If you’re looking for a fun and meaningful way to celebrate Thanksgiving in your classroom, you’ll love these Balloons Over Broadway Book Companion activities! This engaging resource is inspired by the true tale of Tony Sarg, the puppeteer who created the giant balloons for the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Check out these related posts:

• Balloons Over Broadway in Kindergarten
• Turkey in Disguise Activities
• Turkey Trouble Book Activities

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Why Teachers and Students Love This Story

Kids are instantly captivated by the idea of giant parade balloons floating through the sky, and this story brings that excitement right into your classroom. It’s the perfect mix of literacy, creativity, and history – and now, even math and literacy activities!

What’s Included in the Balloons Over Broadway Book Companion

Your students will dive into comprehension, writing, creativity, and more!

Reading Comprehension Activities

• Sequencing cards to retell the story in order
• Story Wheel to strengthen story sequence and retelling
• Cut & Glue sequencing

Vocabulary Writing & Creative Response

Use vocabulary specific to the parade to write sentences, respond to prompts and write short stories.

Encourage imagination and storytelling with prompts like:

• “If I could design my own parade balloon…”
• “My favorite part of the parade was…”
• “The best float in the parade was…”

New Math & Literacy Extensions

This new edition of the Balloons Over Broadway Book Companion includes extra centers and printables designed to connect the story to early math and literacy standards.

Literacy Activities

• Literacy Printables – Practice letter formation, beginning sounds, CVC words, and blends with no-prep printables.
• CVC Clip Cards – Decode CVC words and clip the matching picture.
• CVC Puzzles – Match CVC words and pictures to reveal a parade scene.

Math Activities

• Math Printables – Practice counting, number recognition, representing numbers, addition, subtraction, and more with no-prep math printables.
• Addition Game Boards – Build fact fluency with an addition partner game.
• Counting Cards – Students practice counting and number recognition with themed counting cards.
• Counting or Addition Clip Wheels – Practice counting and number representation or addition facts with clip wheels. Differentiate depending on the needs of your students.

These low-prep pages are perfect for centers, small groups, or morning work during your Thanksgiving week.

Don’t Miss Our Classroom Parade Blog!

Once your students have finished the book companion, take learning to the next level with your very own Balloons Over Broadway Parade!

We shared all the details in our post Balloons Over Broadway in Kindergarten post found HERE. You’ll find easy tips for setting up your own mini parade, creative float ideas, and photos from real classrooms. It’s the perfect follow-up to this book companion – and your students will never forget it!

The Balloons Over Broadway Book Companion activities are available now in Simply Kinder +! Members can download it instantly and start planning a fun and skill-filled Thanksgiving week. Grab it HERE!

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