Thanksgiving has become my favourite holiday. I love taking the chance to sit down with family to enjoy a meal together as well as each other’s company without the hoopla of gifts, sweets or hunts (don’t get me wrong I love those holidays but they’re a little more stressful with children.)
In my family, this is the holiday that allows us to see extended family and I absolutely love the opportunity for my cousin’s and my children to get to know each other. Here are some ideas to make this Thanksgiving extra special.
Thanksgiving activities and traditions
1. Visit a pumpkin patch, choose a pumpkin to take home, go on a wagon ride, get lost in a corn maze and drink hot apple cider.
2. Make some Thanksgiving crafts to decorate the house. Create a scarecrow together out of construction paper, make a centerpiece for the table using pine cones and plastic leaves, create turkeys out of toilet paper rolls.
3. Make a fall collage. This is especially fun for little guys. Go on a nature hike around the yard or neighbourhood and collect leaves, twigs, pine cones and branches and when you come home glue all your findings to a large piece of construction paper. It is a super cute display of findings and a great way to bring the fall outdoors in. You can always help them create a fall wreath. Glue those outdoor findings to a large o-shape (you can use cardboard as the wreath structure). When it’s all done add a ribbon to hang it.
4. Choose a new or family favourite recipe to try and bake for your Thanksgiving feast. Including the kids in baking the dessert is a sure way to make everyone happy. It doesn’t have to be sweets either. We’ve started making homemade cranberry sauce together and it’s become a tradition.
5. Make a pie. Pumpkin pie is a traditional favorite this time of year. Kids can have a lot of fun helping roll out the dough for the crust and mixing the filling. Here is a simple recipe for a delicious pumpkin pie:
Mix one can pumpkin, one can sweetened condensed milk, two eggs, and two tsps of pumpkin pie spice in a bowl. Pour into your favourite pie crust. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F for an additional 35-40 minutes. Cool, top with whipping cream and enjoy.
6. Read some fall books together, our local library has a great selection. Even better, help your children write their own story about fall or thanksgiving.
7. Write a list of the things you are all thankful for. Write each thing on a separate slip of paper, fold them up and stick them in a bowl. Take turns reading them out loud before, during or after Thanksgiving dinner and try and guess who wrote what. A nice way for everyone to hear what each other values most.
8. Spend some quality time together over the long weekend away from the buzz of everyday life. Enjoy a movie night or family game night to revel in each other’s company and be thankful for those you have to hold tight.
9. Enjoy a holiday day together as a family, play games, snuggle on the couch and just enjoy each other. This might be my favourite part of this long weekend.
We at the Parents’ Voice Shawville are grateful for the wonderful community we live in and we sincerely hope you get to spend some time with those closest to you.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Shelley Heaphy
