One step of your Thanksgiving preparation that should NOT go unplanned, is how to keep your kids occupied while you're fixing, baking, decorating, and cleaning. Have on a hand a few fun activities for them to do, that will also help them learn what Thanksgiving is all about. These activities just might help make your Thanksgiving a little more fun for you both!
Step 5. Kid's Activities
1. Charlie Brown is Always a Must
I love holiday specials. I remember making sure we were home by 8pm on whatever night they would be coming on. It's not like we could Tivo it. If you missed it, you had to wait a year! And who wants to wait to see A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!
...except it wasn't available on "Blu-ray".
It's been fun to share the Charlie Brown movies with my kids for the last couple of years. I'm always surprised by how talented Snoopy is, how enlightened Linus is, and how bossy Lucy is. Ahhh, memories. These fun characters bring to life the meaning of the holidays in a way that even a three year old can understand. We've found these movies at our public library, or on Netflix, or go purchase them, and add them to your own collection. You won't be disappointed!
2. Add a Little Color!
Why not surprise your kiddos this week with a new coloring book?! But, why go out and spend money, when you can download and print off lots of free coloring pages? My kids LOVE to color, and so any reason to have a new coloring book is big fun.
Print off your pages, staple them together, and even tie them up with ribbon as a Thanksgiving week surprise. With time off from school, they'll need a few extra activities to do!
If you have family coming in, this coloring book could also double as a welcome gift for any kids coming to visit. But watch out, they'll want to come back every year!
3. Scavenger Hunts:
Remind them that the Pilgrims and Native Americans had to "hunt" for their food. Send them on a search to find Autumn "harvest". Acorns, leaves, pecans, seeds, pine cones could all be easily found. Make it a little more fun by placing some different fall fruits and vegetables in different "hiding" spots. Pumpkins, pears, gourds, potatoes, could all be likely finds!
4. Story Time
Go to your public library, and see what books they have on Thanksgiving. I guarantee you you'll find some wonderful books for your little ones! Have an assortment of books placed around during the week of Thanksgiving, so that your children will be able to more fully understand what this holiday is about.
Only one day left in our Thanksgiving: 101! Be sure to check out tomorrow's post for some more great ideas on how to celebrate this wonderful time of year.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving concerns me, because there are NO ADULTS. And they are COOKING THINGS. Granted, those things are mostly just popcorn. But still.
ReplyDelete