Whipping up a Theme Dinner from THIN AIR
Below is a very detailed itinerary to begin your theme dinner flight. You and your family will work together for an alloted time to create a final theme dinner.
Keep in mind...
Keep in mind...
- Every plan can be alloted to fit the time and needs of your family.
- You can make these steps span a 5 day week, bi-weekly or dates chosen throughout the month.
- For some (Who are we kidding?? Most.) families, it is impossible to meet up each night at dinner.
- The main goal is to gather your family.
- Get your family working as one, talking to each other to achieve a common goal together.
- This can be done on any level of intricacy. The simplest dinner is to choose a culture and prepare their cuisine.
- Take it a step further to make it fun. If you're doing Chinese, try eating with chopsticks. Make up your own fortune cookies for dessert, play appropriate music in the background...
Dynamic Detail: TAKE BREAKS when needed according to the attention span of your children and your own. When this endeavor becomes a chore, the positive aspects of learning are lost. This is why I would keep theme dinner conversation to a minmum during at least one of your evening meals. The point is to bond and learn surprising things from, and with, your family.
Monday or Dinner One
Choose a Theme:
During your inaugural dinner, pick a theme based on a vote. You can do this from a pre-determined list (see worksheet) or have each family member write down their theme idea on a "ballot," and vote on which theme to choose. If there is a tie, put the ballots in a bowl and draw. Use the "losing" choices for future dinners.
To spark ideas, think about what the kids are studying in school. What countries have been discussed in the news lately? Are there any anniversaries of historical events coming up? You could rotate the type of theme dinner you will have each week or month (i.e. cultural, historical, book) to help narrow down your choices.
Click here for more Brainstorming Boosters !
Dynamic Detail: Get your kids' teachers involved. This could be centered around a class project and all the kids in the class might become interested. You could start a tidal wave!!
Dynamic Detail: To do this step with younger kids, let them practice writing on the ballots. If they can't write, have them "draw" their idea (make sure you jot down what the idea is on the back so you don't forget what their pretty artwork depicts!).
During your inaugural dinner, pick a theme based on a vote. You can do this from a pre-determined list (see worksheet) or have each family member write down their theme idea on a "ballot," and vote on which theme to choose. If there is a tie, put the ballots in a bowl and draw. Use the "losing" choices for future dinners.
To spark ideas, think about what the kids are studying in school. What countries have been discussed in the news lately? Are there any anniversaries of historical events coming up? You could rotate the type of theme dinner you will have each week or month (i.e. cultural, historical, book) to help narrow down your choices.
Click here for more Brainstorming Boosters !
Dynamic Detail: Get your kids' teachers involved. This could be centered around a class project and all the kids in the class might become interested. You could start a tidal wave!!
Dynamic Detail: To do this step with younger kids, let them practice writing on the ballots. If they can't write, have them "draw" their idea (make sure you jot down what the idea is on the back so you don't forget what their pretty artwork depicts!).
Tuesday & Wednesday or Dinner Day Two & Three
Research & Selection:
Give yourself and the kids a couple of days to do some research. During these meals, discuss your findings at dinner and determine who will be in charge of what and which tasks will be done as a group.
The internet, library, grandparents, teachers at school are great resources for everyone (yes--you too parental figures!!) to visit during the week. Depending on your kids' ages, divvy out some responsibilities to plannig the dinner. Assign someone to plan the menu based on your subject. Select music and any peripheral objects. Decide on outfits based on stuff you have around the house...togas, flowers in the hair, funny hats...USE YOUR IMAGINATION. Draw pictorial placemats. Create a relevant centerpiece for the table. Collect information on language or terminology to use during your theme meal and practice during the day. Plan a menu together based on the information the kids have compiled. If you have chosen a culture, help your children find an Internet pen pal from that area to provide useful information. (supervise interaction with pen pal!!)
The best way to benefit from this family project is to add a bit more character to this endeavor. Think about what would be truly intrinsic to your chosen theme and create that atmosphere.
To decide on menus, art, entertainment, etc., to vote or draw. Use this worksheet--Team Tasks--to help organize your ideas and challenges. Keep this list posted on the fridge with as a roster of each person's duties.
Dynamic Detail: Give young kids tasks to achieve while you make dinner during the week...preparing centerpiece, drawing pictures that relate to the topic to display as an art gallery, games related on the internet etc. It's a great way to keep them focused and out of your hair!
Give yourself and the kids a couple of days to do some research. During these meals, discuss your findings at dinner and determine who will be in charge of what and which tasks will be done as a group.
The internet, library, grandparents, teachers at school are great resources for everyone (yes--you too parental figures!!) to visit during the week. Depending on your kids' ages, divvy out some responsibilities to plannig the dinner. Assign someone to plan the menu based on your subject. Select music and any peripheral objects. Decide on outfits based on stuff you have around the house...togas, flowers in the hair, funny hats...USE YOUR IMAGINATION. Draw pictorial placemats. Create a relevant centerpiece for the table. Collect information on language or terminology to use during your theme meal and practice during the day. Plan a menu together based on the information the kids have compiled. If you have chosen a culture, help your children find an Internet pen pal from that area to provide useful information. (supervise interaction with pen pal!!)
The best way to benefit from this family project is to add a bit more character to this endeavor. Think about what would be truly intrinsic to your chosen theme and create that atmosphere.
To decide on menus, art, entertainment, etc., to vote or draw. Use this worksheet--Team Tasks--to help organize your ideas and challenges. Keep this list posted on the fridge with as a roster of each person's duties.
Dynamic Detail: Give young kids tasks to achieve while you make dinner during the week...preparing centerpiece, drawing pictures that relate to the topic to display as an art gallery, games related on the internet etc. It's a great way to keep them focused and out of your hair!
Thursday or Dinner Four:
Creation:
Let each person come up with a placemat for themselves that relates to the theme while you get that nights dinner ready. Or, better yet, order take-out so that you all can gather and do this task together. Finish up remaining tasks that need to be done such as the centerpiece, finishing costumes, etc.
If you have time, play a game, read a book or play aloud or watch a movie after dinner that relates to your theme to get everyone in the mood for the next evening.
Let each person come up with a placemat for themselves that relates to the theme while you get that nights dinner ready. Or, better yet, order take-out so that you all can gather and do this task together. Finish up remaining tasks that need to be done such as the centerpiece, finishing costumes, etc.
If you have time, play a game, read a book or play aloud or watch a movie after dinner that relates to your theme to get everyone in the mood for the next evening.
Friday or Theme Dinner Five!
You've made it to your theme dinner!
From the time you enter the kitchen to begin dinner together, you are in your new world. Use all the props you've made, maintain your role and use the language associated with your theme (i.e. language of culture, technical terminology, historical nuances) as much as possible. Discuss things relevant to your theme. Play pretend with your children, remember how fun it used to be? And, don't forget to actually EAT the theme dinner you made!!
If you did not get to play a game or watch a movie last night, do it now. Or, create a short story together about a person "in" your theme dinner who comes to your corner of the world. How would they fit in? How would they react to their foreign environment? Work on the story over the weekend. Make the evening last. Be a family!
As you can see, this can be done on varying scales of difficulty depending on available time and the ages of your children. Instead of scattering away form the table while still chewing their last bit to go play their video game, childrean will look forward to this moment together. It leaves a good taste (pun intended) for this time each day when families congregate and talk to each other.
From the time you enter the kitchen to begin dinner together, you are in your new world. Use all the props you've made, maintain your role and use the language associated with your theme (i.e. language of culture, technical terminology, historical nuances) as much as possible. Discuss things relevant to your theme. Play pretend with your children, remember how fun it used to be? And, don't forget to actually EAT the theme dinner you made!!
If you did not get to play a game or watch a movie last night, do it now. Or, create a short story together about a person "in" your theme dinner who comes to your corner of the world. How would they fit in? How would they react to their foreign environment? Work on the story over the weekend. Make the evening last. Be a family!
As you can see, this can be done on varying scales of difficulty depending on available time and the ages of your children. Instead of scattering away form the table while still chewing their last bit to go play their video game, childrean will look forward to this moment together. It leaves a good taste (pun intended) for this time each day when families congregate and talk to each other.
For more tips, be sure to check out our book, Dynamic Dinners. Our idea blog has some ideas to get you started as well!