Tips for Awesome Theme Nights
Travel the world from the comfort of your own home and experience the fantastic culinary treasures of other cultures with family theme nights!
Get excited! You’re on your way to a fun, educational, and yummy cultural experience for the whole family. But before we can dig into a hot Chicken Yakisoba or a freshly baked Rustic French Apple Crisp, here are a few tips for planning an enjoyable evening that everyone will look forward to.
Plan for Success
1 — Schedule the event
Schedule the date and time the meal will take place, and put it on the calendar so that everyone can look forward to it.
2 — Plan the menu first
After a country is chosen, begin by planning out the food menu so that you have time to order or pick up any special spices or ingredients you might need.
3 — Select topics for research
Gather the children and choose three topics for each of them to research and present. Make a master list for everyone to see so that there isn’t any overlap.
4 — Build the presentation
I highly recommend Canva Pro for making your Theme Night presentations because it allows you to use all of their graphics, images and templates. It’s also very easy to use and learn, for children and adults alike!
Multiple people can work on the presentation at the same time, and the document can be exported to a PDF and printed at home for convenience. Check that off your list!
5 — Review and practice the presentation
A couple days before the Theme Night, I review each child’s presentation slides and make any necessary edits or suggestions for improvement. I print off their slides so that they can practice what they will say before the big night! They often make notes to reference on the printed slides (e.g. pronunciation of words, extra tidbits of info, etc.)
6 — Record the presentation
I always film our presentation for records and memories. You can also use it as a public speaking training tool and compare with future presentations.
7 — Experience authentic food from your theme country
After everyone presents, it’s finally time to sample food from another country! Eat and enjoy fellowship over unique foods you may have never tried. Then plan your next country for Theme Night!
An Exquisite Menu
1 — Plan around holidays
Plan your theme country around prominent holidays (e.g. Ireland around St. Patrick’s Day, Israel around Passover, Mexico around Cinco de Mayo). This will make it easier to find freshly prepared popular foods at your local stores (see below).
2 — Purchase Prepackaged Meals
Check out Costco and Trader Joe’s. Costco has a wide selection of multicultural foods, especially around holidays (see above). Trader Joe’s also has seasonal items and many different types of frozen foods as well as spices, toppings, ingredients and prepackaged desserts.
Make it easy on yourself and buy as much pre-made food as possible. Then focus on making just one course of the meal from scratch (i.e. dessert) if time allows or circumstances require it.
3 — Include a Food Fave
Try to always have a food that you know your family is likely to enjoy (e.g. chicken) to amplify the experience.
4 — Make compliments early
Start off the meal with positive vibes by saying things like “This looks amazing!” or “I can’t wait to try something new!.” Being open to new foods and choosing our words carefully when we make comments is essential to having a great experience.
5 — Be specific in your critiques
Encourage children to describe specifically what they like or don’t care for in a food. Maybe they like the unique presentation or don’t care for the combination of flavors; either is fine, and using constructive language when discussing those preferences makes for a much more pleasant dinner.
Think like a wine or restaurant critic. What components are in the dish? How’s the texture? Crunchy? Crispy? Perfectly baked? Flavorful without being too sweet? Fresh tasting? Robust flavor? Guide your children to using more informative adjectives than “good” and “bad.”
6 — Keep it reasonable
Don’t overdo it (totally guilty of this)! Try to stick to three food items:
Appetizer or side dish
Entree
Dessert
If you cover these three areas, your family will get a very good overview of the country’s cuisine, and you’ll have a fabulous 3-course meal! Keep the menu short and sweet so you really enjoy the experience.
More Fun Ideas
1 — Theme it up
Look for ways to incorporate special country-specific dishes or linens you already have, such as Japanese rice bowls or embroidered vintage European napkins. Additionally, you can order specific decorations to really theme it up! Think Chinese lanterns, chopsticks and peppers for a fiesta.
2 — Snap a pic
Take lots of pictures to remember the wonderful meal and family time you spend together. You can even set up a theme photo booth with a Polaroid ready to go for instant memories!
3 — Include videos in your presentation
Videos are really helpful for showing traditional dances, how to pronounce a few phrases in the country’s primary language and even a brief tour of a popular tourist destination. Add a link in your Canva presentation, or choose from the videos they already offer.
4 — Make a look book
Print out pictures of key places and values of the theme country that can can be passed around the table during the meal.
Looking for more inspo? Learn All About Theme Nights.