Thanksgiving will be here before you know it and it feels like the year itself has gone so quickly. One minute it’s Easter and the next you’re planning your pumpkin pie and where to buy the best pecan pie for your Thanksgiving dessert. Getting into the spirit of the festive season is easy when you know that Christmas is only a few weeks behind.
But right now our priority is thinking and planning for Thanksgiving. You need to do everything you can to make the house feel warm and welcoming and it can help to explain the meaning of Thanksgiving to kids so that they feel more involved as well. Speaking of involvement, if you are spending a lot of time preparing for Thanksgiving and your children are old enough to understand the meaning of it, then it’s time to get them involved in the process. In that case, you don’t have to prepare for Thanksgiving in your household alone. So here are some of the ways to get your children involved in this year’s preparations.
- Get them to help you with meal planning. Thanksgiving meals are often a large feast. They are amazing for those who are coming to the house, but for the kids it can feel like they are attending a feast at Hogwarts. There’s a huge range of options and opinions when it comes to choosing a good Thanksgiving dish. And while there are the classics such as mashed potatoes, turkey, and stuffing, you should let the kids make a few suggestions in there as well. Because after all, this is also their Thanksgiving, and not just for the adults.
- Involve them in the actual preparations. It can feel like a frenzy when it comes to preparing Thanksgiving meals, but it doesn’t have to be while you’re not going to expect the children to get involved in roasting the turkey, you can ask them to peel potatoes. You can also get them involved in making Thanksgiving cookies and desserts. It’s easy to shoo the children away from the kitchen, but instead of becoming flustered and overwhelmed, get them involved and get them helping you to make sides as a family.
- Ask them to do some crafts. If you are having the family over for Thanksgiving, you’re going to want to have a table full of beautiful dishes, napkins, and a centerpiece. The children can help to do this. There are plenty of craft options online that the kids can choose through to make sure that they have their creations on the Thanksgiving table. Whether it’s personalized place cards for the guests or they are going to get together and put on a talent show as a family, a little entertainment goes a long way.
- Teach them what Thanksgiving really means. It’s important that your children are involved in the preparations and the festivities, but it’s easier to be involved in those things when they understand the true meaning of Thanksgiving in the first place.
Regardless of however you involve your kids, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
These are great ideas! Thanks for sharing!