Celebrate Family

Enjoying fellowship with family and friends is what Thanksgiving is all about. And when kids are part of your crowd, they can add to the fun of the Thanksgiving celebration.

Take the opportunity of being together to bond as a family, and create memories that help foster the spirit of togetherness and thankfulness:

Start the tradition of a Thanksgiving Album—including notes from everyone about what they’re thankful for, a copy of the menu, and photos of everyone. Include the kids drawings and photos of their crafts.
Start a new tradition by playing a game together. Put together a jigsaw puzzle with everyone working on a separate section. Or learn a new card game that can be enjoyed all year long.
Plan an active multigenerational gametouch football, flying kites or go on a stroll through the neighborhood to enjoy a pre- or post-meal ramble.
Have kids interview elders about Thanksgiving celebrations from years past. Compare old time menus, foods, events and report on whats new today.
Have all guests finish the phrase I am thankful for to write on slips of paper and fill a thankfulness jar. Read the responses before dessert.
Go on a walk before dinner and collect dried flowers and twigs for a Nature Walk Centerpiece. Have the kids assemble the centerpieces and place on the table before dinner.
Send the family on a Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt. Split the adults and kids into several teams. Write up a list of items that the teams need to find, preferably outside. The first team to collect all items as a team and return to home base wins a prize. Items for the scavenger hunt could include items found outside or around the house: one white rock, a pinecone, a Christmas ornament, a green marble, a yellow leaf, etc.

Teach kids a thing or two about cranberries, the quintessential Thanksgiving ingredient:

Did you know that fresh cranberries bounce? Each cranberry contains four hollow chambers that enable it to bounce and float in water. Have kids break open a fresh cranberry to examine the air chambers inside. They can also try bouncing the berries on a hard surface or float them in a bowl of water to replicate a harvest.
Make a game of bouncing cranberries by lining up several glasses of various heights a shot glass, juice glass, tumbler and tall drinking glass. Assign point values to each glass (lower points for short or wide-mouth glasses, higher points for tall or narrow glasses). Have kids take turns bouncing ten fresh cranberries into glasses and tally up the points. The one with the highest total wins a prize.

Before the meal, plan some activities that kids can enjoy and also feel as though theyre contributing to the festivities:

Set up a table for kids to:

Make place cards for everyone, using crayons and 3 x 5 cards.
Glue glitter onto colorful autumn leaves for table dcor.
Fold napkins and put in napkin holders.
Draw stencils of turkeys and color them.
Decorate turkey- or pilgrim-shaped cutout cookies.
Make a cranberry craft or activity page!

For older kids:

Gather board games in one room.
Have kids take beverage orders and pass appetizers.
Ask them take photos to include in the Thanksgiving photo album.