The preschool children at Shepherdstown Day Care Center were tasked with the all-important part of Thanksgiving dinner preparation: making the pumpkin pie!

Baking day fell on Monday and the children were beyond excited to pitch in and create dessert for Tuesday’s Thanksgiving lunch.

Prior to beginning the adventure, students shared what they do with pumpkins–especially how they make jack-o-lanterns from them.

Ms. Michelle Robinson, assistant director, taught the children that pumpkins that have been carved are not good for pie baking. Instead, pumpkins need to be firm and ripe. Or, pumpkins can have already been sent to the factory and mashed and canned so that it is easier to make pie, she said.

“We bought our pumpkin this way at the grocery store,” Ms. Michelle said.

Children then lined up, aprons tied, to share in creating the holiday treat. The lesson of keeping their clothes clean came from wearing the aprons and throughout the morning, the preschoolers ran to the sink to wash their hands.

“We don’t want to get germs,” Evelyn Groff explained.

The students split duties of cracking eggs, whisking said eggs, pouring the milk and pumpkin and stirring the concoction.

“We have been practicing teamwork,” shared preschool teacher, Ms. Debbie. “We are very successful pie makers.”

The preschoolers were split into two groups and then divided into two teams when they arrived at the kitchen. “Team Blue” and “Team Silver” were their designated names, based upon the color of their mixing bowl.

Once the pie filling was stirred, the children took turns scooping it into pie shells.

“We made pumpkin pie,” exclaimed Warren Harlow. “It looks beautiful!”

The pies were then baked and set aside for the school’s annual Thanksgiving meal on Tuesday. Special invited guests came to enjoy the fruits of the children’s labors as well as a full meal prepared by the school’s chef.

“This is a yearly tradition,” shared Melissa Holman, the center director.