Most of you my already celebrate Thanksgiving dinner with family or dear fiends, but this day is geared especially to the adults. Why not bring home the meaning of the holiday with a theme party for children?

Invite your little guests with invitations made in the shape of turkeys. Schedule your party over lunchtime so you can serve a couple of the most appropriate foods.

When your guests arrive, divide them into Pilgrims and 'Indians.' We certainly know the new term is Native Americans, but my first experience was with 'Indians' and little children should be impressed with the importance of accepting different types of friends and not with political correctness. Have previously made Pilgrim hats and Indian feather bands and hand them out to the appropriate people.

Decorations are easy to put together since anything for Thanksgiving will be appropriate. Use turkeys, fall leaves, pumpkins and gourds, Pilgrim and Indian decorations, pictures, paper products etc. Keep colors scheme in the orange, brown, yellow, gold spectrums. Balloons and streamers are always appropriate for any party.

Your refreshments could be made from foods representative of that First Thanksgiving. If after the main feast for Thanksgiving serve leftover turkey in small sandwiches on hamburger buns or make turkey nuggets for your young diners. Cranberry sauce, French fries, corn chips, or mozzarella sticks could be served. Add other finger foods and pumpkin bread or bars; with a scoop of ice cream is good. Apple cider or orange Kool-Aid for a beverage would complete the meal.

Turkey Walk Relay:

Play a relay game where teams compete. Form two teams with both Pilgrims and Indians on each one. Put a basket several feet away from the first member of each team. In each basket place a turkey candle, tiny pumpkin, gourd, or ear of corn. Pick enough items to correspond to the number of team members on one team. Make teams equal. Adults can play if necessary to even out the teams. Someone will blow a whistle and both team members make their way to their own basket to grab one item. To make it more fun, each person who goes to gather their items must walk like a turkey there and back to their team. Demonstrate the way a turkey walks before you begin. They can flap wings, extend their neck and pull them back again, and gobble. When they return their item, the team quickly passes it to the rear of their line and the second person is given the okay form the last team member to proceed to gather another item. The second person then commences their turkey walk. First team to empty their basket and place the items all at the rear of their team wins.

Add a couple craft projects making turkeys, decorating dried gourds, or making a Thanksgiving collage of paper or a felt wall hanging. Use creativity and established craft ideas from internet websites or library books.

Favors or prizes could be gift certificates for McDonalds Happy Meals so they could enjoy the All-American meal of today. Coloring books picture books or puzzles celebrating the Harvest and this holiday would be appropriate. There have also been some very cuts stuffed veggie and fruit toys on the market, which would fit right in. Of course you will send home their hats and feather bans as well.

Credits: Jo Ann Wentzel