Sweet Cornbread

Nothing beats homemade cornbread – and this sweet recipe from ChocolateChocolateandMore.com takes the cake with its touch of honey. (If you’re short on time, Jiffy makes a corn muffin mix that yields yummy and utterly grabbable muffins.) 

 

You'll need: 

  • Yellow cornmeal
  • All purpose flour
  • Sugar
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Vegetable oil
  • Butter
  • Eggs
  • Milk
  • Honey (optional)

Get the recipe

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Pilgrims' Punch (served in Mayflower cups)

The Pilgrims actually drank beer at their Thanksgiving feast because it was less likely than water to become contaminated with disease. This kid-friendly punch is of course beer free, and packs both flavor and fizzies into a fun, Mayflower themed cup. 

To make the punch, you’ll need:

  • Cranberry juice
  • Seltzer (any flavor)

Pour cranberry juice into pitcher. Right before serving, stir in enough seltzer to give it that nice fizz factor. Mix and pour into Mayflower cups (below).

To make the Mayflower cups, you'll need: 

  • Brown cups
  • Brown straws
  • Double sided tape
  • Mayflower flags (see below for free printables)

1. To make the Mayflower flags: print, photo copy and trim these free downloadable Mayflower flags: the Union Flag of England and The Cross of St. George Flag. Keep in mind you’ll need to print two copies of each flag for every cup because the flags will be two sided, so if you’re making enough for 22 cups, you’ll need to print 44 of each flag.  

2. Using double-sided tape, affix the flags to the top section of the straws.

3. Insert straw in cup, pour punch, and serve!

Fun fact! There were two flags that flew on the Mayflower. One was the Union Flag of England (commonly known today as the British flag) and the other was a red and white flag called The Cross of St. George.

 

Crock Pot Apple Cider

This fragrant brown sugar and cloves apple cider recipe from MyFrugalAdventures.com smells like Thanksgiving. Let it do its magic a few hours before the celebration begins as it takes about 3 hours. The benefit of serving it crock pot style is how amazing your party will smell! 

You'll need:

  • Apple Cider 
  • Chopped Apples 
  • Cinnamon Sticks
  • Whole Cloves
  • Sliced Orange (optional)
  • Brown Sugar
  • Whole allspice

Get the recipe.

 

Turkey Covers for Juice Boxes 

Grab some cranberry juice boxes to give a nod to the holiday, and give them a little face lift by popping them into these adorable cardboard tube turkey juice box covers from SugarAunts.com.

You’ll need:

  • Colored feathers
  • Googly eyes
  • Crafting scraps
  • Empty toilet paper tubes
  • Clear tape
  • Juice boxes 

Get the step-by-step instructions. 

 

Healthy Turkey Treat Cups 

Serve kids their veggies (or fruit) out of this adorable turkey cup (free printable shown from Chickabug.com) – and they might not even notice the feathers are made of peppers and carrots.

You’ll need:

Affix the turkey to the cup with a little glue or double sided tape. Place veggies upright in cup. 

 

Turkey Gobbler Pinwheels

Kids will gobble up this twisted version of the classic Thanksgiving dinner (the only thing missing is the mashed potatoes -- but certainly feel free to add those!). For a class of 24, you’ll need approximately 8 tortillas.

You’ll need:

  • Tortilla wraps (each wrap makes approximately 6 pinwheels)
  • Stuffing
  • Thin turkey slices (from the deli)
  • Cranberry mayo (recipe below)

1. Make cranberry mayo: mix 1 tablespoon of cranberry sauce to every 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise.

2. Make stuffing (either from a box or homemade (here’s a great stuffing recipe from Martha). 

3. Spread cranberry mayo evenly on each flat tortilla.

4. Arrange turkey slices down the middle of the tortilla on top of the cranberry mayo.

5. Spread stuffing on top of turkey.

6. Roll up tortilla, jelly roll style.

7. Slice each roll into 6 diagonal slices (pinwheels) – you can stick a tooth pick in each to hold it together if necessary.

 

Veggie Turkey Tray

Kids love eating veggies when they look like anything other than a veggie, so they’ll be all over this colorful veggie turkey from TeachMama.com!

You’ll need: 

  • 2 yellow peppers
  • 1 orange pepper
  • 1 red pepper
  • 6 mini cucumbers
  • 1 bag of carrots
  • 2 pints grape tomatoes
  • 1 head of broccoli

Get the step-by-step instructions.

 

Corn{pops} on the Cob

You’ll need:

  • Corn pops cereal
  • Snack baggies
  • Green tissue paper
  • Raffia or twine

1. Fill each snack bag with corn pops and fold over the flap to close (or press to seal).

2. Take a piece of green tissue paper and lay it behind and around the sides of the baggie, leaving one front of the bag exposed.

3. Tie a piece of raffia or twine to each end so that it resembles an ear of corn.

 

Chocolate and Pumpkin Spice Acorns

If this type of acorn fell from our trees...we’d all be in trouble. These sweet little edible acorns from Sugarswings.com will get gobbled up by all your little squirrels! 

You’ll need: 

  • Mini Nilla Wafers
  • Chocolate Hershey Kisses
  • Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses
  • Edible food marker

Get the step-by-step instructions.

 

Pretzel Turkeys

These sweet pretzel turkeys from Cutesycrafts.com are a snap to make.

You’ll need: 

  • Pretzels
  • Candy corn
  • Melting chocolate
  • Butterscotch chips

Get the step-by-step instructions.

 

Gobble Pops

These turkey tootsie roll pops from Tippytoesandtantrums.com are super simple to make, and the perfect take-home treat at the end of your Thanksgiving classroom party. 

You’ll need:

  • Imitation leaves
  • Brown Tootsie Pops
  • Hershey Kisses
  • Googly eyes
  • Glue dots
  • Orange felt triangles for the beaks
  • Red felt for the wattles

Get the step-by-step instructions.

 

Cranberry Cornucopia (Snack Mix)

Fill up these cornucopia shaped sugar cones with this sweet, healthy Thanksgiving trail mix!

You’ll need:

  • Dried cranberries
  • Raisins
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Chocolate chips
  • Sugar cones
  • Water
  • Plastic wrap
  • Ribbon

1. Mix cranberries, raisins, sunflower seeds and chocolate chips. Set aside.

2. To make the cornucopia cones, dip the point of each sugar cone in a bit of warm water for twenty seconds, then put in microwave for twenty seconds. Roll the moistened end of the cone around a clean pencil to give it its shape.

3. Fill cones with cranberry mix, and place a piece of plastic wrap big over the opening of the cone. Affix with ribbon.

If you prefer to place the trail mix in bags, you can order a set of 20 festive "Tom the Turkey" bags (shown below) from etsy.com.

Fun fact! Commonly used as a centerpiece in Thanksgiving meals, a cornucopia is a symbol of abundance.

 

Acorn Donut Holes

Kids love anything on a stick – especially when it’s a pretzel stick…with a donut hole attached to it! These adorable acorn donut holes from Madefrompinterest.net are super easy to make.

You’ll need:

  • Donut holes (also known as “Munchkins” in the Northeast!)
  • Nutella
  • Pretzel sticks
  • Sprinkles

1. Melt Nutella in microwave for approximately 40 seconds.

2. Dip the bottom of the donut hole into the bowl of Nutella, just enough to coat it.

3. Dip the Nutella-dipped part of the donut hole into sprinkles.

4. Stick a pretzel stick in the other end of the donut hole, leaving a small part of the stick exposed.

 

Mini Apple Pies (with Streusel Topping)

Apple pies in a muffin pan? Genius! This mini apple pie recipe from Tryanythingonceculinary.com makes enough for 24.

You’ll need:

  • Pie crust (store bought or homemade)
  • Chopped apples
  • Granulated sugar
  • Cinnamon
  • Butter
  • Salt
  • Brown sugar
  • Flour
  • Oatmeal

Get the step-by-step instructions.

 

Mini Pumpkin Pie Croissants

A kid-friendly twist on a Thanksgiving classic, these mini pumpkin pie croissants from Shakentogetherlife.com are a creamier, sweeter, rolled up version of the adult favorite: pumpkin pie.

You’ll need:

  • Pillsbury crescent rolls
  • Cream cheese
  • Canned pumpkin
  • Pumpkin pie spice
  • Sugar

Get the step-by-step instructions.

 

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

When it comes to whoopie pies, you really can't go wrong. This pumpkin and cream cheese pairing is scrumptious, and perfectly suited for Thanksgiving. Scoop the batter by teaspoon to make them miniature and poppable -- perfect  for little hands.

You’ll need:

  • 1 ½ cups canned pumpkin 
  • 2 cups brown sugar 
  • 1 cup vegetable oil 
  • 2 eggs 
  • 1 tsp. vanilla 
  • 3 cups all purpose flour 
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1 ½ tsp. ginger 
  • 1 ½ tsp. ground cloves 

For the cream cheese frosting filling, you'll need: 

  • 8 oz. cream cheese, room temp
  • 4 tablespoons of butter, room temp 
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 4 cups confectionary sugar 

1. Preheat oven to 350. 

2. In a bowl, beat together canned pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla.

3. In a second bowl, beat brown sugar and vegetable oil. Mix into pumpkin/egg/vanilla mixture.

3. In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

4. Beat the dry and wet contents together. 

Grease cookie pans. Drop batter by rounded teaspoon onto cookie sheets. Cook for 10-12 minutes. Let cakes cool for a few minutes, then remove from pan to cool on rack. 

To make the filling:

1. Beat cream cheese with butter. 

2. Add vanilla and beat well.

3. Add confectionary sugar and beat until creamy. 

Once whoopie cakes are cool, frost the flat side of one cake w/ a good amount of filling and then sandwich it with another cake.