Preschool Easter Luncheon

One of my favorite classroom memories is the year that the children begged to have a fancy Easter lunch at school. At the time we’d been exploring holidays, and as Easter got nearer we began to talk about the things that came to mind when they thought of the Easter holiday. One of them mentioned wearing fancy outfits and it took off from there. They helped us decide on “the right kind” of decorations for a fancy Easter lunch and we enlisted parents in helping us provide potluck items that were traditional for their families during this particular holiday celebration. Most importantly, the children planned their outfits meticulously.

On the day of the even the girls showed up in lacy Easter dresses and sun hats, and the boys wore button downs and dress pants, a few of them even sported ties. It was easily a highlight of their year, and even more special because they planned the day.

One reason that this was such a big deal for them is because many of the parents reported that this was not typically how their families celebrated Easter. The children had clearly seen this in the books we read, and in stores they visited, or shows that they watched, and they were eager to experience it themselves.

Our families were all on board with supporting the celebration, but even if you don’t have that family support, there are a lot of ways that you can still introduce this opportunity in your own classroom. Clothes are a big part of this occasion, so asking if you can borrow some from coworkers who have children, or collecting items from local thrift stores or community buy-nothing groups are excellent ideas. Then the families don’t have to take on that task or expense.

The menu can also be a way to celebrate, but many kids aren’t as into the food as they are the decorations, so if you aren’t able to support a holiday-themed meal that’s ok (my own daughter eats rolls and cookies at our family holiday gatherings anyway!). You can still make the meal feel fancy with decorations that the children make together.

Oh, I almost forgot the most important part! We were able to find a community member who was willing to surprise the children and dress up as the Easter Bunny. It was a perfect way to cap off a memorable event, all we had to do was track down someone who already had access to the costume. Check with your local malls and department stores, they might be willing to share, especially if it gets them a mention in your social media.