Thanksgiving Table Mats

Thanksgiving prayer and placemats

You don't have to use them as placemats! You can use these as Thanksgiving coloring pages or worksheets - whatever works for you.

Thanksgiving.
What is it?
A special day for GIVING THANKS TO GOD.

Whatever age your children are, they should know this simple meaning of Thanksgiving.

Children need to make the link between the food on their table and God. Most small children think their food comes from the grocery store and their clothes come from whatever store their parents shop in. Take the time to work backwards from the store to the garden/field and farmer to God.

Look at your shirt. Your mom may have bought it in a store for you, but Somebody made it for the store! (For youngest children you may let it go as God helped the person make it for the store.)

God helps the farmer grow our food. God helps people make our clothes and gives us the stuff (material) our clothes are made of (cotton, wool, polyester) .

Older children grade 3 and up, should be able to tell you the chain of events that got the shirt to him or her. Ask them.

See also: Link to God

Print or print and copy activity page

If time is limited, have the children make one for themselves only.

If you have more time, make one for the rest of the family. DEAL WITH UNEQUAL FAMILIES: You should know who has a large family and who has not. Have the children with small families help make placaemats for the others with large families.

THANK YOU GOD PLACEMATS

Simply discuss and color.

Suggest crayons are best for coloring placemats, but use what you have.

The preschool version has very large picture with fat outlines.

PRAYER PLACEMAT
Read and remember this new but simple table prayer for Thanksgiving. Have the children show their parents the prayer and tell them to volunteer to lead it before the meal.

Color as desired.

WRITE A PRAYER PLACEMAT

Great class project;

First line is the opening -suggestions are "Dear God", "Lord", "Heavenly Father" or what they would like to write. (Really the "Salutation" - like a salute or greeting with respect)

Next is telling God what you are thankful for. The first thing to do is a make a collective list of things (even cell phones) the children in your class are grateful for on the blackboard or a separate piece of paper so they can see the spelling of some of the things. Turn the list into a sentence or sentences telling God "Thank you for..."

A good closing to your prayer would be to tell God you are praying in Jesus' name or that you remember Jesus too.

End your prayer with "Amen" - it means "so be it".

Color as desired.

Remind the children they can suggest to mom or dad that they read their prayer before Thanksgiving dinner, or silently say the prayer at the table.