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THANKSGIVING PARTY IDEAS
Gobble, gobble! Halloween has barely come and gone and the next holiday, Thanksgiving, is already well on its way. This year, the holiday falls on Thursday, Nov. 26. If you have a child born on that day or that holiday weekend—or anytime in November, really—use the theme of Pilgrims, Indians and the bountiful feast of the season for a party that the kids will give thanks for.
Here are some ideas:
THE INVITATIONS
The invitations are easy and fun to make. Simply outline your hand on brown, red and orange sheets of paper and attach bright feathers to the body. Be sure to leave enough room in the middle for the party details.
THE DECORATIONSDecorate with balloons and streamers in a cornucopia of colors, including orange, brown, dark reds, purples, etc.
For the table centerpiece, take vegetables and fruits in the same seasonal colors and place them on a platter to symbolize the harvest’s bounty.
Place pumpkins, gourds and cornstalks around the party table, the party room and at the front entrance of the party.
THE ACTIVITIES
Upon arrival, assign each guest to be a Pilgrim or an Indian. Each child can then make either a Pilgrim hat or an Indian feather cap, based on their role. The kids will greatly enjoy making their respective hats and love that they can take them home afterward.
Have the kids make harvest necklaces. Using string and a needle, the children can string popcorn, cranberries and dried fruit onto a necklace. Tie it off for them to wear at the party. (Note: Make sure this activity is well-supervised.)
Re-create the story of the Pilgrims and the Indians. Tell the story in narrative fashion and have the kids re-enact their very own first Thanksgiving tale. Make sure to have platters of bounty for the kids to use during the re-enactment.
If it is a crisp, sunny day, have some fun relay races with the Pilgrims and Indians.
Have them carry the “Platter of Bounty” from one end and back without spilling anything off the plate. First team done wins!
Place a dollop of cranberry sauce and cream on a large spoon and give it to the kids to carry from one end and back without it falling off the spoon. They must eat it at the end, then the next person goes.
Have a “Popcorn Race.” Give the kids popcorn that they must run and deposit into an empty bowl. First team to fill the bowl wins!
Play “Cornucopia.” Have the kids sit on chairs forming a circle with one leader in the middle. The leader points to each of the other players to give them a Thanksgiving name, such as “Turkey.” The leader then calls out two names, “Turkey and Potato.” Those two players must quickly switch places. The leader keeps calling at a quick pace, until suddenly she says, “The cornucopia has tipped over!” Everyone, including the leader, then scrambles for a new place. The player without a seat is the new leader.
Hide Mr. Turkey in the party room or outside in the yard. The kids must try to find Mr. Turkey. You can play this with several turkeys being hidden in the yard and everyone finds them, or play it with one child looking for Mr. Turkey and the rest of the kids helping him find the guy. They can yell out “hotter, colder” to the child until Mr. Turkey is found.
THE FOOD
Serve mini turkey potpies, sweet potato fries, corn muffins and baked beans. You could also serve turkey sandwiches cut into turkey shapes or turkey nuggets with different dipping sauces. Make it festive but easy. Cranberry juice would be a good drink to accompany your party menu.
THE FAVORS
Send home little sugar cones with the kids ’ names printed on the cones in decorative frosting. Tie an orange ribbon and fill with plenty of small candy goodies like mini chocolate turkeys to take home.
Have a gobbly good time!
Lisa Kothari is the founder and president of Peppers and Pollywogs (www.peppersandpollywogs.com),
a kids’ party-planning company that provides parents with ideas, entertainers and interesting web-based tools (customized rhymes and cards for your invitations!) to make kids’ party planning easy. She has recently written and published Dear Peppers and Pollywogs… What Parents Want to Know About Planning Their Kids’ Parties, which is available at www.amazon.com and www.peppersandpollywogs.com.
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