As kids learn about gratefulness this season, have them make this upside-down pumpkin pie Thanksgiving snack for preschoolers.

Prepare for the Thanksgiving Snack

Allergy Alert: Some children have food allergies that can be dangerous. Know your children, and consult with parents about allergies their children may have. Post a sign at your room entrance that details any foods you’ll be serving kids that day so parents are informed.

You’ll Need:

• bulletin-board paper or tablecloth
• 8-oz paper cups
• disposable spoons
• vanilla instant pudding mix
• canned pumpkin
• milk (or a dairy-free alternative)
• cinnamon
• cookie crumbs
• 4 bowls

Crafty Tips

• Use this Thanksgiving snack with lessons about harvest, Thanksgiving, the Feast of Weeks, or the Day of First Fruits. (If you need Thanksgiving lesson ideas, check out Seasonal Specials for Children’s Ministry!)
• Let children omit the cinnamon or canned pumpkin if they desire. The upside-down pumpkin pies will still taste yummy without these ingredients.

Make Upside-Down Pumpkin Pies

1. Cover a table with paper or a tablecloth. Set out bowls of vanilla instant pudding mix, canned pumpkin, cookie crumbs, and cinnamon.
2. Have children wash their hands. Give each child a paper cup and a spoon.
3. Help children mix three heaping spoonfuls of vanilla instant pudding mix, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and one spoonful of canned pumpkin in their paper cups.
4. Pour milk in the paper cups until they’re nearly full. Let children carefully stir the ingredients in their cups using the plastic spoons. Have children stir the mixture for their Thanksgiving snack until it begins to thicken.
5. Sprinkle cookie crumbs over the mixture. Invite kids to eat their upside-down pumpkin pies right away, or chill in the fridge until the end of class.

Sing a Preschool Song About Thankfulness

Clap along with this fun rhyming prayer while your upside-down pumpkin pies are thickening.

Thank you, God, for all you do,

We are grateful, yes, it’s true.

Thanks for yummy, tasty treats.

And for this snack that we’ll soon eat!

Repeat several times.  

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Looking for more preschool ideas? Check out The Humongous Book of Preschool Ideas for Children’s Ministry. This resource is full of fun, Bible-based activities to create an amazing lesson or add to an existing one. For more Thanksgiving ideas, check out these posts! And for more snacks, click here!