Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26 this year. For some families, the holiday can be overwhelming. The turkey needs basting, someone’s flight is late and half of the house is staring at their phone screens.
Thanksgiving is all about family, food and spending time together. Here are seven activities that are easy to set up and work for a table that runs from kids to grandparents.
1. Give Everyone a Kitchen Job
With one chef and six observers in the kitchen, things can get quite intense. So assign everyone a task. Your cousin can peel potatoes, while your teenage kid controls the timer and the music.
Gravy making is Grandpa’s territory, and nobody questions that. You can write down the tasks and assign them to people depending on different age groups.
2. Pass Around a Gratitude Jar
Place a jar, slips of paper and a few pens on the table. Ask each person to write a note before dinner without a name. After the meal, pass the jar around. One will be a same old joke. Another will make the room go quiet for a second.
Save the slips and add to the jar for next year. Gratitude doesn’t have to be a speech every year.
3. Set Up a Place-Card Craft Table
Kids get restless before dinner and adults aren’t always sure what to do with them. Put out paper, markers, stickers and a stack of index cards. Let everyone make place cards on the table.
Younger kids can draw a turkey or a leaf. Older ones can write a line about a person they like. Then mix up the seating on purpose. This activity can take some time, but it also has the potential to become the most memorable memory.
4. Walk Before Dinner, or Play Football After
After a big meal, the couch has a strong pull. A loop around the block before dinner works, as long as it’s short enough for little legs and older knees.
You can also toss a football around once the plates are cleared. Conversation becomes easier with fun activities.
5. Play a Trivia Hour
Arrange a random grouping according to age. Prepare some questions related to the family, a couple about Thanksgiving history or childhood. No preparation is needed for charades if your family wants this activity to be a quick round.
Prize goes to whoever gets first choice of pie.
6. Do Something For Others
Pack extra bags for a food drive. Cook food for a person who lives alone in your neighborhood. Prepare a meal for a shelter in your community.
You can do this ahead of time, since volunteers get booked weeks in advance. Kids learn kindness faster when they are encouraged to participate.
7. Start a Family Recipe Book
Ask each person to write down one dish they love and a memory tied to it. Take photos of the handwritten cards, especially if your Grandma has written it.
By next Thanksgiving, you’ll have something to start a book. And in ten years it’ll be the thing everyone wants a copy of.
Things To Do Before Planning
- Choose two or three activities
- Discuss with family ahead of time so nobody feels ambushed
- Keep things optional, because forced fun can backfire
- Have an indoor activity backup
Some family gatherings are harder than others. If Thanksgiving tends to run tense in your house, you can start small.
