(From 2020): I know . . . Thanksgiving is weird this year. We may be without family, friends, or our regular festivities. Our kids may be without grandma, cousins, or neighborhood football games and may be calling this year’s Thanksgiving “lame,” “sucky,” or a “real bummer.” Time to whip up some festivities for the whole family for a feast of fun, with a big helping of gratitude!
Ten Fowl Plays for a Fun, Festive & Thankful Turkey Day:
1.) TOM’S IN TROUBLE!
Do a turkey twist of Elf-on-the-Shelf and hide “Turkey Tom” in plenty of precarious situations. This is a great keep-the-kids-busy-while-I-cook-dinner activity. Have the kids count to twenty in another room while you help “Turkey Tom” find his way into lots and lots of trouble. Young kids will happily hunt for Troubled Tom for some time.
Need a turkey? We got our toy turkey here, but you can make one in a pinch using a pinecone and some paint and/or feathers. Or have your kids make one out of clay. Or print out a picture of a turkey onto cardstock and mount on a popsicle stick!
2.) FEATHER FIND
Hide feathers around the house for your kids to collect, just like an Easter egg hunt!
3.) TALK TURKEY!
If things are quieter than usual at the Thanksgiving feast, challenge your family to “Talk Turkey.” If you have young kids: every member of the family has to say “gobble” before he or she can say anything. For older kids and adults: the first word of every sentence spoken must start with a “g”. Give each member of the family some kind of token, such as a feather or kernel of corn, and whenever someone forgets to say “gobble” or begin a sentence with a “g” they lose their token. Whoever is the last to hold his or her token is the greatest gobbler.
4.) TURKEY DANCE
Turn on some turkey jams and shake your tail feathers! Here’s our funky Throwback Thanksgiving-y mix:
5.) TRICKY TURKEY TRAIL
Have a turkey scavenger hunt where a “Tricky Tom” has left a trail of clues! For scavenger hunt ideas, you can check out my previous posts:
- How to have a Hopping Indoor Easter (Picture Tutorials)
- Printable SPOOKY SCAVENGER HALLOWEEN HUNT! (with PDF and picture tutorial)
6.) PIN THE WATTLE ON THE TURKEY
Give your kids a poster or a big piece of butcher paper and have them draw a large turkey. It’s ok if it’s totally funky! Then have them cut out some wattles out of red cardstock to play pin that wattle on the gobbler!
7.) TURKEY TROT!
Go for a nice walk with the family, or even have a friendly race or relay!
8.) PRETZEL IN THE PIE
Bake a pretzel or other item into your pie. Whoever gets the slice of surprise pie is the lucky guy . . . or girl!
9.) CRANBERRY CAROLS
Sing these Thanksgiving hymns with your family, and don’t forget to share! Facetime family and friends, or treat the neighbors to a gale of gratitude on their front lawn. Lonely people abound this Thanksgiving . . . your family could make all the difference.
10.) GUESS WHO’S GRATEFUL
This could be done anytime, but would be especially lovely at the table just before or after the Thanksgiving feast. On slips of paper, have everyone write down one thing they are thankful for. Collect, read aloud, and have everyone guess whose grateful is whose. You can play for points or just for kicks. And you can repeat it as many times as your family wants. You can even display the “gratefuls” afterward as a family.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Thanks for reading, thanks for following, thanks for spending time with your kids!
Love, ~Our Holistic Homeschool~
I love the photos, the ideas, the practical strategies. “Lord of all to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise!”
Thanks!! My favorite holiday! Happy Thanksgiving!