Thanksgiving Play Ideas

Coming up with Thankgiving play ideas might not have made your “To Do” list this week. I reached back into my play memory vault and came up with a few options ranging from a holiday picnic to family day hikes.  Remember to keep “rules” at a minimum and allow for creative and fun family time.

• Pair up kids and grandparents in the kitchen. Before he passed away, my Papa made our Thanksgiving turkey every year. I loved watching him prepare the feast. I feel like there are lots of opportunities for making connections between the generations in the kitchen. So what if the mashed potatoes turn out lumpy?
• Bring the meal outside. I love the idea of a Thanksgiving holiday picnic. Here’s one source for picnic recipes, I’m sure there are more.  If the weather doesn’t cooperate, you could always settle for hot chocolate outdoors.
• Themed reading with the family. Read Thanksgiving books together, like I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie (Picture Puffins) or 10 Fat Turkeys.
• Play ball. Get inspired by the pros and take a football outside. Toss it around with the kids. Check out the NFL Play 60 website for inspiration to “give your children a bright and healthy future.”
• Show time starring the kids. Dara and her siblings put on plays at holiday time.  My cousin, sis, and I performed intricate 80’s lip-sync shows.  As an adult, I see it was a ploy to keep the kids occupied so the grown-ups could have an uninterrupted conversation.  I can honestly say that all the planning and investment we put into the shows made for some creative play and forced us to learn teamwork and cooperation.
• Game night. Pull out the board games and puzzles stacked in the closet.  Who cares if the kids don’t play by the rules?  As long as they are happy playing, let them make up their own rules.
• Family day hike. My best friend used to celebrate every holiday with a family day hike.  I think it’s a great tradition. Get everyone good and mellow before the family festivities start. If you don’t want to wander quite so far, take a walk to the neighborhood playground after the feast.  If you live in Orange County, OC Explorer is a great site to pick some backcountry hiking experiences.

Whatever you do, hope you have lots of fun!