Cranberries always make me think of the holidays. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, they are a part of lots of meals, decorations and traditions. I was excited when I found this book which gave me the opportunity to have some learning fun with them!

Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post.

Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende Devlin is a classic which has been shared among many generations. Maggie and her grandmother invite guests to Thanksgiving dinner every year, especially those who are poor or lonely. Grandmother doesn’t trust Maggie’s guest because she worries he will steal her famous cranberry bread recipe. However, when the recipe goes missing, Grandmother may be proven wrong! This classic story reminds us not to judge a book by it’s cover and to be gracious during the holiday season. It also provides an opportunity to enjoy a lot of cranberry fun!

Cranberry Bread – The recipe for Grandmother’s cranberry bread is in the back of the book. Get the family into the kitchen and make the cranberry bread together! From teaching kitchen safety to properly measuring ingredients and following a recipe, there are many learning opportunities to be found.

Dancing Craisins!

Cranberry Science – There are many fun and easy experiments that can be done with cranberries. First is the sink or float experiment. Ask your children if they think cranberries will sink or float? Add some cranberries to a bowl of water and see what happens. Air pockets in the cranberries allow them to float, so cut one open and show kids the air pockets. Another fun experiment is “dancing” craisins. Pour Sprite or another clear carbonated beverage into a glass. Drop a few craisins inside and watch them dance! The carbonation raises them to the surface and when the bubbles burst, they drop back down again, giving them the appearance that they are dancing!

Related Post: Terrific Thanksgiving Read-Alouds

Harvest cranberries like the pros!

Cranberry Harvest – Cranberries are not picked like other fruits. A cranberry bog is flooded and the berries float to the surface to be harvested. Fill a 9×13 pan with cranberries. Let kids slowly pour water into the pan until they raise to the surface. Use small cups to scoop the berries out to mimic harvesting. There are also many videos online and books available to show your kids how cranberries are harvested.

“Harvesting” Cranberries

Cranberry Sensory Play – Cranberries provide a great sensory experience for kids. Add some to a bin or sensory table and let younger kids explore them. You can also add water so they can see them floating. Add cups and spoons to let them scoop and pour them out. You can also do a taste test with cranberries in various forms. Try whole cranberries, cranberry sauce and craisins and compare and contrast the flavors, appearance and textures.

Discussion – This is a great story for showing kids not to judge a book by it’s cover. Talk to your kids about the characters in the story. Why do they think Grandmother trusted Mr. Horace instead of Mr. Whiskers? Why was Grandmother wrong? Have you invited people to your holiday dinners before? Who could you invite for Thanksgiving?

Have you tried Grandmother’s cranberry bread? Did your kids enjoy harvesting cranberries? Share your experiences in the comments!

More Posts You May Enjoy: