Thanksgiving Read Alouds for Kindergarten and 1st Grade

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The week before Thanksgiving is a lot. Little ones are excited, the schedule is off, and you still want real learning to happen. A stack of good read alouds is my favorite way to keep that week calm and still meaningful.

Some of my favorite moments all year were hearing what my little ones were thankful for after a read aloud.

Here are 8 Thanksgiving books that work beautifully with kindergarten and 1st grade.

1. Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson. Bear wants to host a feast but his cupboard is bare, and his friends show him that sharing what you have is enough.
2. A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting. Mr. and Mrs. Moose invite a turkey to dinner, and it turns out he is a guest, not the meal. Kids love the twist.
3. Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano. Turkey tries on one silly disguise after another so he will not end up on the table. Great for making predictions.
4. The Thankful Book by Todd Parr. Bright, simple pages about everyday things to be thankful for. Perfect before a gratitude writing page.
5. 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey. A class field trip to a turkey farm ends with a rescue. A fun rhyme to read aloud.
6. 10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston. A counting backwards rhyme that sneaks in a little math.
7. Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks! by Margaret Sutherland. A gentle list book that works well for your youngest listeners.
8. Run, Turkey, Run! by Diane Mayr. Turkey hides all over the farm so the farmer cannot find him. Easy to act out together.

Pair the books with writing

After all those turkey stories, my students are ready to write their own. The How to Cook a Turkey Writing activity turns that excitement into procedural writing:

• 12 sequencing and vocabulary cards
• A sequencing mat so students put the steps in order before they write
• A themed flipbook for publishing their first, next, then, last

It is low prep, which is exactly what you want the week before a holiday.

What teachers are saying

"The graphics are adorable!!" (TPT review)

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Made by a teacher who's been right where you are.

Jessica Ann Stanford, Teachers Follow Teachers

Free Numbers 0 to 10 Handwriting Practice for Preschool and Kindergarten

Okay, real talk: little ones learn to write numbers the way they practice them, and fixing a backwards 5 in January is a lot harder than teaching it right in September. These free number pages give your students a clear start for every number from 0 to 10, and they are ready to print today.

What is in this free number handwriting practice?

• 11 number pages, 1 for each number 0 to 10
• The number word at the top of every page
• A maze inside a big number, so students trace the shape while they play
• 3 rows to trace and 3 rows to write on their own
• Starting dots and arrows that show where each number begins
• 14 pages in all

It builds number formation, fine motor pencil control and number recognition, and it lines up with K.CC.A.3, writing numbers from 0 to 20.

Get the free numbers 0 to 10 handwriting pages

4 easy ways to use it in your classroom

1. Morning work. 1 number a day as students come in. The maze is the reward for finishing the rows. A teacher shared: "This was such a fun activity! My students were motivated to do the writing practice so they could do the maze! Thanks!"
2. Small group and intervention. Sit with the students who still start their numbers at the bottom. Another teacher said: "I used this with struggling students and found that it was very helpful in number formation."
3. Math centers and early finishers. Keep a basket of pages ready so fast finishers always have meaningful practice.
4. A number book they keep. Staple the 11 pages into a little book students add to all year, or slide pages into sheet protectors for dry erase practice.

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Tip for your youngest writers

Say the path out loud while they trace: "Start at the dot, follow the arrow." When the words match the motion every time, the right formation sticks. Once 0 to 10 feels easy, move on to my free number writing practice 0 to 20.

Ready for more?

When your students are ready for the next step, these pick up right where the freebie leaves off:

• Number Tracing and Formation Worksheets 0 to 20: 21 pages of fine motor number practice for 0 to 20
• Numbers 0 to 20 Printable Books: little books to trace, write, count and find each number
• Fine Motor Skills Practice: Pencil Grip and Scissor Skills: 17 prewriting sheets and 15 cutting sheets to build those hand muscles

Looking for pencil grips and fine motor tools? See what I use in my Amazon favorites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Grab the free class list

Want my free editable lanyard class list? It keeps every name handy for fire drills and field trips, and you will get my new classroom ideas in your inbox too.

Yes, send my class list

See every freebie in one place: my Free Library

Made by a teacher who's been right where you are.

Jessica Ann Stanford, Teachers Follow Teachers

How to Build a Snowman Writing: A Winter Sequencing Activity for K-2

Pull up a chair, because if you are planning December writing, you have probably searched for how to build a snowman writing ideas more than once. Sequencing is hard for little writers. They know what a snowman is, but ask them to tell you the steps in order and the story turns into one long "and then." Here is the how-to writing activity I would reach for.

Why a snowman works for how-to writing

Every child knows the steps already. Roll the snow, stack it up, add the hat and arms. When the topic is familiar, students can put their energy into the hard part, which is putting steps in order and writing them down with first, next, then and last.

What is inside

How to Build a Snowman Writing Activity is a printable PDF, 10 pages, for kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade.

• 1 snowman writing flipbook: a cover page with hat and arm pieces, plus first, next and last writing pages
• 12 sequencing cards with matching vocabulary on the back
• 1 sequencing mat, steps 1 to 6, to put the cards in order before writing
• Teacher notes for printing and using the cards

How it runs in a room

Start with the cards. Students put the 12 pictures in order on the mat and say each step out loud to a partner. The vocabulary on the back of each card gives them the words they need. Once the order feels solid, they move to the flipbook and write their steps, then build the snowman on the cover with the hat and arm pieces. It is low prep, so it works for a writing center, a sub plan or a December bulletin board. You can flip through every page in the How to Build a Snowman preview on TPT.

What teachers are saying

"This was a great resource to use for teaching how to sequence writing. My students enjoyed this and I found the visual were very helpful!" (TPT review, May 2025)

"This is a great resource for writing with my first grade students. It was just perfect for my use. Thank you." (TPT review, Feb 2024)

"Fun winter writing activity!" (TPT review)

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Pair it with these in my store

• Winter Creative Writing Prompts with Craft Activities for Bulletin Boards
• Winter Write the Room & Writing Prompts | January Writing Center K-2
• How to Writing Bundle | Procedural Writing Sequencing Activities & Flipbooks

Want more winter writing ideas? Read Winter Writing Centers for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grade.

Get the snowman flipbook

Students who can tell the steps in order write more, and write better. If that is where your class is headed this December, this one gets them there.

Get How to Build a Snowman on TPT

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Made by a teacher who's been right where you are.

Jessica Ann Stanford, Teachers Follow Teachers

Free Blank Teacher and Student Calendar and Planner Printable

If you're anything like me, you have bought a pretty planner in August and stopped using it by October because it never fit the way you teach. This free blank calendar and planner fixes that. You fill in the dates, so it works for any month, any year, and any way you plan.

What is in it?

• Blank calendar pages you date yourself, so you can reuse them year after year
• Blank planner pages for lesson plans, assignments or plain old organization
• A printable PDF, ready to copy and go

More than 32,000 teachers have downloaded it, and it holds 4.76 stars from 79 ratings.

Get the free teacher and student calendar

Ways to use it in your classroom

1. Your own teacher planner. One teacher shared: "I love these calendar pages. So helpful that you fill in the dates so you can use it year after year. I used this to make my own planner."
2. Student assignment book. Another said: "I used this as well as my students for when they wanted to keep track of assignment due dates."
3. Behavior tracking. I have bound the pages together to make a book that tracks behavior for my students. Bound the same way, it also makes a homework book.
4. Calendar practice. Give each student a blank month and let them fill in the days. It is a simple way to practice reading a calendar.

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A quick tip

Print the whole year at once and fill in only the next month's dates on the first school day of each month. Your planner stays ready, and you never waste a page on a month that changes.

Ready for more?

• Teacher Planner, Gradebook and Attendance Record Book: your grades and attendance in the same binder as your calendar
• Weekly Newsletter Template, Editable, with Monthly Calendar: share the month's dates with families
• Teacher To Do List, Editable: printable checklists to keep in your planner

Need pens and binders to build it? The supplies I love are in my Amazon favorites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Grab the free class list

Want my free editable lanyard class list? It keeps every name handy for fire drills and field trips, and you will get my new classroom ideas in your inbox too.

Yes, send my class list

See every freebie in one place: my Free Library

Made by a teacher who's been right where you are.

Jessica Ann Stanford, Teachers Follow Teachers

Free Student Emergency Contact Form for Teachers

Teacher friend, let's be honest: when the fire alarm goes off or the field trip bus pulls up, nobody wants to dig through a folder of papers. This free emergency contact form puts every student's key info on 1 class ring you can grab and go.

What is in it?

• Double sided emergency contact cards, 1 per student
• Student name and birthday
• Address and phone number
• Pickup information
• Emergency contacts
• Sized to fit on a class ring

Send them home the first week, punch a hole in each one, and your whole class is on 1 ring.

Get the free student emergency contact form

Ways to use it in your classroom

1. Back to school packet. Add it to your meet the teacher or first day folder. One teacher shared: "This is a great form for the beginning of school. I also loved that it is a half page."
2. Fire drills and lockdowns. Keep the ring on a hook by the door so it leaves the room with you. Another teacher said it is "Easy and much better than flipping through papers."
3. Field trips. The ring is small enough to toss in your bag, so every parent phone number comes with you.
4. Sub tub. Leave the ring where your substitute can find it, so pickup changes are never a guess.

Want my free editable lanyard class list? It keeps every name handy for fire drills and field trips, and you will get my new classroom ideas in your inbox too.

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A tip to use it year after year

Laminate the cards before they go on the ring. One teacher wrote: "I have laminated them and use rubbing alcohol to erase the sharpie at the end of each year."

Ready for more?

• Weekly Newsletter Template EDITABLE, Digital or Printable with Monthly Calendar: 12 editable newsletters and 12 editable monthly calendars to keep families in the loop
• Sticky Note Reminders for Parents: quick take home folder notes for picture day, field trips, early dismissal and more
• Teacher Planner, Gradebook and Attendance Record Book: with student information pages, a teacher and parent contact log and a field trip organizer

My favorite classroom supplies are in my Amazon favorites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Grab the free class list

Want my free editable lanyard class list? It keeps every name handy for fire drills and field trips, and you will get my new classroom ideas in your inbox too.

Yes, send my class list

See every freebie in one place: my Free Library

Made by a teacher who's been right where you are.

Jessica Ann Stanford, Teachers Follow Teachers