All these files are pdf's. If you don't have Adobe Reader on your computer you can download it for free here; http://www.adobe.com/  Sometimes Internet Explorer says: Cannot open this file. Simply click on the link again and it will open it. Still haven't figured that one out! Enjoy! If you have any other problems please contact us! diane@teachwithme.com

 What's A Tasting Thanksgiving Feast?

     It's a "little dab 'ul do ya!" and a whole lot less stress when you're dealing with little kids who are picky eaters.  A Taste Feast is simply a spoonful of this and that. Delegate the fixin's to the parents via a sign up sheet and all you have to do is slip in a CD and monitor the procession.  You can check out the individual handouts and pick and choose which to print, or if you like everything, click on the link at the end and print or save the entire Tasting Feast file.  Enjoy!  Here's how:

Thanksgiving Tasting Feast

• Celebrate the Wednesday before vacation.
• To feed an entire class of 20, have parents sign up at Open House  to bring the following:  Click on the link for a copy Thanksgiving Feast Ingredient Sign Up.
• You could also leave this sign up sheet out at parent-teacher conferences. Click on the link for a 
• sign up sign.
• Send a reminder note home of who signed up for what a few days before feast day. Click here for a copy of the reminder note.

Stuff for the Feast


• 1 pound of deli sliced turkey (This is cut into 1/4ths while it is in a stack)
• 1 box prepared Stove Top dressing
• 1  20 oz can of corn
• 1 bowl of mashed potatoes
• 2 jars of turkey gravy (For potatoes)
• 1  20 oz can of squash
• 1 large pumpkin pie (Each child gets a little scoop)
  
• 1 can of whipped cream for pie (Just a squirt next to the pie if they want)
  
• 1 can of cranberry sauce
• 1 mini-cornbread muffin per child
• 1 gallon of apple cider or juice . (We have had parents who have brought in cider and juice and then graphed which we liked the best.)
• Optional: Venison Sausage or a tiny piece of meat
• You may also want to add seasonal Dixie cups, paper plates, napkins, and folks to your list.
  

         Things To Do...

• Send a note home asking parents to come help serve your Thanksgiving Taste Feast. Click on the link for a copy. Thanksgiving Taste Feast  Note Home
• Send a reminder note home the day before the feast reminding parents that they signed up to help. Click on the link to view/print a copy.
• Have children sign a “We are thankful for your help card”  the day before, and  send it home with the parents who came to help.  Click on the link for a copy. Thanksgiving Taste Feast  thank you card.
• To avoid "I don't want any!"  tell your students before hand, that they will TASTE everything; and then if they don't like it, they don't have to eat it.   You could make exceptions with whipped cream and gravy.
  
• You'll be amazed that some children have never tasted squash, cranberries, cider or pumpkin pie!
  
• Some children will also want more. There might be some leftovers, but before you start giving them, you need to know if there IS enough for seconds, so ask for a show of hands and then decide whether you will go down that road or not.  Remind the children that this is just a Tasting Feast.  There should be enough apple juice/cider for seconds.
  
• Parents put things in cafeteria oven to warm (potatoes, squash, gravy) after lunch has been served.
  
• Do this in the afternoon in place of your snack time, the last thing before you go home. 
• If you have made paper bag Native American vests and head bands as a class and Pilgrims hats and collars like I do, have children pick a Pilgrim or Indian word out of a basket and then wear either their Indian paper bag vest and headband or their Pilgrim hat and collar to the feast, depending on what word they picked out of the basket. You could give them a choice, but I think you'd have a feast of Native Americans. 
  
• A long sheet of brown butcher paper is laid down on a little used hallway floor to be the “Table”. 
  
• Everyone sits "Indian-style" criss-cross-applesauce to eat.
  
• You could also use a section of floor by the wall in the cafeteria if it's not being used.
• Play a Native American CD for background music.
• Adults serve just a tiny “spoonful-taste” of everything.
• When everyone is finished have your students sing: We are thankful, We are thankful.  For your time,  for your time.  We are very thankful, we are very thankful. We love you. We love you. The tune is to Brother John I made it up to sing whenever anyone comes in to help us.
  
• Parents stay and clean up.
• Take the children back to the classroom and graph their favorite and least favorite foods.
• If you had both cider and apple juice,  graph their favorite. Click on the link for graphs.  Thanksgiving Graphs.
  
• Run off thank you notes and send home with parents who came to help.
  
• Tuck a Happy Thanksgiving Note in your students' Take Home Folders/backpacks. Click on the link for a copy. And...
  
• Bid everyone a "Happy Thanksgiving!" Now go home and have a wonderful relaxing long weekend so you can get ready for Christmas!  Wahoo!!  Does planning ever end?
• Click on this link to print or save the entire Thanksgiving Tasting Feast printables.
  
• 
• The next day have your students make my Thanksgiving dinner booklet. The cover is a paper plate complete with a plastic folk and spoon. Sam's club sells silver ones that look very realistic!
  
• Fasten them on with glue dots! Click on the link My Thanksgiving Dinner Booklet 
  
•  
  
•