How to Host a Preschool Thanksgiving Party

Preschool Thanksgiving parties can be easily turned into a preschool Thanksgiving feast. You can plan some traditional preschool party activities and still gear the whole party towards being thankful, sharing, and celebrating the bounty together. Since young children's attention spans are only about thirty seconds long, you need to plan age appropriate activities. Here are a few tips on how to keep preschool kids active and happily participating during a Thanksgiving party.

Games: The games should be simple. Try to pin the tail feather on the turkey. All you need is a turkey painted on a poster board, a blindfold, and construction paper tail feathers that can be taped to the turkey. Give each child a feather with a piece of tape rolled on the back of it. Put each child's name on the tail feathers so that they can see where they placed each feather. Put the blindfold on each child and aim them in the direction of the turkey.

Another easy game is a bean bag toss game. All you need is sturdy poster board or cardboard, bean bags, paint, and four two by two inch boards. Cut three holes in the poster board. Paint a cornucopia around the holes so that the holes are the fruit and vegetables. Attach two of the boards along each vertical side of the poster board. Lastly, attach the last two boards at an angle to the first two, making legs. Have the kids toss the bean bags through the holes.

Craft: Here are two Thanksgiving craft ideas. Make handprint turkeys. You need colored construction paper, glue sticks, plastic eyes or construction paper eyes, and scissors. Cut out turkey bodies by making a brown construction paper circle. Cut out feet, a beak, and a waddle. I suggest that you cut out these pieces prior to the party so that all the kids have to do is glue the parts on the turkey.

At the party, trace each child's hand onto a piece of construction paper. Help the preschooler cut out the hand. The hand print is the turkey's feathers. You can use two handprints and overlap the feathers in two different colors.

The second idea is to help the kids write out thankful feathers. These are construction paper feathers that each preschooler can list something that they are thankful for. It will help the kids understand the meaning of Thanksgiving.

Snack: A Thanksgiving feast is in order. Just like the Pilgrims and Indians, the preschoolers are sharing their bounty so that all can enjoy. Have each child read his thankful feathers before eating.
Have each child bring in a food that can be put into a trail mix. Some suggestions for the trail mix include Cheerios, Goldfish crackers, M & Ms, and raisins. Have each child add his or her ingredient to the trail mix. Remember to bring a large bowl to mix the ingredients and a serving spoon.

A fruit salad is another healthy snack that each child can contribute to. Have the preschoolers bring in sliced apples, seedless grapes, and mandarin oranges. Have each child add his or her fruit to the fruit salad. Remember to bring a large bowl to mix the fruit and a serving spoon.

There are many items that cannot be forgotten to make a preschool Thanksgiving party complete. You will need to supply bowls or plates, forks, napkins, and a drink.

A  Thanksgiving party and feast is a wonderful way to teach preschoolers the meaning of Thanksgiving. Encourage the children to take home their thankful feathers and read them to their families on Thanksgiving Day.