With Thanksgiving right around the corner, my thoughts are turned to how we can make this day a little more excited for the young folks in the family. My family is now 33 people strong, with 21 of those being Grandkids ranging from ages 25-1! It is difficult to keep everyone entertained.
While brainstorming a bit with family, friends, and neighbors ... I have come up with a few fun ideas to make your Thanksgiving fun Before, During, and After "The Turkey"
Place mats made by the kids
A simple project we all know and loved in school, brought to your Thanksgiving table!
Simply send the kids on a "leaf hunt", then when they get back, have placemat size paper (butcher paper or even 11 x 17 type paper would do), and some crayons with their paper cut off.
Simple place the leaves under the paper and rub the long side of the crayon back over the top of the leaf until a leaf image appears. This is a tried and true project for a 4-5 year old
and kept them busy for at least an hour!
Turkey Trot 5K
This was an event that came to my attention through my inbox!
Lots of people are traveling for Thanksgiving Vacation. So they had an idea.
What if we put on a race for everyone, no matter where they are?
Here is how it works:
1. Register for the virtual race here: https://vr.webconnex.com/2014-turkeytrot
The cost is $20.
2. We’ll be mailing out race shirts on Friday Nov 22nd to be sure you have them in time for Thanksgiving. Make sure you register in time to get your shirt!
The shirts will be short sleeve technical fabric.
3. On Thanksgiving Day (Nov 28th), go run a 5k. Doesn’t matter what time, just make sure you take pictures and record how fast you went. Invite family and friends, and make sure you have fun!
4. Report your time here: https://vr.webconnex.com/2014-turkeytrot-reporting
We have no way of validating your time, but we also are not going to reward the fastest times, so no need to lie. We just want to have a record to make things more official. You must report your time before Noon Mountain Time.
5. We won’t have finisher medals or prizes for the fastest times, but we will have prizes for the following:
- -First to report their time
- -Last to report their time
- -Biggest group of registered runners together
- (validated by picture, runners must be wearing shirt to count.)
- -Who traveled the farthest for Thanksgiving and also ran
- -Coast to Coast award – Any group of two or more who had a runner on the
- east coast and a runner on the west coast
- -Most interesting course. Selected by the Vacation Races Staff.
- Bonus points for anyone who runs inside a national park.
- You can email us your course map from your gps system or phone.
- -Best pictures (#VRTurkeyTrot)
- -and more…
6. After you register, we will send you a $10 off coupon code
that can be used at any of our races in 2014
** I am not affiliated with www.vacationraces.com ... however I did think this was super cool and was excited to advertise the idea because I thought it was grand!
Service Project
Keep those teens busy by raking leaves for an elderly couple in your neighborhood.
Pie Making Contest
It is a constant battle from my husband about his mother's pumpkin pie. (Yes my family makes homemade everything BUT pumpkin pie ... because honestly we don't love it that much!)
So why not create a family tradition to have a pie making contest and let Grandpa be the judge!
Turkey Feather Meal Tracker
Make a small turkey with the base as a chipboard circle. Then download simple food labels HERE!
Print them out and attach them to clothspins. When the kids eat an item off their plate, they get to place a cloths pin on their turkey (acting as a feather). As soon as the turkey has 6 feathers, bring it to the host for a special treat! (look below for an idea!)
Pie Tin Activities
To keep the kids entertained while the adults visit, Give the kids a pie to themselves! Open up the tin and you will find lots of goodies! All can be inexpensive items from the dollar section of you favorite store including play dough, crayons, paints, etc.
Download 7" Pie picture HERE
Conversations Coasters
Find great conversations under you drink on the Adult Thanksgiving table.
Questions can be downloaded, printed, and either laminated or mod-podged onto tiles!
Download HERE
Turkey Bowl
Who said a Turkey Bowl had to be football? Grab some cheap bowling pins from your local Toy's R Us, make some simple turkeys with google eyes, and use a pumpkin or football to bowl!
Pin the Football on the Field Goal
(Sorry, no picture :)
Since the guys are most likely watching football,
why not have an activity that the helps the little ones feel included!
With some white butcher paper, make a simple field goal. Then either print or make some cute small footballs, and have them ready with rolled tape on the back. Place a blindfold on the child and allow them to see if they can make a "field goal" with their football.
Recipes for Thanksgiving
The food for Thanksgiving is always amazing, and why not share with your family the great recipe you brought! Print out simple Recipe Cards (download HERE), and after the dinner enjoy talking about the yummy recipes with your fellow chefs!
Don't forget to remind those bringing food to also bring their recipe!
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