(photo credit: vxla via flickr)
The holiday season starts with everyone’s favorite food-centered holiday: Thanksgiving. The only holiday of the season that is not tied to a specific religion, people from a variety of backgrounds living in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving with their family and friends.
In recent years, many children have been getting the whole week off from school, and having the kids at home the whole week can make it difficult to prepare for Thanksgiving, especially if you are hosting. There is a lot that needs to be done when preparing your house for Thanksgiving visitors, and if you try and get your kids involved with holiday prep, not only will they feel more included in the festivities, but you will get some much-needed help!
Here are some ways to get your children involved in Thanksgiving preparation for a fun and memorable holiday:
Shopping for Essentials
Thanksgiving preparations start with making a shopping list for everything you’ll need and heading to the store. A shopping trip with all your kids in tow may sound like a nightmare, but it’s a great start to get them invested in the holiday. Start by having your kids help you make your shopping list. Ask them what foods they know you always have for Thanksgiving and if they have any special requests for side dishes this year.
Once you have all of the ingredients listed, you can make some games out of your shopping list! For little ones, you can use your list to make a personalized supermarket bingo; this will help keep young ones entertained and you on track for marking everything off your list. For older, more independent and trustworthy kids, you can make your list a scavenger hunt! Not only will this be fun for them, but you’ll get everything checked off your list in no time.
Making Decorations
Kids on vacation from school often find themselves with too much time on their hands and too little constructive brain activity. A perfect way to remedy this and prepare for hosting Thanksgiving is to give them some decoration based art projects to do!
A common decor item for the Thanksgiving table is the centerpiece; this is also the perfect craft project for your kids. There are several kid-friendly centerpiece ideas that can be worked on by kids of all ages. Not only will a centerpiece project occupy your children’s time, but it will be an adorable addition to the table and a fun conversation piece.
Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving day is probably the biggest worry for parents with children as getting everything done while also keeping track of your kids’ activities is difficult. One way to make it easier is to give them tasks to help you prepare. While some kids may find helping out an unwanted chore, matching the right activity to the right kid will encourage them to (hopefully) help out happily. If you have a kid who enjoys keeping organized or has an eye for detail, setting the table is the perfect duty for them. A fun task for kids of any age is mashing the potatoes; it’s fun, easy, and nearly impossible to mess up.
Dinner time presents another instance when bored kids can make for a difficult time; and when all the guests have arrived, it’s not just your kids you have to worry about anymore — it’s everyone’s. It’s essential have some activities to entertain them while everyone eats and chats. As you will most likely have a table specifically meant for kids, you can make their table just a little more fun with some kid-friendly Thanksgiving activities for the kids’ table. A favorite of many is an activity place mat, much like the ones at diners and restaurants, that is Thanksgiving themed. You can add a picture to color, a word search, and Thanksgiving trivia to the mat for some fun distraction while the kids eat.
Thanksgiving can be stressful, especially with children, but when you consciously involve your kids in the holiday prep, it’s bound to help you, entertain them, and create some wonderful memories. What are some ways you involve your kids in Thanksgiving preparation? Let us know in the comments!
