All About Theme Nights

What are theme nights?

Theme Nights are planned evenings where as a family we explore another culture through research, presentations and most importantly, a dining experience with authentic food!

How do theme nights work?

Theme Nights are planned around one country at a time. We brainstorm ideas and then select the country either based on votes or an upcoming holiday that corresponds with it (i.e. Ireland around St. Patrick’s Day).

We typically plan our theme night for a Friday evening dinner.

Each child is responsible for three topics (or more if they choose) pertaining to the culture of the country.

Some examples are:

• Food

• Dining customs

• Fashion

• Geography

• Climate

• Industry

• Tourism

Everyone is involved in the planning process so that there isn’t any overlap in research.

What’s next? Research and Presentations

The kids begin working on their research and presentations in Canva on Monday and typically have until the end of Wednesday to have a draft of their pages.

I review them, and we make any needed changes on Thursday. They have Thursday and Friday before the dinner to practice their presentations.

Pro tip!

Theme Nights take a lot of preparation, but they are an amazing experience! Don’t try to do one every week. I find that one to two a month is a feasible frequency, depending on your family’s other commitments.

Bon apetit! Buen provecho!

On Friday evening at the scheduled time, each child gives their part of the presentation (which is recorded) using Canva, and we enjoy a wonderful, enriching meal as a family together!