Celebrate the season this Thanksgiving with some fun
family activities.
1. Thanksgiving paper chain: Those paper chains seem to
be a staple of most childhoods, whether it was for a Christmas tree decoration
or a school project. Take this common idea and use it celebrate thankfulness.
Spend a period of time, whether it’s the month of November or during the span
from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and add links to your family’s chain daily.
Each person can write something they’re thankful for on a strip of paper, link
together, and create your chain. Try to emphasize people, situations, and
opportunities instead of material objects. It’s easy to be thankful for
“things,” but try to dig deeper into those parts of life that mean more.
2. Handprint Turkey: Kids seem to grow so fast! Capture a
moment of time by making a handprint turkey of your family, including the
parents. Trace each person’s hand onto colored paper and then cut out the
shapes. On a sheet of scrapbook paper, arrange the handprints largest to
smallest to create the turkey’s feathers. Cut out a few more shapes to create
the turkey’s body, and finish it off by drawing a few facial features. Words
could be added to the craft such as, “Thankful for Family,” or “A Thankful
bunch of turkeys.” Not only have you created a cute Thanksgiving craft, but
you’ve made a snapshot in time of the different sizes of your family,
represented by their hands. Be sure to include the date somewhere on your
masterpiece.
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| The handprint turkey is a fun keepsake. |
3. Personalized
Place cards: Let your kids create place cards for the Thanksgiving meal. These
can be as simple or elaborate as your kids can dream up. Provide the materials,
such as paper, glue, scissors, markers, and stickers, and let your kids go to
work. Older kids could write a couple of sentences about why they are thankful
for each person.
4. Conversation
Starters: Instead of everyone drifting off to different corners of the house
after the Thanksgiving meal, prepare some conversation starters to get everyone
talking. Write questions on slips of paper, fold them, and deposit in a jar.
During the activity, each person draws a slip of paper and then shares their
answer with the group. This is a great way to stay connected as a family, and
you might learn a few things about your relatives. Great questions could
include, “What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory? What is a childhood memory
that stands out to you? What was your proudest moment? What piece of advice
would you like to give to the people here today?” Visit these websites for specific ideas:
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| Thanks to "Spoonful of Imagination" for this great idea! |
5. Handprint
runner. This is a fun activity that can take place after the meal. Buy burlap
or another sturdy fabric and cut it as a table runner. Have everyone (even the
adults) paint their hands and leave a handprint on the runner. Let each person
decorate their handprint to be a turkey. For an added religious touch, each
person could add a favorite Bible verse next to their turkey handprint. Store
the runner away until next Thanksgiving when it comes out to decorate the
table. This could become a yearly
tradition, and it’s a great way to keep a moment of family history. Read more about this project here:
This Thanksgiving season, make your focus family and
friends, not objects. People and experiences create long-lasting memories that
will be cherished for years to come!
