Pilgrim Dolls

We had a Mayflower, but no Pilgrims, so we had to get to work.  I found paper dolls and Pilgrim outfits at MakingFriends.com.  I love the paper dolls there.  They are bald and you can choose from a variety of different hair styles.  They also have a lot of different outfits to choose from.  C and R colored their dolls and the outfits.  R's pilgrim is a bit more colorful than any pilgrim I have ever seen.  C, of course, decided to go the traditional route.  Then we glued the outfits on and I laminated the dolls for durability.  I own a laminating machine, so I tend to laminate things often.

If you are looking for an activity for the kids to do on Thanksgiving, it would be cute to have the dolls and outfits out for them to color.  I would recommend printing them on card stock, but paper would certainly be fine.  You can also print out Native American paper dolls at the same site.

We have been reading The Story of Thanksgiving by Nancy J. Skarmeas.  This is a great book for preschoolers.  It tells the story of the first Thanksgiving in very simple language, but unlike most of the preschool Thanksgiving books I have read, it includes the fact that the Pilgrims came to America seeking religious freedom. 

While C and R played with their Pilgrims, C was telling R that most of the Pilgrims did not survive the first winter.  This made me think of the amazing Pilgrim study that Almost Unschoolers posted.  I think I have to try to fit it in over the next week.  Click on my link and check it out; you will be impressed.