I am a go all out kinda girl. I like to do things big – borderline over the top, in the gray area of ridiculousness, and questionably out of control. I want a 12 foot Christmas tree, 6 inch stilettos, unlimited toppings on my ice cream sundae, 3 layer birthday cakes, and purses that are bigger than the left side of my body. I like to bring the best present with the biggest bow. You get the picture. I especially I am like this with my beloved babies at school. I spoil them and I know it. I don’t even care. I think some of my kiddos don’t get spoiled enough and they deserve it. So in the spirit of over-the-topness, let me explain our Thanksgiving party.
Instead of doing a typical Thanksgiving party with a little turkey craft and November Bingo, we have a feast. And when I say feast – I mean feast. If you can make it in the microwave or on a hot plate – we make it! Stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberries, pumpkin pie, and gravy! We buy thick cut turkey deli meat for the ‘turkey’ of our meal. It is a blast! We usually blow a fuse. We get in stations for the party and everyone gets a chance to make 2 or 3 different dishes. Then we combine all of the food into a big huge buffet. The kids can go through the line and request each option. It’s super fun!
Thanksgiving will be here before you know it! So it’s time to get ready!
How to prepare?
Party schedules are a must. Your kids will know exactly what they are doing and it what order!
Cook in stations and in small groups. Focus on building independence, taking turns, communication skills, and vocabulary. Visual recipes are a must! Snag my Thanksgiving Visual Recipes!
Setting up a buffet is a great way to serve all of the food and really focus on communication. Answering yes and no. Requesting items. Being polite. Not every kid wants green beans – the skill of saying no or not requesting the item is essential to work on as well!
Now the feast! Eat and enjoy! We have students make placements while we get everything set up for the buffet!
Don’t forget dessert! We make an instant pumpkin pie and also have parents bring in some goodies!
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4 Responses
We did a Thanksgiving Luncheon, instead of a microwave and hot plate which were on stand by in case we needed them. I had my students cook everything in crockpots. We cooked turkey cutlets, stuffing with cream of chicken soup, sweet potatoes, mac & cheese, green bean casserole and homemade banana pudding. The crockpots worked out great.
So fun! Love the banana pudding! Crockpots are a great idea! We used the crockpot for our mashed potatoes this year! 🙂
Thanks for sharing your great ideas. You are a awesome resource!!
Thanks for reading 🙂