So, you’ve got the turkey ordered, your guest list is all set and you know what you’re making for dessert.  But have you thought about Thanksgiving activities for the kids? 

Not to worry – we’ve got a great list of Kids Activities for Thanksgiving! 

They’re creative, easy & engaging. 

Create with Butcher Paper

I LOVE this stuff!  Seriously!  What a great way to give kids ‘an open canvas’.  You may also know it as Kraft Paper (but it will always be butcher's paper to me).

It’s inexpensive and can be used in a number of ways:

• Roll it out on the floor, provide them with some crayons and have the kids draw a huge Thanksgiving mural.

• Put a large sheet across the table and ask each relative to create a handprint turkey.  Kids can then cut out the turkeys and use them as ‘name cards’ for each table setting.  Or, the turkeys can be hidden around the house for the kids to find (a turkey scavenger hunt!)

• Cover the kids table in butcher paper so they can doodle during their meal.

• If you have some paint and stamps on hand, you can have the kids create their own holiday wrapping paper – see this adorable example for Cookie Cutter Wrapping Paper from Red Ted Art!

 Butcher or Kraft paper can be found at your local art or hobby store.  It comes in a long roll.  If you know a butcher, you can ask them too!

Have Kids Help Decorate the Table

Kids love to help on big holidays.  Asking them to set the table on a normal night is boring – but asking them to decorate a holiday table and they’re all in! 

Try some of these suggestions for getting them involved in the prep:

Easy & Natural Centerpiece

Give them a basket and send them outside to collect some nature items to fill the basket.  Think pinecones, acorns, hedge apples, large colorful leaves, etc.  This can be used as part of your centerpiece at the table. 

Napkins & Placemats

 If you’re using cloth napkins (and in this day of ‘going green’, I’d encourage you to consider it), kids will love choosing a fun way to fold the napkins and display them.  Here are a few fun designs:

Turkey Napkin Fold from Between Naps on the Porch

Diamond Silverware Pouch from Holiday Napkin Folding

Clown's Hat from Christmas Magazine

Using colored construction paper, younger kids will also enjoy making these Woven Paper Placemats from Mess for Less!

Make Fun Placecards

Kids can make turkeys from colored paper and label each with a name.  The one above uses a tracing of their foot for the body, along with tracing their hands for the feathers.  Kids can also trace the hands and feet of relatives to each person's placecard is a unique turkey!

My friend MaryAnne at Mama Smiles does a GREAT handprint turkey using different size tracings of each of her children's hands.  This would be another cool way to make the turkeys -- trace the hands of each guest and then mix the tracings as you put the turkeys together.

Fun & Games

Thanksgiving can be a long day for kids.  Planning some fun activities will help to keep them engaged throughout the day.

Get Outside

No matter where you celebrate, plan to spend some time outside.  Take an after-dinner walk, or plan an evening stroll to see some of the holiday lights.  Or maybe you have a sports-playing family and you'll plan to play some football or other active game.

Put Together a Book Basket

Stop by the library and check out some fun holiday books (or check your personal book collection).  

Looking for recommendations? 

Here's a list of 10 great Thanksgiving books for kids. 

You can also include some fun coloring pages and crayons too -- Education.com has a great selection of free coloring pages with turkeys, pilgrims & dot-to-dot!  This is a wonderful way to keep kids happy while some of the adults want to rest.

 Everyone Loves a Game

If your looking for some ways to connect (sometimes it's hard for kids to strike up a conversation with a relative they don't often see), Disney's Spoonful has a printable Thanksgiving Bingo game for the whole family to enjoy.  Just print the cards and play at the table. 

I love the idea of family conversations at the holidays -- it's a time when we can all get to know one another a little more. 

Hosting a family trivia game is always fun and easy to do.  Ask each guest to write down something that happened to them during the previous year.  Put all the slips of paper in the jar, and then have each person choose a slip and guess who it belongs to!  For example, the kids might write "I got an A in math", or "I was a ninja for Halloween".  It always leads to some fun and easy conversations too! 

Or if you'd rather learn more about the holiday, here's a printable Thanksgiving Trivia game from Alpha Mom that would also be a great group activity. 

Wishing you a Happy & Enjoyable Thanksgiving!

~ Jacquie

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