25 Ways to Make Thanksgiving Fun!
This is a fun guide to making Thanksgiving more enjoyable.
25 Ways to Make Thanksgiving Fun!
We all know how stressful Thanksgiving can be.
The good news is that the stress can somewhat be prevented.
We all know that Thanksgiving can be an eventful day.
Besides the eating and talking, there is a lot to think about.
We can make Thanksgiving more enjoyable without a lot stress.
Are you looking for inexpensive fall ideas? Check out my 20 Cheap Fall Activities for Families.
Here is some Thanksgiving trivia to get your started.
You never know when this will come in handy!
Did you know...
- In 1621 there was a celebration of harvest which is the origin of the holiday.
- Thanksgiving did not become a holiday however until 1863, thanks to Abraham Lincoln.
- It was President Franklin Roosevelt who officially declared that Thanksgiving be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month to encourage earlier holiday shopping.
Tips for planning a fun Thanksgiving
Planning for the holiday does not have to be stressful.
Try these ideas.
- Separate the day into three parts. The meal, before the meal, and after the meal.
- Ask everyone who will be part of the day to write down ideas for all three parts.
- Have a meeting or ask others to vote on which of the ideas they would like to do.
- Delegate part of the planning of each of the ideas.
- Devise a schedule based upon the ideas that everyone likes so that everyone knows what to expect.
Before the meal.
This is a great time to get people thinking about things that do not include getting in the way of the person(s) hard at work in the kitchen.
- Have snacks ready for people to snack on, including healthy foods and food that will not fill people up too much.
- Organize a family outdoor activity such as touch football, leaf raking, or even a race.
- This is also a good time to have a craft time. Use pine cones, leaves, or other fall items that can be found outside.
- This can also be a productive family time for cleaning out a basement or garage.
- Since everyone is home, why not take care of some of those tasks that keep getting put off such as filling bike tires, filling up donation bags, or changing batteries that need changing.
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You may also be interested in these ideas.
Family fun ideas before the meal.
- This is a great time to take that holiday photo to share or not share with others.
- Let the kids be in charge of setting the table.
- A family scavenger hunt can be a fun idea including looking for fall items such as red leaves, pine cones, or even a penny on the ground.
- Help the person preparing the meal prepare a place for each dish to go for serving.
- Have a family beverage bar making family-friendly beverages such as warm cider or hot chocolate.
Make the meal fun.
- Ask everyone to say three things that they are thankful for before the meal.
- Give everyone a chance to thank the cook.
- Allow everyone to choose a task, whether it be collecting dishes for cleaning or bringing in dessert.
- Ask everyone what their favorite dish was during the meal.
- Let the little ones tell a joke.
After the meal.
- Give everyone a task to make the clean up easier for all.
- Allow some time to digest the food by watching a family movie.
- Take a family walk around the block.
- Write thank you notes to everyone else for what they did to make it a great day.
- Play a game like family trivia or charades.
25 Ways to Make Thanksgiving Fun!, the ultimate guide for having a fun thanksgiving. Included printable downloads.
