Thanksgiving food selections that do not require cooking or heating can help ease the preschool party prep. Many schools and day care centers may not have adequate kitchen space or heating appliances to add cooked foods such as mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes or a whole turkey to the party menu. No-cook foods may include items pre-cooked at home that are meant to be, or can be, eaten cold or at room temperature, such as breads or rolls, sliced deli-style turkey, apples, salad or cranberry sauce.
If your school is equipped with kitchen facilities capable of cooking or heating food, a hot menu of Thanksgiving food can set the theme for a festive holiday party. A whole turkey may take many hours to cook, so that may not be the best choice for your class bash. Instead, try smaller turkey pieces without bones or heated sliced deli turkey. Other traditional Thanksgiving fare for a heated meal includes sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cornbread, succotash or corn.
Turn your preparation into an educational cooking activity by making one or two special dishes for the party with the students. Encourage the children to measure the ingredients or count items for an extra lesson in mathematics. Try something simple and healthy like a tossed salad or choose a more complex treat. Another option is to turn basic ingredients, such as fresh fruits, into a Thanksgiving-shaped form. Disney's Family Fun website suggests making a turkey from apples, clementines and pears. A responsible adult can slice the fruit, and the students can arrange it on a plate to form the bird. Place apple and clementine wedges in an alternating pattern around the edge of the plate as turkey feathers. Lay a half pear, skin side facing up, on top as the turkey itself. The top, or skinny part, will be the face and the larger bottom will be the body. Add chocolate chip eyes and a nut beak with peanut butter or cream cheese.
Approximately 5 percent to 8 percent of young children have food allergies. These may range from simple rashes to severe life-threatening reactions. Take all student food allergies into consideration before preparing your preschool's Thanksgiving meal. Do not ever serve any food item if you know that a child has an allergy. It may also be helpful to ask parents beforehand about allergies and sensitivities. Food preparation and heating is another serious issue for preschool parties involving food. Do not allow the children to handle any type of raw meat or egg product, use sharp kitchen utensils or be near any kitchen heat source. Additionally, an adult should test the temperature of all heated items prior to serving them to the children to avoid mouth burns.