Thanksgiving Name Tags With Manners Monkey

thankful for good manners monkey

Thanksgiving dinner is a great time to bring Manners Monkey to the table for a visual reminder of what having good manners looks like.

Manners Monkey was a character created by Joni Downey, founder of Characters of Character NFP, Inc. while she was working as a teaching assistant in the public school system. The original classroom she worked in was a behavior classroom filled with young boys who were struggling to understand basic character traits. As a way to help them relate to the trait, comprehend what the trait meant, and eventually portray good behaviors, Miss Joni created nine different characters with Manners Monkey being one of them.

Manners Monkey teaches children what being polite means and how to display good manners in every situation from home to play, and everywhere in between.

Good manners at thanksgiving with characters of character

Manners during Thanksgiving is a lot more than using ‘please’ when asking someone to pass the mashed potatoes. Here are some other ways to show good manners during the Thanksgiving holiday:

  • clearing your own plate

  • offering to help with any tasks like cooking, taking the trash out, or even cleaning the house before guests arrive

  • not lingering in the busy spaces like the kitchen unless you are helping with something

  • arrive on time if you are invited somewhere else for dinner

  • thanking the people who cooked your meal and offering a compliment of the food

  • using a quiet voice while sitting at the table

Having a discussion, whether it is in a classroom setting or at home, is a great way to gauge where your students or children are with their understanding of having good manners during the Thanksgiving holiday. It is also the perfect transition into helping them understand what is expected of them and the importance of using good manners.

Manners Monkey is a great visual reminder of using good manners at the table. Have fun with your Thanksgiving dinner and print out some Manners Monkey Thanksgiving themed name tags to use at the table.

The visual reminder of Manners Monkey can also be a conversation starter - what are some polite words? What do you say if someone burps at the table? What do you do when you are finished eating? Do you start eating before everyone is sitting down? Let Manners Monkey be a reminder of how to show good manners during your Thanksgiving holiday dinner.

As an alternative for your classroom, you could use the name tags to write polite words on them. Click the image above or click here to print your Manners Monkey name tags.

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Positive Reinforcements for Good Behavior