Therfield pupils take part in harvest gift-of-giving project

Each year pupils at the school bake treats to be delivered to more than 180 houses in the village for the community to enjoy.

Pupils prepared gift tags for each of the parcels (Image: Therfield First School) In previous years pupils have made and delivered posies of flowers, cupcakes, cookies, shortbread biscuits, chocolate muffins, scones and more, and this year their chosen gift was chocolate chip muffins.

On Wednesday, October 9, children took part in a mass baking session in the school hall, making almost 600 orange chocolate chip muffins with the support of parent volunteers.

Each child was involved in measuring out the ingredients, mixing them together and scooping them into purple cupcake cases.

Children dressed up in harvest-themed costumes (Image: Therfield First School) The muffins were baked in a "mammoth carousel operation" while the school cook was using the oven to make the pupils' hot lunch.

Children wrote their names and ages on personalised tags to make up the gift parcels, each of which contained two muffins in a bag tied with purple ribbon to match the school's colours.

The school thanked Barry Dyson, manager of Tesco Express in Stevenage High Street, for donating the ingredients to make the muffins.

Children delivered the parcels to villagers' doorsteps (Image: Therfield First School) On the morning of Friday, October 11, all pupils helped to deliver the muffins to houses around the village, while dressed in harvest costumes.

They wished villagers a "Happy Harvest" if they were in to receive the parcels, or left them on the doorstep if they were out.

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Headteacher Tara McGovern, who started the project 10 years ago when she first joined the school, said: "The aim was to spread positivity around the village and for the children to experience the wonderful gift of giving.

Children delivered the parcels to villagers while in costume (Image: Therfield First School) "Some residents rarely have visitors so how lovely it would be to answer the door to young children bearing smiles and a treat! 

"Our children gain so much from this project each year and they eagerly look forward to it. It is a very busy two days but worth every second of it."

The school was inundated with calls, emails, letters and cards from villagers thanking the children for their gifts.

Children dressed up in harvest-themed costumes (Image: Therfield First School) One of this year's costume highlights was this creative barn costume (Image: Therfield First School)