Looking for ways to spend Thanksgiving so everyone stays involved and in the spirit of the holiday? Here are 10 tried-and-true ideas just for you…
It’s Thanksgiving time again. This always feels like a holiday that has so much going on, yet we often spend hours doing nothing but waiting.
Waiting for the turkey to finish cooking. Waiting for the guests to arrive. Counting down until the pie is served (admit it, you know you are, too).
Maybe because we tend to spend this holiday at home, with no appointments or the usual goings-on to pull us away, we feel like it’s a day outside the normal calendar. So in this separate space from our everyday lives, how can we keep our focus on the important stuff – family, God, and thankfulness?
Keeping our hearts warm, our hands open, and our minds focused on thanksgiving is not always an easy task. But here are 10 ideas for ways you can make this holiday even better.
10 Best Ideas for this Thanksgiving
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Remember to keep the focus on thankfulness
It goes without saying that this is a holiday based on thankfulness, but it’s also one that should bring our focus back to God. The early settlers who broke bread (cornbread?) with the Native Americans knew this and remembered that if not for Him, they would not have survived that long winter.
Keep the focus on being thankful for the blessings of the year and the God who made them possible. Even when siblings are squabbling or your spouse makes a face when tasting your gravy, you are still blessed to have them there to do those things. Let’s give thanks for that.
Get the kids (and spouses) into the kitchen
Thanksgiving is a lot less stressful with more cooks in the kitchen. If you’re having people over, ask them to bring dishes their family enjoys, such as sides, desserts, or favorite snacks for meal prep time.
And if it’s just your immediate family, then bring everyone in to share in the chopping, peeling, stirring, and cooking. Kids love to help and you will enjoy yourself so much more with helpers and conversation. My husband makes the mashed potatoes and gravy, my older children make desserts, and I do the turkey and stuffing. Many hands make light work.
Spread the menu out
Avoid the fast-then-feast cycle by spreading the menu out throughout the day. Serve a big breakfast to start everyone off with full stomachs and lots of energy. Try these Cinnamon rolls or Pumpkin bread (we make a gluten-free version). Set out a cold lunch with sandwiches, veggies, nuts, and cheese so everyone can snack throughout the day,
Then when it’s time to eat, skip the seconds and just enjoy what’s on your plate. Thanksgiving leftovers are so good, having more of them is no hardship. Hold dessert for a couple of hours after dinner so everyone can digest and anticipate (and you can get things cleaned up). Trust me, your stomach will thank you.
Do a turkey run
Spending time with family doesn’t have to just be in the house. Join a turkey run in your city as a group or just go to cheer on the runner in your family. Lots of people don’t even run at all, so don’t let your worry about speed hold you back.
If there isn’t one of these events near you, just have one of your own. Pick a start and finish line at a nearby park or in your neighborhood, get your family, friends, and neighbors involved, and enjoy the fun and fresh air before the big meal.
Work at a soup kitchen, food pantry, or deliver meals
There are so many who will not have a table laid out with turkey and all the fixings in their house. But you can help make sure they are still blessed with a delicious hot meal and a warm place to eat it. And bringing your kids to help will instill both an awareness of others’ hardships and give them a spirit to serve.
For years, my family did this and then had our own Thanksgiving meal the next day. But you can easily prepare the food and tables and then go home for your meal. Or have an early dinner and then be a part of the serving and clean-up crew. You could also leave one person home to get everything together so you return to a prepared table.
Check with your local church or food bank for areas where you can help. This site also helps connect people to serving opportunities in their city: https://www.feedingamerica.org/take-action/volunteer/thanksgiving
Keep the kids busy with Turkey Day crafts
I am a big fan of the Thanksgiving nap tradition, but kids are less so. If you want to keep them occupied under the watchful eye of a family member or older sibling while you grab an hour of quiet, go with crafts.
From foam building crafts like these to DIY ideas from Pinterest, set them up with supplies and space to get creative. By the time you get up, you’ll have your dinner decorations all ready!
Choose a movie to watch together
If you find yourself with downtime before or after the meal, and football isn’t your thing, then pick a festive holiday movie to enjoy together.
Some of our favorites for Thanksgiving night are A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, Garfield’s Thanksgiving, If You Give a Mouse a Pumpkin, A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving, and Free Birds.
For older kids and adults, I suggest You’ve Got Mail, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, The Family Stone, Holiday Inn, and Grumpy Old Men.
Take a nature walk
Dinner will be that much tastier after a walk outside in the crisp fall air. While the turkey cooks, take the family on a Thanksgiving walk through your neighborhood, a local park, or on an all-out hike if you’re so inclined.
Not only will this give you a chance to build up an appetite, it will also be a great way to have some low-key time with your family. Many a great talk has happened for us while out walking. (Plus, the kids burn off some of that endless energy so they can sit still for the actual meal!)
Decorate for Christmas
This isn’t for everyone, but we like to start our Christmas decorating on Black Friday (rather than shopping). But if you can’t wait to see your tree lights all aglow, then bring on the boxes and light tangles!
If the kitchen is your domain, set your spouse and kids to putting up the tree, dusting off the nativity, and setting up the outdoor decorations. Then you can enjoy your after-dinner coffee by the twinkling lights.
Schedule Facetime calls with family
Many families won’t be able to spend the holiday together, but technology can be our friend. Facetime grandparents and siblings that can’t be with you at mealtime. Or leave the call on and chat with your mom as you both chop and stir in your respective homes.
If you want to really see everyone, set up a Zoom meeting with the entire extended family for a fun and probably chaotic chance to see everyone at once. This is a great (if sometimes frustrating) way to connect with the whole family.
Relax, there’s always next year…
Let’s face it, there’s always more we want to do than we actually have time for. Or the pie comes out wrong, your in-laws are on a flight delay, or the stomach flu puts a damper on the household. Whatever throws your Thanksgiving plans into the blender, just shake it off, do what you can, and remember that there’s always next year. And leftovers.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful and festive Thanksgiving this year. Remember above all else, this holiday is a celebration of God’s provision, human kindness, and the blessings we have received. Happy Thanksgiving!
With Advent starting on Sunday, here are a couple of Advent series that you may enjoy as you prepare for the Christmas season:
For more on Thanksgiving traditions, check out these posts:
10 Family Traditions to Include in Your Thanksgiving Celebration
5 Simple Ways to Keep the Thanks in Thanksgiving
10 Ways to Show Gratitude this Thanksgiving
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