Children at the Iris Berman Early Childhood Center in Livingston explored the holiday of Thanksgiving and the life of early Americans with hands-on activities using holiday fare and crafting projects.

The 2’s class started the task with farm-fresh corn cobs. The youngsters, including Eli Matthew and Savvy Hai, used tactile skills to explore the various textures of corn—from the rough, outer husk to the silky strings and the moist kernels. The children made artwork using the corn pieces.

The children in that class, like Parker Percival, also investigated the inner workings of a pumpkin in order to compare the textures of the different foods.

Children in the 3’s and 4’s classes received a hands-on demonstration about how early settlers would dye their clothing using natural ingredients. Dyeing stations using warm water and cranberries or tea were set up in the classroom. As the children observed the water, they noticed that it changed color when the dyes seeped into the water. They then got to see what happened when they put a plain white T-shirt into the dye.