learn some Thanksgiving signs

It’s Time to Learn Some Thanksgiving Signs!

It’s Thanksgiving this week, and we’re all planning, cooking, traveling, or preparing to visit with family. There is plenty of activity this week for all of us! But since it’s an iconic time of the year, maybe we could squeeze in a few new signs as part of our celebrations. How cute will Grandma think it is when your little one signs turkey? Your kids will love showing off what they’ve learned as well. So let’s take just a few minutes to learn some Thanksgiving Signs!  

ASL Sign For TURKEY

Of course, we have to start with turkey. To sign turkey, form your right hand into a fist, straightening out your pointer finger and thumb. This is the same sign for the letter “Q”. Place your fist under your chin and move it to your chest and back like a turkey’s wattle. This is where we start to learn some Thanksgiving signs!

ASL Sign For POTATO

It’s quite likely that you will be encountering potatoes during your Thanksgiving feast. Sign this delicious treat by miming a potato. Hold one hand out from your body and make a fist shape, like a potato. With your other hand, extend the middle and pointer finger while tucking the rest of the fingers into the palm.“Stab” the top of your fist hand with the second hand.  It looks like you are stabbing a potato with a fork.

ASL Sign For FOOTBALL

“Football” can be a fun one to teach your child. While it’s not a specific Thanksgiving sign, it’s a good one to learn during the Thanksgiving season. To sign “football”, bring your hands up to about shoulder height. Stretch out your fingers and separate them. Bring your hands together and intertwine your fingers while still keeping them straight. This motion looks like a team coming in for a football huddle.

ASL Sign For THANK YOU

The very essence of Thanksgiving is gratitude, so if your child doesn’t know the sign for “thank you,” it’s time to learn this Thanksgiving sign. It’s easy too! Hold one hand flat up to your chin, palm facing in. Lightly touch your chin and pull your hand forward until it stops with your palm up towards the ceiling. Be sure to add a kind and thankful facial expression to complete this one. This sign can also be used for “gratitude”. To make it a big thank you, you can also use both hands to sign it, showing a lot of thankfulness.

You can model this one each time your child hands you something or does something that you ask. It’s a great way to reinforce the importance of showing gratitude.

Want more signs?

There are over 400 signs with instructions in our free Signing Time Dictionary. And you can access over 1000 signs with a My Signing Time subscription. Try it FREE for the first 14-days! To find out more, click here!

Have some fun learning some Thanksgiving signs with your kids! Happy Thanksgiving!

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