Gobble, Gobble…Halloween has barely come and gone and the next holiday, Thanksgiving, is already well on her way. This year, the holiday falls on Thursday, November 27th…if you have a kid born on that day or that holiday weekend, you want to incorporate the theme of Pilgrims, Indians, the bountiful feast into a party theme. To create a Thanksgiving Birthday, here are some ideas:

 Invitations. Send out “Turkey Invitations” with bright feathers glued to its body. These can be found at any craft store. Using brown, orange, and deep red colors, provide the party details.

Decorations. Decorate with balloons and streamers with a cornucopia of colors, orange, brown, dark reds, purples, etc. You can also place streamers all around the party room in these colors.

For the table centerpiece, take vegetables and fruits that share these colors and make a platter of them to symbolize the harvest’s bounty, or check out the seeded glass pumpkin.

Have pumpkins, gourds, and corn stalks around the party table, the party room, and at the front entrance of the party.

Activities. When the kids arrive, have them make either a Pilgrim or an Indian attending the party. Have the kids make either a Pilgrim hat or Indian Feather Cap to distinguish the two groups from each other. This is an excellent craft that can be taken home at the end of the party. A leaf turkey is a good thanksgiving day activity for kids.  For other Thanksgiving craft ideas, check out the craft kids at Oriental Trading Company.

Make a “Harvest Necklace.” Using string and a needle, good craft for older kids, have them string popcorn, cranberries, and dried fruit on to a necklace. Tie it off for them to wear at the party.

Recreate 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 bring forth during the re-enactment to share.

Related to the idea above, have a Thanksgiving storytime.  One great suggestion: The Night Before Thanksgiving.  It’s a charming twist on the famous Clement C. Moore poem, The Night Before Christmas.

Play a trivia game all around the first Thanksgiving and traditions that have evolved over time. You could play it in Jeopardy fashion, having the kids state the answers as questions.

If it is a crisp, sunny day, have some fun relay races with the Pilgrims an Indians…make them carry the “Platter of Bounty” from one end and back without spilling anything off of 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 and the next person goes. Have a popcorn race, give 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 all try and find Mr. Turkey. You can play this with several turkeys being hidden in the yard and everyone finds them, or play it with one kid looking for Mr. Turkey and the rest of the kids helping him find the guy. They can yell out “Hotter, Colder” to help Mr. Turkey to be found!

Food:

Serve mini-turkey pot pies, 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 as well. Cranberry juice would be a good drink to serve. Check out more thanksgiving food ideas for fun T-day treats, or cook for thanksgiving with the kids.

Favors:

Send home little sugar cones, with the kids’ names printed on the cones, using decorative frosting. Tie an orange ribbon and fill with plenty of small candy goodies, i.e. mini-chocolate turkeys, to take home. Check out more thanksgiving favor ideas.  There are also favor kits at Oriental Trading Company.

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I was waiting to see what Bakerella was going to come up with for this gobble, gobble season.  Check out her whimsical Turkey Pops!  Yes, you are going to want to gobble these right up!

Have fun making a batch of these this Thanksgiving!

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MomLogic features a fun article on a Dad reflecting on why kids’ parties are a whole lot more fun than parties with adults.  It’s a quick read and a funny one…he uses some creative reasoning that I would never have thought of. 

Enjoy!

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It’s that time of year when the grandchildren may be coming for a visit or the kids are home from school and you are looking for something fun to do with them that is fun, quick, simple, and budget-friendly. 

Check out these ideas for some quick inspiration:

1. Make Dough Animals.  Take pre-made dough, like a Pillsbury crescent roll mix, and let the kids shape their own animals for a fun treat.
2. Make Their Own Outrageous Cookie Concoctions.  Make a basic cookie dough and then pull out whatever condiments are in your cupboards and let the kids mix up their own cookies.  Set to bake and (if you dare!) try them when they have baked.
3. Hold a Treasure Hunt.  Do you have wrapped candies around your home?  Hide the candies around your home and set the kids off on a treasure hunt.  Make it even more fun by timing it.
4.  Play charades with older kids.
5. Take instant pictures and using heavy cardstock have the kids create a small frame to house the photos and decorate.  What a great keepsake.
6.  Paint with chocolate…Hershey’s Syrup works well.  This is a bit messy, but the kids will love it.
7. Enjoy a spa with the girls.  Pull out all of your colors and have a mini-spa with manicures and pedicures.
8. Using old jars and scraps of tissue paper in different colors, let the kids paint the tissue paper onto the jars with an invisible glue to create their own vases.

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I happened to catch The Today Show this week when Dede Wilson was showcasing a few of her brilliant ideas from her new book the Birthday Cake Book.  Filled with wonderful recipes and easy instructions, Dede really inspires everyone to bake fabulous birthday cakes for kids and beyond. 

These Caterpillar Cupcakes are so cool for kids’ parties.  Yummy fun!

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Dylan’s Candy Bar has the perfect chocolate turkey to enjoy this year.  A party favor, a sweet treat for the special day, or a reward for a good deed done, your kids will be grateful for this Tom Turkey!

The Mommy and Bay Foil Set turkeys are also very cute!

Yum!Â

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This holiday season Macy’s Believe Campaign is in full swing.  Children across the country are invited to drop off their letters — stamped and addressed to Santa at The North Pole — at any Macy’s store in the Santa Mail letterbox. For each letter received, Macy’s will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Macy’s has pledged to spending up to 1 million dollars during this season. 

What a great activity to do with your kids this season; writing the annual letter to Santa Claus and then helping a wonderful cause.

Macy’s Believe Campaign runs from November 9th to December 25th. 

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Kids and pets often go hand-in-hand.  Now there seems to be a trend toward hosting Puppy Parties for kids…literally, not just as a theme!  A recent article on Mom Logic notes that Galaxy Entertainment in Los Angeles says their Puppy Parties are their most popular.  They take small breeds that are known to the company to the parties and introduce real puppies to the kids at the puppy party.  Now, that’s thematic.  It also seems to work for a long-term adoption.  By the time the puppies are six months, most have been adopted by the party guests and clients.  Great theme, and doing good to help puppies!

Speaking of helping pets, especially this holiday season, here is a great article on how kids can help homeless and shelter pets during the upcoming holiday season that are easy and helpful.

Some of these ideas include:

1. Set up a pet food bank
2. Host a home holiday party on behalf of shelter animals
3. Create a Shelter Wish List and collect donations throughout the season.

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Skip To My Lou has featured a great idea for a Thanksgiving craft: Pilgrim Hat Favors.  With easy instructions and good pictures to show you how, this looks like a perfect craft to make with your kids this season.  Super cute too!

Check this craft out!

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