Friendsgiving in the Classroom: A Simple But Festive Feast

 

It's the season of gratitude, and what better way to celebrate with your class than with a Friendsgiving feast? Hosting a Friendsgiving in the classroom is a great way for your little learners to celebrate being a classroom family, learn about different cultures, and enjoy some delicious food. I've held many Thanksgiving feasts in the classroom and each of them looked a little different. Here's a simple way to get started if you are looking for ideas for your first Thanksgiving in the classroom!

Choosing a Menu

When choosing a menu for your Friendsgiving, it's important to keep things simple. If you are planning to do a little cooking in the classroom, you want to choose recipes that are easy to make and that everyone will enjoy. 

A great way to do this is to send home a note to parents to have students contribute food items towards the making of a recipe like corn soup to represent the first Thanksgiving or they contribute foods that are featured in a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and you have a combo celebration!

Here is a simple menu for a combination style Friendsgiving feast in the classroom:

• Appetizer: Pumpkin spice cream cheese with pretzel sticks
• Main course: Turkey chili or corn soup
• Sides: Mashed potatoes, green beans, corn bread muffins, stuffing or popcorn, buttered toast
• Dessert: Pumpkin pie, apple pie, Navaho fry bread or jelly beans

Preparing the Food

If your students are contributing food items, be sure to give them clear instructions on what to bring and how to prepare it. It is a good idea to have a system in place to confirm that items parents signed up for make it to school and... have a back up plan in the event that something is forgotten or a student is absent. 

I always bring in a crock pot so my students can help the making of our soup but ask for all other donated items to arrive ready to eat. We churned our own butter in a baby food jar!

Many schools have an oven in the teacher's lounge that can be used for baking as long as you have a volunteer to help monitor the oven.

You may also want to assign different students different tasks, such as setting the tables, decorating the classroom, or serving the food.

Making It Fun

Once the food is ready, it's time to enjoy! Be sure to set up some fun activities for your students to do while they're eating, such as playing Thanksgiving-themed games or watching a Thanksgiving movie.

Here are some tips for making your Friendsgiving feast extra fun:

• Decorate the classroom: Set up a Thanksgiving table with all the trimmings, or create a fun photo booth with Thanksgiving or fall props.
• Plan a few fun activities: Play games like Thanksgiving bingo, read funny Thanksgiving poems, or make an easy craft.
• Watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!
• Give thanks: Take some time during your feast to have your students share what they're grateful for in school and at home. If you have a classroom gratitude jar, this is the perfect time to pull from it!

Hosting a Friendsgiving feast in the classroom is a great way to celebrate the season of gratitude with your students. By choosing a simple menu, having students contribute food items, and making it fun, you can create a memorable event that everyone will enjoy.

You can take a look back at our earlier posts for more ideas for Thanksgiving fun in the classroom:

Cooking Corn Soup and More Thanksgiving Classroom Fun

There are lots of  fun printable Friendsgiving teaching resources available at TPT! You can find them here.