Thanksgiving traditions are as American as apple pie, and range from fun-filled activities such as crafting, decorating, watching parades and giving thanks – to actually eating apple pie! One of the most exciting parts of having kids is introducing them to, and creating new Thanksgiving traditions! Get little ones involved in the fun. Create Thanksgiving traditions that they will look forward to celebrating year after year!
1. Create a mood of gratitude through decor.
Involve the kids in setting the Thanksgiving mood with creative crafts and decor. Decorate mini pumpkins and stage them at each place setting. Let them show their gratitude for each guest by writing a short sentence or word of thanks on the pumpkin using colorful markers. If they are too young to write, they can adorn with stickers or their own creative artistry! Your guests will be delighted with this thoughtful gesture!
2. Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Nothing screams Thanksgiving has arrived any louder than The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade was first held in 1924, which means it has been fully embedded in Thanksgiving traditions for many generations. If you are in New York City, you’re in luck because you can actually watch the parade live with 2.5 miles of public viewing along the route. Those who wish to stay cozy warm can watch the parade on television from the comforts of home. Children will be wowed by the elaborate balloons making their way along the NYC route. As a fun and interactive game, let each family member pick out their top 3 floats or balloons. They will surely enjoy the vibrant musical performances as well!
3. Play games!
Another popular Thanksgiving tradition is to dust off the old board games and have a good-natured Monopoly showdown! It’s a great way to connect and spend quality time together as a family. A game of Scrabble or cards is exciting for the older kids, while the younger ones find simple games like Candy Land or Chutes & Ladders to be most exciting. Prepare for fun and laughter as everyone gets their competitive spirit on!
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4. Make helping others a Thanksgiving tradition.
Thanksgiving is also a time to give thanks for our own blessings and to lend a hand to those less fortunate. Children love to feel needed, and of service to others. Take this opportunity to create a Thanksgiving tradition of helping the less fortunate. Food drives and volunteering at local food banks are hands-on way to give back to the community. Participating in a Turkey Trot or a Tot Trot (geared towards younger kids), is also a fun way to get kids physically active, while simultaneously raising money for charity. The benefits of teaching kids to give to others is an invaluable life lesson, and what better time to start incorporating it, than at Thanksgiving!
5. Get outside on Thanksgiving.
After you’ve eaten your weight in turkey, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole, head outside for a family walk. You’ll burn a few extra calories and make room for dessert! Create a fun and energetic game by having each kid collect a certain number of leaves in gorgeous fall foliage colors. This activity will have them racing around to see who can get the most leaves first, in their assigned color! With beautiful shades of leaves ranging from red, orange, yellow, pink, magenta and brown, it’s a colorful collage project waiting to happen!
6. Make a wish!
Who can forget the sheer excitement of getting to break the Thanksgiving wishbone?! Although it’s common for siblings to fight over this honor you can introduce young ones early to this tradition. Keep the fighting at bay by drawing two names out of a bowl. The two lucky winners get to team up to snap the wishbone in half. Whoever gets the bigger side of the wishbone is deemed the winner, and according to the history of the wishbone, will get their wish granted!
BabyQuip hopes that all of your Thanksgiving wishes come true and that your Thanksgiving is full of tons of Turkey and Traditions! What traditions do you celebrate each year?
Jennifer O’Neill is an Independent Quality Provider with BabyQuip, helping families travel lighter and happier. She is a mother of two boys and enjoys working out, spending time with family and friends and of course, traveling.
Im so excited to watch the parade with my 3yr old this year. He is in to all the fun characters now and is going to love the giant balloons. Great post!
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I’m glad you posted about traditions, but I think they need to go much further than just at Thanksgiving. Traditions have so many benefits to the mind and soul and should be implemented in as many situations/events/holidays/seasnos as possible. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like the kids are really that into traditions, but after a few years they really start to love and anticipate the upcoming tradition.
Love the idea of getting outside! Love to bundle up, go on a walk, watch the kids run around and play.
One year before we ate, my mom made the whole house go outside and play football. It was the least organized game you’ve ever seen, but it was so nice to have an excuse to put our phones down and get some fresh air!
Great ideas! I would love to show my 2 1/2 yo daughter the parade – she loves parades! – but she doesn’t watch TV yet. What to do you recommend? Do you think this is one instance I could get away with? Thanks!
Do you mean she doesn’t watch TV yet because you don’t allow it or because she isn’t interested yet? If it’s not something you allow, it’s most definitely a personal choice you have to make based on what you think is right/best for your child, but you could certainly think about implementing watching the parade on TV as a tradition!! If she isn’t interested just wait a year or two. The colorful character balloons are sure to catch her attention sooner or later!
These are great tips! I like the idea of writing out what we are thankful for. It really makes you put things into perspective sometimes. Writing on pumpkins is a cute festive idea!
These are cute ideas!
I like the idea of #5, though I don’t know if I can keep myself from overeating to ensure I have energy for a walk. Hah! But it would be fun to use the collected leaves in an after-dinner craft with the kids.