary Activities for “Eat”
Thanksgiving is a reminder for us to be grateful. But I’ll be honest… when I think of Thanksgiving, my first thought is the food. There are many opportunities for AAC users to practice core vocabulary around Thanksgiving time. From planning to cooking to the Thanksgiving meal itself, here are some ways you can target the core word “eat”:
Plan Thanksgiving Dinner
Talk about what you could serve at Thanksgiving dinner. If going to a grocery store together is not an option, look through flyers or grocery apps and choose some items you like to eat. Make a collage or a shopping list of ingredients for the meal.
In addition to the “what”, talk about the “who”. Who could you invite over for Thanksgiving dinner? Consider what they might like to eat. This may vary based on preferences and even dietary restrictions.
Pretend Play
Don’t wait until Thanksgiving Day! Get some toy food and have your own Thanksgiving dinner whenever you want. You may include dolls or stuffed animals that you can feed. Talk about what you are eating.
Sensory Play
Make play doh food. You can even make plates and utensils or table decorations. Talk about what you do or don’t like to eat.
The Joy of Cooking
Look up kid-friendly recipes and make something together! Try pumpkin bread or applesauce. Or keep it really simple and add toppings to apple slices (I’m partial to cinnamon). Model phrases like “I can’t wait to eat this” or “time to eat!”.
Books, of Course!
It wouldn’t be an “AAC by the Book” blog post without mentioning books for targeting core vocabulary. Here are some great ones…
- There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey by Lucille Colandro
- Friendsgiving by Nancy Siscoe
- No Thanks, Said Turkey by Jeffrey Burton
Thanksgiving Core Vocabulary Resource
What do you picture when you think of Thanksgiving dinner? Many would say turkey or ham. Maybe your family eats mashed potatoes or pumpkin pie. My “Thanksgiving Dinner” core vocabulary resource (available for purchase on www.teacherspayteachers.com) challenges the idea of what a traditional Thanksgiving meal is.
The booklet is loaded with instances of the core word “eat”. The main character wonders what he might have for Thanksgiving dinner. He considers many of the expected options, like pumpkin pie, but decides that Thanksgiving food can be anything we want it to be!
This resource can help spark discussions about different foods and traditions from different cultures. Descriptions are provided to help you talk about the less familiar Thanksgiving foods.
The resource also includes activities for more core vocabulary practice. After printing the visuals, attach the character’s face to an envelope. Then cut out a hole for the mouth. Model “eat” as you feed him.
Print out the “What I Like to Eat” worksheet and accompanying visuals. Paste the picture of each food item under the appropriate heading. Talk about what your AAC user likes or doesn’t like to eat, as well as what they haven’t tried yet.
Included is also handout with more ideas for families to target the word “eat” in everyday activities (not just on Thanksgiving).
Find more core vocabulary resources on www.teacherspayteachers.com.
Happy Thanksgiving!
