Free printable Bible crafts: VBS, Sunday school lessons, Christian printables | Examiner.com

Thanksgiving Day isn't a religious holiday but it is a spiritual one if you think about it. The first Puritans were thankful to God for His blessings. So here are Christian and Catholic Bible printables for Thanksgiving. Do you teach Sunday school, Vacation Bible School (VBS), CCD or Children's Liturgy of the Word? Perhaps you want something more than just coloring pages for your Religious Education or Christian school? Free printable Bible paper crafts can be very interactive. Children get to cut, assemble, paste, color and fold. All these VBS activities are hands-on and lots of fun. Here are free Christian printables and crafts that will suit your Bible lessons. You can find all sorts of religious Christian and Bible themes-- Old Testament, New Testament, holy days, angels, virtues, scripture verses and much more. These sites have free printable Bible games, board games, puzzles, paper dolls, puppets, finger puppets and craft activities galore!   Free printable Bible crafts: VBS, Sunday school lessons, Christian printables

Budget Homemade Thanksgiving Centerpiece Like Pottery Barn

Pottery Barn is an awesome store, if you don't mind paying an arm and two legs for home decor. I do. So I create my own versions. Here's a budget, homemade Thanksgiving centerpiece like pottery barn, featuring recycled and natural fall elements.

Select an attractive glass, crystal or pottery bowl or platter from your China cabinet. You can even use a punch bowl, wicker or rattan basket, chafing tray or serving dish. If the bowl is clear, the decorations show through, but you can create a lovely holiday centerpieces with baskets, too.

Fill bowl or basket with plastic or wooden apples, mini pumpkins, natural or spray-painted leaves, acorns, nut shells, twigs, evergreen boughs and pine cones. Intermingle with red and gold Christmas tree bead garlands.

For a fragrant Thanksgiving Pottery centerpiece, add potpourri, incense cones, scented wax cubes, dried berries, cinnamon bark or cloves.

To create Pottery Barn's signature holiday birch log candles, wrap a hot, moist cloth around an ivory colored pillar candle. This will warm and texturize wax. Using brown or black Sharpie marker, draw horizontal bark patterns and knot holes. Use brown shoe polish to highlight and shadow.

These candles retail for $30-$80 at Pottery Barn. You can make similar candles for cents on the dollar.

Put Children to Work Helping With Thanksgiving Day Preparations

Entertaining little ones during holiday preparations can be a real juggling act. I've been a teacher for almost 30 years and a mom for 25. I know about making things kid friendly. I say don't just entertain, put them to work helping. Here are ways kids can help with Thanksgiving.   Ways Kids Can Help With Thanksgiving Preparations

Kids Can Help with Thanksgiving Preparations with Free Printables

As a 30-year teacher, 25-year mom and 10-year homeschooler, I know how to make activities kid-friendly. Take holiday preparations--don't just plunk kids in front of the TV. Put them to work helping. Good for them, good for you. Here are ways kids can help with Thanksgiving making free printable decorations and crafts. Ways Kids Can Help With Thanksgiving Preparations

Free Printable Thanksgiving Greeting Cards

Do you like to send holiday cards but find them too expensive? $5 for a greeting cards that's going to get thrown away? Seriously, who can afford that? Well, did you know you can print cards at home and it costs nothing? Here are free printable Thanksgiving cards to make and send. All you have to provide is a printer, paper and ink. Or go to the library and print for 10 to 15 cents. Quite a savings.  Read on for linksFree Thanksgiving Cards, Crafts and Games to Print

Free Printable Thanksgiving Countdown Calendar Crafts

Several years ago, I wrote an article for a free printable Thanksgiving countdown calendar from Family Fun. That link is on this site. Well, Family Fun's website has changed. It's now Spoonful. The links I used redirect there and all the crafts are still available. Buuut...some are a little harder to find with the new site reorganization-wouldn't you know? Here's the new link for the countdown to Thanksgiving calendar. It's listed in the icon list on the right under "Top 14 Thanksgiving Printables." Don't try to print it from the little image I'm using here. Go to Spoonful for the printable.

The reason I didn't link you directly to the calendar is that I don't want you to miss the other cute Thanksgiving crafts to print. In fact, that's the the top 14 Thanksgiving. There are more Thanksgiving and scads more printables for other holidays and Disney movies. I'd print a craft a day for kids to make each day before a holiday. Good countdown and keeps them and you from going stir-crazy. Here's the link to my article with ideas on how to use a holiday countdown calendar. Free Printable Countdown to Thanksgiving Calendar 

Diet and Healthy Squash Recipes for Thanksgiving Dinner

Squash is a superfood, rich in betacarotene. We need 4 servings of green, leafy vegetables and 2 servings of orange veggies daily. So here are five squash recipes to ramp up the vitamins. Substitute sweet potatoes or pumpkin if you like. Perfect for autumn and Thanksgiving dinner. Most recipes are vegetarian or vegan or can easily be tweaked to be made meatless. They're kosher and halal, too.  Weekly Kids Snack Menu Healthy School Lunches S is for Squash

Free Halloween Games to Print and Make

Okay, so these games are for Halloween, but they could be used for harvest, fall or Thanksgiving themes. Make interactive, educational games with these free printable cut and paste activities. Children can make games all by themselves. Perfect for classroom, homeschool, preschool and Halloween parties. The cool thing about printable games is they do double duty--a craft project that entertains kids and a reusable game they can enjoy later. You could even use as party prizes--triple duty! Laminate the game boards and pieces and store them in a Zip-loc bag. Use over and over again. And don't tell the children, but these games are educational--quadruple duty! Oh does it get any better?? Read on  Free Printable Halloween and Trick-or-Treat Games to Make

Thanksgiving Apple Fun for Kids

I confess to an almost cult-like devotion to apples. Living in Michigan, they're a cash crop. But it goes deeper. Apples are as American as Uncle Sam. Gatherings in the US often include an apple treat. Apples are also the perfect theme for fall lessons. Here's an interactive, cross-curricular apple unit with crafts, recipes, science, art, creative writing, math, social studies, practical life, field trips, community-builders even a party. Perfect for Thanksgiving, too.  I've added free printable apple-themed lesson plans and worksheets for activity extenders. Preschool Apple Unit, Cross-Curricular Hands-on Crafts, Activities, Recipes 

Healthy Pumpkin Recipes Children Can Make

This is the first year I've noticed what a big deal pumpkin flavor is in fall--everything from ice cream to pancakes to beer. So I thought, why not tap into that beta-carotene goodness? Here are healthy recipes featuring pumpkin. And best of all, kids can make these recipes. Perfect for Thanksgiving preparations.Weekly Snack Menu, Healthy Pumpkin Themed Kids Treats

Free Thanksgiving Printables, Paper Toys, Games, Crafts

In the last eight years, I've developed a reputation for finding cool printables. I track down printable activities, lesson plans, coloring pages, crafts, games and worksheets. I write and blog about where to find them and I provide links. Here's a cool one that features Thanksgiving paper toys, crafts, games, greeting cards. Turkeys, pilgrims, native American Indans, cornucopia all the trimmings! Free Printable Paper Toys, Games for Preschool Kids 

Thanksgiving Diet Tip: Eat Mostly Veggies and Fruit

I've lost 83 pounds, 40 in the last 5 months. I've been writing a series of articles on how I lost weight. Thanksgiving is a rough time for us dieters as we look down the barrel of the biggest food fest in the western hemisphere! Diet wisdom varies on fats, starch, meat, salt, dairy--which are the worst for weight loss. Sometimes dairy is the culprit. Then health gurus say it's starch. From my experience, it's not so much about what you don't eat as what you do.  Diet Tip of the Day: Eat Mostly Veggies and Fruit

Diet Friendly Thanksgiving Alternative Recipes-- Cajun Jambalaya

I’ve lost over 80 pounds and I am doing the dance of joy! This holiday season I am not going to blow that hard work. So I'm preparing low calorie Thanksgiving menu recipes with food swaps
I used to lose. I’m going to keep using recipe substitutions to finish my last 25 pounds to reach goal and to maintain the weight I’m at. Today’s recipe:

Low Impact Jambalaya—I love Cajun jambalaya but it’s high calorie made the regular way. I make this base recipe and set some aside for me. Then I add the ingredients that add the calorie jolt. The orange dish in the image is jambalaya. The side is purple cabbage. I'll keep adding diet substitutions to get us through Turkey Day!  Diet Recipe of the Day Light and Yummy Cajun Jambalaya

Best Foods to Donate to Thanksgiving Food Drives

Tis the season for giving and my favorite type of giving is food. I love filling grocery bags with goodies for Thanksgiving food baskets. on. I've put in many hours in food banks, food pantries and shelter missions. There are certain foods and personal items that are donated in abundance (canned beans and corn). Some items come in that there's little call for. Other foods seem to run out quickly--peanut butter, tuna, turkeys, sweet potatoes. So I've compiled a list of Best Thanksgiving Items for Food Drives 

Easy Thanksgiving Dinner Guide--Shopping List, Menu, Recipes, Step-by-Step Preparation

Congratulations, you're hosting the Thanksgiving fest this year. Nervous? Well don't be; even if you can't get till the day before Thanksgiving here are tips to get you through. This surefire planner has all you need for shopping, preparation and cooking. This diy guide comes with free printable grocery list, recipes, step by step guide and timetable. Recipes cover turkey, giblet (and plain bread) stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberries and pies. Includes cost-cutting tips, too. Emergency Thanksgiving Holiday Shopping List, Menu and Recipes 

Kids and social justice: How parents should teach awareness, develop empathy

Sensitivity training isn't just for adults. It has to begin in childhood. It's essential that parents teach awareness--especially of social justice issues like poverty--early and often. When teaching compassion and empathy, here are things to keep in mind. Thanksgiving is a perfect time to explore ways to develop empathy in kids. There are many ways to encourage sharing and practice volunteerism. Helping at a food bank or homeless shelter is a great way to develop awareness. Read on Kids and social justice: How parents should teach awareness, develop empathy

Free Printable Thanksgiving Crafts for Preschool Kids

Hands-on preschool games and activities help build developmental skills in early childhood. There's no need to spend money on lessons for preschoolers. You can find free printable games and interactive educational materials online. Many preschool printables are also cut and paste crafts that kids can make themselves. Here are free printable alphabet activities, reading and letter games, math worksheets and shapes lessons. Lots of Halloween, harvest, Thanksgiving, holiday and Christmas themed free printable activities. Free Printable Preschool Games, Hands-on Activities, Lesson Plans

Free Printable Thanksgiving Pilgrims Crafts

Thanksgiving in the US celebrates the survival of the pilgrims who came on the Mayflower. We remember the difficulties faced by the pilgrims, the help they received from local native American Indians. Here are free printable pilgrim crafts.  Free Printable Pilgrim Crafts for Thanksgiving 

Free Printable Thanksgiving Countdown Calendar

It's so difficult for children to wait for an long anticipated holiday to arrive. Around our house at holiday time, we heard 'how many days till...' every day it seemed. If your little ones have difficulty waiting for a holiday, how about a countdown calendar? Countdown calendars help children track the days until the big day. Countdown calendars do double duty, too. Countdown calendars are educational and they keep children occupied productively while waiting for the holiday to arrive. Countdown calendars are a great learning tool to practice that oft-challenging skill of counting backwards. Best of all, countdown calendars are lots of fun for children and adults to make and use. They make an inexpensive, interactive family craft. Here's a free printable countdown to Thanksgiving calendar craft.  Free Printable Countdown to Thanksgiving Calendar

Free Thanksgiving Dinners in Michigan

Organizations and churches in Metro Detroit are gearing up to provide Thanksgiving dinner for those in need this year. Here are groups that host a community meal or provide free groceries to cook a Thanksgiving meal at home. Are you unemployed, disabled, shut-in, elderly, homeless, or otherwise in need? Contact one of these organizations to get food assistance. Some offer support specifically for veterans, also.

Many of these are available in other areas of Michigan. If you live elsewhere in the U.S., use this guide to locate free Thanksgiving dinners from similar agencies in your states. Churches, Second Harvest Gleaners, food banks, food pantries, VA and social services groups are good resources.

If you'd like to donate food for holiday baskets or help with meal preparation or serving, contact these groups. With Michigan cuts in food stamps and welfare cash assistance and high unemployment in Detroit, the need for assistance will be even greater in 2012.  Where to find free 2012 Thanksgiving meals