NOVEMBER
PRACTICING POSITIVITY
This is the month to be grateful and let everyone know it. Share the thanks with others!
This month, our curated resources include places to explore and family crafts and activities to enjoy together. Have fun this month and spread joy and gratitude.
We hope you enjoy our resources this month and every month during our Year of PLAY!
Personalized Learning = Active You
Want to print this month's poster? Click here to download.
NOVEMBER FAMILY BUCKET LIST
Fleet Week
November 4-6 Innovation Zone & Student Stem Day
This space will showcase some of the latest High-Tech equipment used in both Military and Civilian applications, and is an exciting attraction for all ages.
Get Crafty
Celebrate Fall
Recipe
Thanksgiving blessing snack mix
November Movie of the Month
"You Wish!" A story about appreciating what you have.
INDOOR GAME OF THE MONTH
Fun Drawing Games to Make Your Kids Laugh
Silly art that will make your kids giggle, laugh, guffaw, titter and flail about hysterically.
Drawing games “Exquisite Corpse” or “Synchronized Drawing Games”
7 C's ACTIVITIES
Be part of a CARING COMMUNITY, COMMUNICATE to build friendships, CONNECT with themselves and others, have CONFIDENCE and self-esteem, COPE with disappointment and conflict, CELEBRATE themselves and others!
ELEMENTARY
I AM THANKFUL FOR WORKSHEET FREE PRINTABLE
This activity is the perfect way to help you remember gratitude this fall season. Use the grateful worksheet for a Thanksgiving activity for kids, adults, or students or for a Thanksgiving church activity. Each ray has space for you to write something you are grateful for. There is plenty of space to be extra thoughtful about what you are thankful for. This doesn’t have to be a Thanksgiving worksheet. This could also be a great Christmas activity or used any time of the year.
SECONDARY
Use this worksheet to help you create a pros and cons list about a decision you have to make.
november: recommended reading
Primary
Books that promote respect and being thankful.
by Dr. Seuss
The Butter Battle Book, Dr. Seuss's classic cautionary tale, introduces readers to the important lesson of respecting differences. The Yooks and Zooks share a love of buttered bread, but animosity brews between the two groups because they prefer to enjoy the tasty treat differently. The timeless and topical rhyming text is an ideal way to teach young children about the issues of tolerance and respect.
by Cynthia Rylant
In November, the air grows cold and the earth and all of its creatures prepare for winter. Animals seek food and shelter. And people gather together to celebrate their blessings with family and friends.
by Melissa Sweet
Everyone’s a New Yorker on Thanksgiving Day, when young and old rise early to see what giant new balloons will fill the skies for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Who first invented these “upside-down puppets”? Meet Tony Sarg, puppeteer extraordinaire! In brilliant collage illustrations, the award-winning artist Melissa Sweet tells the story of the puppeteer Tony Sarg, capturing his genius, his dedication, his zest for play, and his long-lasting gift to America—the inspired helium balloons that would become the trademark of Macy’s Parade.
Intermediate
by Rick Riordan
This novel-sized paperback, complete with an insert of full-color illustrations by Caldecott Honoree John Rocco, is portable and friendly, and the ideal way to introduce young readers to the classic stories.
by Sarah Beth Durst
When a shy girl and her dragon-like companion discover their country’s idyllic weather comes at a steep—and secret—cost, they recruit fellow students to defy authority and attempt to spread the truth.
Secondary
by Richard Paul Evans
To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is an ordinary 14-year-old. In fact, the only thing that seems to set him apart is the fact that he has Tourette's syndrome. But Michael is anything but ordinary. Michael has special powers. Electric powers.
by Aella Black
My superpower? I can't die. You can imagine how much it hurts when they test that out...
Phoebe Atkinson has always felt different, but in the typical angsty way most teenagers do. She had no idea just how different until that fateful day she died—and then came back to life
by Annie Sullivan
Kateri, an arrogant warrior princess, has to fight in the arena against her suitors to win her right to rule, and she is desperate to prove to her father that she is strong enough to take over his throne and rule the kingdom.
HAVE SOME FUN WITH WRITING
Download and print these fun writing activities for elementary and secondary students.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
UNSTRUCTURED PLAY: outdoor art space
When it comes to innovation, parents can get pretty crafty with just a handful of items. Case in point: these killer outdoor art studios, set up by parents for their creative geniuses. Check out this website to see the ideas and get inspired to make one yourself.
STRUCTURED PLAY: HORSE
How to Play It: The first person does anything they want, from spinning around to closing their eyes, before shooting a basketball into the hoop. If they miss, it’s the next person’s turn to make up a crazy shot. If he or she is successful, everyone else has to replicate the shot. Fail and you earn a letter, beginning with H and progressing to HORSE. The last person standing without making it to horse wins.
What Makes it Great: It’s horse! It takes a classic activity like shooting hoops or playing catch and leaves tons of room for creativity, which might be why you’ll see pros playing it whenever human-interest stories are produced. It can be played with virtually any number of players and can be adjusted for myriad age groups based on the height of the hoop.
FUN HANDS-ON LEARNING ACTIVITIES
ELEMENTARY
Butter in a Jar: Simple Dr. Seuss Science for Kids
Delicious homemade butter is minutes away and all you need is one simple ingredient and your own two arms (or a whole classroom of arms). Edible science, tasty science, kitchen science, whatever you want to call it, you need to learn how to make butter in a jar with the kids this year. Pair it with a classic Dr. Seuss book, The Butter Battle book and cross off literacy in one fun and simple Dr. Seuss science activity.
LEGO Mayflower Building Challenge
It will be 400 years this Thanksgiving since the Mayflower ship landed in America carrying the first group of pilgrims. Celebrate this Thanksgiving for kids with a LEGO Mayflower building idea you can make with basic bricks. Finding fun and creative ways to play with our LEGO pieces is a must. Make sure to check out more easy LEGO building ideas! Read on for instructions on how to make your own LEGO Mayflower ship.
FUNNY JOKES FOR KIDS
How do you mend a broken pumpkin? — With a pumpkin patch!
What’s the best thing to put into a pumpkin pie? — Your teeth.
What do you get when you drop a pumpkin? — Squash.
What has ears but can’t hear a thing? — A cornfield.
What did one leaf say to another? — I’m falling for you.
What did the little tree say to the big tree? — Leaf me alone
What runs around a farm but doesn’t move? — A fence.
Why do trees hate tests? — Because they get stumped by the questions.
Why did the scarecrow win a medal? — He was outstanding in his field.
Why shouldn’t you tell a secret in a cornfield? — Because the corn has ears.
How do trees get onto the internet? — Easy, they just LOG on.
even more november fun!
Need more reasons to celebrate in November? Try some of these wacky and fun themed “holidays” in November!
https://mikekerr.com/fun-offbeat-wacky-silly-november-theme-days-and-holidays/