November Shelf Work.

November is such a great time of the year! I like to include some seasonal work trays when possible, and the last quarter of the year (especially) is a really easy time to do that. With the changes in weather, and the upcoming holidays — November just has a certain feeling, and smell, and specialness to it. Here are a few activities we’ve been working with this month.

Tweezing flint corn: This is such a simple activity and great for developing those fine motor skills. I picked up some corn when we got our pumpkins in October and it’s still in great shape. I soaked it in vinegar and washed it with soap before giving it to the kids. Once on the tray, with some tweezers and a small dish — and it’s a full work! 

Grating cinnamon: You could do a number of different spices here, but I chose cinnamon since we like the smell. I picked up some cinnamon sticks from the grocery store, added a mini grater and a lunch container (with a lid for storage) — and it was ready for the kids! If you’ve never done this before — just be warned — you need to grate A LOT of cinnamon sticks to see results. 🙂 This activity is very much about the process and not the product. 

Buttoning a felt turkey: This has been very loved! I actually placed a curbside pick up order for this felt (cost $1.58!) and I was so thrilled they allowed it and didn’t have a minimum purchase amount at Michael’s craft store. This is VERY easy to make. Felt, a few stitches to sew on the buttons, scissors to cut out the feathers… I think it took me 20 minutes or so and I’m not sure I’ve ever sewed a button in my life. So, literally — no prior experience or skill is required here.

Thankful activity: I chose to pick up this little white tree to hang our “I’m thankful for” leaves from — but the tree isn’t necessary if you don’t have one. The purpose behind this activity is to begin talking to children about things they’re thankful for. How you write them down, or choose to display their gratitudes is totally up to you! My kids came up with things like “family” and “building forts” and “when daddy makes pancakes”. It’s so interesting to hear what children value and see as special.

How have you been spending your month?