Thanksgiving is a big deal in my family. How could we not extensively celebrate a holiday intended to remind us to give thanks for all that we have, when we have so much for which to be thankful? We spend the entire month of November aiming to live out the true meaning of Turkey Day. Here are some things your family can do to really get in the Thanksgiving spirit.
Bake treats for the neighbors, rake the lawn at a grandparent’s house, or take stuffed animals to the residents at a local nursing home. Take a few minutes out of each day to let someone know that he is cared for and appreciated.
The littlest things can hold an incredible amount of meaning to both the giver and receiver. If you need some help coming up with ideas, check out this list from Six Sister’s Stuff.
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Host a turkey baster relay race! You just need a couple of turkey basters, some craft feathers, space to race, and a couple of containers (matching containers for the sake of fairness). I built upon this idea and decided to make it a race!
First, split players up into two teams. Set the containers up a few feet apart so that each team’s feathers remain unmoved by the opposing team’s baster. The containers act as the goals. Give each person a feather. The object of the game is for each person to get a feather in the box by puffing air from the baster, then come back to the beginning and pass the baster on to the next teammate in line. The first team with all their feathers in their box wins!
Take a nature walk. Better yet, make it a scavenger hunt so that kids stay engaged and attuned to their surroundings. Make a list of common signs of fall in your area and have kids seek them out while on a stroll, or use a pre-made list for your scavenger hunt. Be sure to bring home your findings so you can use them to do the next activity on our list!
Making a Thanksgiving placemat is a holiday tradition in a lot of schools. There are so many different ways to make them. Your kids will love crafting their very own place setting, and it will create a special spot for them at the Thanksgiving table. Make turkey leaf placemats with materials found on a nature walk.
Scholastic has a virtual field trip to the Plimoth Plantation available on their website. Comprised of a series of four videos and a slideshow tour, this is a great way to teach your kids about the first Thanksgiving.
Check out a reproduction of the Mayflower, see what life was like for the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Nation during the time period, and watch the two peoples organize the first Thanksgiving. The entire virtual field trip will take about one and one-half hours to view.
Pumpkin is an iconic part of Thanksgiving dinner, and now it can be a holiday playtime tradition as well! Your kids can create turkeys, leaves, and cornucopias that smell like pumpkin spice with this pumpkin play clay. Though it might not taste great, it’s perfectly edible should a tiny tot get a hold of some of this gluten-free, no cook dough.
Create a gratitude board to help remind your family what they’re thankful for year after year for use during the whole month of November. Imagine looking back on what your children said they were thankful for ten years ago.
This project isn’t too complicated and the intrinsic value of giving thanks so often as a family is worth the time spent creating the board.
It’s kind of like ‘Talk Like A Pirate Day’, but talk like Pilgrims instead. Learn all the Pilgrim slang so that you can come to the Thanksgiving table prepared to amaze and entertain your family and friends.
What’s Thanksgiving without tasty treats? The kitchen tends to be incredibly busy as we prepare our holiday feasts and kids are often left out of the action (let’s face it, cooking with kids is often more time consuming than cooking alone), so I propose carving out a little time to prepare some tasty and adorable treats with your munchkins.
Try these Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treat S'mores or Turkey Rice Krispie Treats.
For Turkey Rice Krispie Treats to recipes.rememberstuff.me For Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treat S'moresContemplating all that we have to be thankful for and spending time with loved ones is really what Thanksgiving is all about. Make the most of this time with your family by making memories with some of these Thanksgiving activities, or find more kid’s activities on Remember Stuff.
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