Season 1 · Episode 1 · About 9 minutes · Ages 3 to 6

The Thankful Picnic

Noa, Bunny, Bear and Bluebird plan a Thanksgiving picnic under the autumn trees. When a big wind blows it all away, they count what they still have, and Bluebird sings a thank-you song.

GratitudeThanksgiving historySpellingCounting to 5Seasons

Watch on YouTube · Nov 20

Noa and friends at an autumn picnic under orange and gold trees

Word of the day

THANKFUL

Thankful means feeling glad about the good things and people in your life. Its big grown-up name is gratitude.

What your child learns

To notice and name things they are thankful for
To spell T-H-A-N-K-F-U-L and hear the word gratitude
The first Thanksgiving story: the Mayflower in 1620, the Wampanoag, the 1621 harvest feast
How Sarah Josepha Hale's letters led President Lincoln to make it a holiday in 1863
Counting leaves to five, and why leaves change color in fall

Talk about it

The picnic blew away, but Noa still felt thankful. Why do you think that was?
What are three things you are thankful for today?

Today's mission

Start your own gratitude journal and draw three things you're thankful for. Bonus: cut out paper leaves and make a Thankful Tree for your wall.

History note for grown-ups: the Wampanoag Nation still lives in Massachusetts today, and many Native families mark Thanksgiving as a National Day of Mourning. The guide has a few ideas for talking about this with little ones. confirm

Free Home Learning Pack

Free to print at home. We'll email it to you.

US Letter PDFs that also print well in black and white.

Gratitude Journal page

Trace THANKFUL, then draw three things you're thankful for.

PDF coming soon

My Autumn Tree

Color the leaves in fall colors, then write your name at the bottom.

Grown-up guide

What the episode teaches, talk questions and the history note.