5 Ways to Make Time for Play During the School Year
September 9, 2022
4 Ways to Keep Kids Entertained During the Hectic Holidays
December 9, 2022Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday for so many people because it isn’t focused on elaborate decorations or heaps of presents — it’s about spending a fun and relaxing day surrounded by loved ones, sharing a delicious meal, and taking the time to reflect on all the things in our lives that we feel grateful for: Family, friends, health, and home, just to name a few.
Thanksgiving can be a great time to carry out old family traditions — or start new ones — which can foster feelings of togetherness and belonging between caregivers and children. In between the hustle and bustle of preparing dinner, be sure to take a moment to slow down and find ways to show and give thanks to loved ones this holiday. Here are 4 ways to do that this Thanksgiving:
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1. Cook together
Be sure to plan your menu and the shopping list well in advance. You can make both tasks fun by involving your children: Let them help you choose recipes and then take them to the store to help pick the ingredients. (If you like living on the edge, you may consider doing your grocery shopping the evening before Thanksgiving — most stores are fairly empty at this time and may offer great sales on Turkey Day staples.)
The morning of Thanksgiving, start with creating a timeline of what needs to be prepped and cooked or baked and when — and which steps may be completed by which one of your helpers. The little ones may sort and wash the vegetables, add pinches of spices here and there, and help transfer things into pots and pans (before those go on the stove, of course.) Older helpers may be good with a vegetable peeler, a measuring cup, or a mixing spoon. Complementary tasks will include setting the table, serving appetizers, and offering drinks and refills to your guests while dinner is cooking. And when it comes to dessert, kids of all ages will be up for decorating cookies and pies.
Even though cooking and baking usually takes longer if your children are helping, they are both more fun when done together, while teaching valuable skills and making equally valuable memories — not to mention the bragging rights, as everyone will be sure to point out which dishes they helped to prepare afterwards.
2. Create, play and imagine
Once they get tired of helping in the kitchen, children can be entertained by some themed arts and crafts, from drawing and coloring turkeys to turkey playdough, making gourd turkeys or pinecone woodland animals, stamping painted leaves for a fall and/or turkey-themed work of art, or making a fall leaf garland or wreath. While the DIY items will need some preparation in advance, they can also be more fun if you take a walk to gather pinecones, leaves, sticks, rocks, and other components (and you can find plenty of tips and tutorials if you search for Thanksgiving-themed crafts online.)
Other favorite family games may also take on a Turkey Day theme, from a Thanksgiving treasure hunt to Turkey Trivia or Turkey Bingo, a harvest themed ‘I Spy’ game, a turkey piñata, Pin the Tail on the Turkey, or hunting for pumpkins and turkeys. Kids may enjoy all of these by themselves while the grownups are busy in the kitchen (or in front of the TV), or everyone can play a themed game together after dinner.
3. Show gratitude
Many families have long-standing traditions that they do together — besides cooking, baking, and eating — on Turkey Day. Traditions are especially important for children because they feel comforting and soothing when the rest of the world can seem unpredictable. Traditions also help to shape personal and group identity for all ages, creating a sense of belonging and stability. From giving thanks at the dinner table to taking a post-meal walk together, watching the town parade or playing flag football, most of us grew up with a very specific idea of what to expect on Thanksgiving.
If your family doesn’t have many (or any) Thanksgiving traditions, it’s never too late to start new ones or add something meaningful to your existing routine. The simplest and most popular tradition is — as the name suggests — giving thanks, either by going around the dinner table and letting everyone say a few words about what makes them feel grateful, or by passing the ‘gratitude basket.’ For the latter, start by giving everyone a piece of paper and a pencil to write down one thing they are grateful for, then put all notes into a basket, and finally pass the basket around the table and have everyone read another person’s note, with the group guessing who may have written it. Or, for something more decorative and lasting, younger guests may create a ‘thankful tree’ or ‘thankful turkey’ display where everyone gets a colorful leaf or feather they can write on to express their gratitude.
4. Give back
Last but not least, Thanksgiving is the perfect time to show kindness to those less fortunate — lonely friends, elderly neighbors, homeless people, veterans, or families in need. You may extend a dinner invitation to a colleague, teacher, neighbor, or acquaintance who would otherwise spend the day alone. You (and your kitchen helpers) may fill some extra dinner plates or bake a few extra pies and deliver them to neighbors or local shelters. You may also enlist your guests to bring donations to a food drive or gather items to be wrapped into a care package that can be sent to troops overseas — the opportunities to do good are endless.
Whatever you do, make sure you seek out fun and meaningful ways to get the whole family involved, and remember: Often the simplest things have the greatest, most memorable impact.
