One Thanksgiving tradition is my Thanksgiving Mix making with my class. The kids bring in the ingredients, we clean the room well, we wash our hands, set up an assembly line (which aligns with our 4th grade social studies curriculum), and we get to mixing. The last step in the line is to attach a label with the explanation for each item. The kids love the experience and bringing home a treat to share. (Side note, this year I have a student who is Jehovah's Witness, so we're making it a "fall mix" so he can participate. However most of the bag labels will read similar to the ingredient list below.)
We have a week off for the holiday, and with all that time to do so, a few of my students wind up making the mix to take to their family parties. I love that. Oh, and we also make enough bags to give one to each staff member, so my peers look forward to this too!
Here's what's in it and why:
Bugles
Shaped like a cornucopia, a symbol of our nation's abundance
Pretzels
Arms folded in prayer, a freedom sought by those who celebrated the first Thanksgiving
Candy Corn
Food was so scarce that Pilgrims survived on just a few kernels of corn a day during their first winter
Seeds
Promise of future harvests to be reaped only if seeds are planted and tended with diligence
Dried fruits
Harvest gifts from our bountiful land
M & M's
Memories of those who came before us and memories of those whom we miss on this and every day
Kisses
The love of family and friends that sweetens our lives, a symbol of giving to those we know and to those who are strangers except for knowing of our kindnesses
Some added helps: the pretzels are mini twist in variety, for seeds I use sunflower kernels, raisins are the dried fruit, and I make sure I get the candy corn now (I'm shopping for this today), so it's easier to find (and on clearance). Oh and of course, we always talk about putting Bugles on our fingers like witches' nails. That's part of the tradition too!
Since this is such a hit, I am sharing it early in hopes someone will come along the recipe and think it's as sweetly touching as I do!
Happy November!
Photo source
Oh awesome!!! I am going to politely request to steal this!! I would love to make these aqs gifts bags for the folks at Ben's unit.
ReplyDeleteBut you know, I can truly understand why your memories don't endear the holiday to you :-(
Thank you so much for the shout out! :-)
What a great idea! If I can get to the store today to buy the candy corn, I'm stealing this idea.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy Thanksgiving, but I'm kind of a Halloween Scrouge
Our Thanksgiving in Canada is over, but now you have made me want to celebrate all over again!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea!!! J's school starts their annual drive to beef up our local church's (all faiths) trail mix stash bags to help feed the homeless. I love taking J to help me shop for these donations & I'm really looking forward to when he is old enough to partake in the exercise of creating the bags. At J's age, too many chocolate chips & M&Ms would be eaten to ever make it in any of the bags... ;-)
ReplyDeleteI love Thanksgiving, but do not celebrate Halloween at all. I love your mix recipe and think it's a great idea. I don't have anyone to make it with,(as groups of small children go) but it's meaningful and delicious sounding.
ReplyDeleteI plan to copy and use it as well.
This is such a wonderful idea! I've heard you talk about the mix before, but don't think I've ever heard what all the ingredients stood for.
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