Top 5 Ways to Get Your Kids Involved in Thanksgiving

For an easy way to get kids involved in Thanksgiving, let them do an art project that teaches about the holiday. As an added bonus, have the finished pieces play a starring role in Thanksgiving Day activities. Here are some ideas:

• Greeting cards expressing thankfulness to share with visiting relatives

• Simple table centerpieces made from paper turkeys or painted pumpkins

• Special costumes (pilgrims, Indians, even food) made especially for Thanksgiving Day

Having kids write their own prayer allows them to think about the meaning of the holiday. Using examples of common Thanksgiving prayers, encourage children to identify people and things they are thankful for in their own special way. Done sincerely, the result creates a sweet memory at the family dinner table, one that you can repeat year after year.

Kids love being the center of attention, so let them be the main attraction at your family Thanksgiving. A few weeks before, go over the story of the first Thanksgiving, help kids come up a short skit to perform and give them plenty of time to practice for the big debut.

As you go about preparing your Thanksgiving feast, let kids

assist you in the kitchen. The dishes may take longer to prepare and may turn

out less than perfect, but think about how proud your children will be to see

others enjoying food they took part in making. Choose a traditional dish – or

find a new one – that is simple and kid-friendly. Kids can also help in these

ways

• Wash
  vegetables for salads or potatoes for sweet potato pie
• Stir
  in premeasured ingredients for casseroles and soups
• Decorate
  cakes, cookies and other baked goods

It is important to teach kids that Thanksgiving is about more than eating turkey, watching a parade and cheering on favorite teams. It is about showing appreciation for the people and things around them. Volunteering is a great way to do this and give back to your community. In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, collect can goods to donate to a local shelter. Then, on the big day, take kids to serve lunch at a soup kitchen. They will be able to share about the experience while eating their own Thanksgiving dinner.