We’re heading into Thanksgiving week, and it’s likely that we’re all planning, cooking, traveling, or preparing to visit with family. No matter what your plans are, there is probably a busy week ahead of you. But since it’s an iconic time of the year, maybe we could squeeze in some time to learn a few new signs with our little ones. It’s a fun activity to add to our celebrations, and at the same time, it’s educational and fun! Plus, 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 add some Thanksgiving Signs to our celebration!
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. Now you can sign turkey!
ASL Sign For POTATO
We’re likely to encounter potatoes during our Thanksgiving feasts. So let’s learn the sign for potato as we add some Thanksgiving signs to our celebration. We can sign this Thanksgiving standard by acting like we’re stabbing a potato with a fork. 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. Then, “stab” the top of your fist hand with the second hand. It looks like you are stabbing a potato with a fork.
For more food-related ideas, check out the Mealtime section of our free Signing Time Dictionary. There are 65 meal-related signs there!
ASL Sign For FOOTBALL
Many of us enjoy watching football over the Thanksgiving holiday, so why not learn the sign for football? This can be a fun one to teach your child. To sign football, bring your hands up to about shoulder height. Stretch out your fingers and separate them. Then 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. This is such a fun way to add some Thanksgiving signs to your celebration.
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 add this Thanksgiving sign to your collection. It’s easy too! Just 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. And be sure to add a kind and thankful facial expression to complete this one. This sign can also be used for the word gratitude. To make it a big thank you, you can 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.
Speaking of saying thank you, Thanksgiving is a great time to work on all of our manners. Check out the Manners section in our Signing Time Dictionary. And here’s a plus: when we parents know our manners signs, it makes it a little easier and more discreet to correct our kids’ manners.
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! And if you’re on our email list, watch for a special Black Friday sale!
Happy Thanksgiving! See if you can add some Thanksgiving signs to your Thanksgiving celebration!