Looking for ways to keep the Montessori spirit going during the Thanksgiving holiday? Here are five great ways to incorporate Montessori into your holiday at home:

1. Cooking Together

You don’t have to do it all yourself! Involve your children in meal prep. Children can help with tasks such as washing vegetables, measuring ingredients, or mixing and stirring. Let them follow a simple, picture-based recipe for something like making salad or cranberry sauce. Your child will eat stuffing with a smile, knowing they were able to help make the dish. Holiday meal prep is a great way to teach practical life skills, like folding napkins, following the steps of a recipe, or organizing the pantry. These small tasks help build concentration, coordination, and independence the same way they would in the classroom.

2. Making the Décor

Thanksgiving is all about being thankful, so what better way to incorporate your children into the holiday planning by having them create a gratitude-themed tablescape? Encourage children to help set the table by placing napkins, placemats, and utensils and creating simple name cards for your family and your guests. They can decorate the cards and add messages of gratitude to each setting, or write questions asking guests to think about what they’re most thankful for. They can even help design a centerpiece by decorating a pumpkin with messages of gratitude and pictures of the things they are most thankful for. And taking care of the table doesn’t end at decorating and setting it; children can help with clearing dishes and cleanup too!

3. Create a Sensory Sensation

Sensory bins provide children with opportunities to explore interesting items and help children develop fine motor skills, and you probably have a lot of things at home (especially in your kitchen!) that would be great additions to a holiday-themed bin. Add Thanksgiving-themed items like corn kernels, dried beans, small pumpkins, and cinnamon sticks to a container to make a sensory bin. This lets younger children explore textures, colors, and even scents in a calm, hands-on way.

4. Take a Stroll and Leaf Your Worries Behind

Is the kitchen stressing you out? Too many guests in your home making you anxious? Haven’t had any fresh air yet today? Grab your kiddo and get outside! Fall is a great time to explore the outdoors and children love examining the leaves at their feet during this season. Take your child on a nature walk and collect fall items such as leaves, acorns, or pinecones. Afterward, lay them out at home and identify them together, using the opportunity to learn more about the natural world. You can even use some of the found items as crafting supplies for your Thanksgiving decorations, like the pinecones in the turkeys above!

5. Share Your Stories

Encourage older family members to share family stories, and let kids ask questions to the storyteller. This activity nurtures listening skills and helps children understand family history and the types of stories that are important to others. They can even take notes and draw pictures to create a family storybook that you can share at the many Thanksgivings to come!

Looking for even more Thanksgiving fun? Click here to listen to the STEM Space Podcast and learn about Thanksgiving and Turkey-themed STEM activities you can do at home!