2 Things I do to Make Thanksgiving Easier
We did something a little different a few Thanksgivings ago, and it ended up working so well that we’ve continuing the tradition. We sat down as a family to brainstorm what we wanted for our meal, and then had each child pick a dish to be in charge of. The older kids were able to make the dishes they chose with very little input from us, and the younger ones needed a little help and guidance.
Not only did it make preparing our Thanksgiving meal a lot easier, but it was amazing to see how it affected our kids. They got to set out a dish out that they made and watch everyone enjoy it – you could see the excitement on their faces. The ones who were a little nervous about it gained some confidence. And of course it’s teaching them valuable life skills.
Even before we sat down to officially plan Thanksgiving this year, one of my kids eagerly told me not only exactly what they want to be in charge of this year but also that they wanted to do two different dishes.
Thanksgiving Printables
Thankfulness Craft – I love finding ways to help kids remember how much we have to be thankful for. This 3D papercraft is a fun way to help your kids write or draw what they’re thankful for, and then display it around the house. (This craft is one that’s a little tricky to glue together, so it’s better for upper-elementary or for younger kids that you’re able to give lots of hands-on help to!)
Printable Turkey-Papercraft – These little guys are perfect for a fun craft leading up to Thanksgiving, or for families to do together Thanksgiving Day. And as a bonus, they make adorable decorations. (For those of you who will be doing this craft with a group of kids, I’ve also included a page that has extra beaks & wings – I know how frustrating it is to lose little pieces and not have extras, especially with a large group of kids!)
Thanksgiving Planner
Another thing that makes Thanksgiving so much easier for us is having a written plan going in. I used to just jot mine down on regular paper, but it usually ended up a bit of a mess. And then I’d really love how I ended up doing something one year, but not remember what it was the next.
So a few years back I put together a Thanksgiving planning printable – originally for myself, but then put it up in my Etsy shop to share with others, too. You can take a look at the Thanksgiving Planner Bundle here.
There’s a version you can fill out by hand and one you can fill out digitally. I’ve used this for the past several years to help us plan our Thanksgiving meals. And whether you have different family or friends bringing different dishes, or want to try what we did and have your kids in charge of some, you can note it down. There’s also recipe cards for you to fill out your favorite recipes, and some thankfulness cards you can use for your thanksgiving celebration.
