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8 Creative Ways to Celebrate Thanksgiving as a Family

8 Creative Ways to Celebrate Thanksgiving as a Family

Ah, holidays. I spent most of my daughter’s elementary school years as a single mom, and because of my full-time work schedule (and, ahem, lack of ability), I never achieved “Pinterest mom” status. You know, the super organized moms who become “room mothers” and help the teachers with party décor and never run out of juice boxes. The moms who make adorable lunches neatly compartmentalized in bento boxes and specifically themed for different occasions throughout the year. The moms you always admire and secretly wish you could be while wondering how on earth they do it. 

I was never the “bake from scratch” mom, either—more like, I was the “grabbed it at Target fifteen minutes before I got here” mom. Hehehe. The good news is that it takes all types, and I filled my “Target-mom” role quite well, leaving the hero status to the ones more worthy.

Now that my kids are teenagers and I’m a work-from-home mom, I still haven’t quite mastered the “DIY” mentality. (Why should I do it myself when Target does it so well already?) However, there have been some fun attempts along the way to celebrate holidays on theme. I think my girls’ favorite was the year I turned a cinnamon roll (…canned, of course. Thank you, Pillsbury) into a turkey by using edible googly eyes, bacon, candy corn, and pretzels. 

Every Thanksgiving, I remember those little turkeys and how giggly they made my girls, and it makes me remember something afresh—little efforts go a long way. Whew! So if you’re right there behind me in the Target checkout line, or beating yourself up for not being bento-box-creative, or not doing X as well as X (plug in your own specifics here!), don’t worry. You’re not alone, and you’re doing better than you think. 

Here are eight fun ways to celebrate the Thanksgiving season with kids/teenagers that don’t require you to get on Pinterest at all (or better yet, compare yourself to the other mom in the carpool line or on Instagram!):

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Filadendron

  • Mom and daughter baking during fall

    1. Cinnamon Roll Turkeys

    You’ve really got to try these, if for no other reason than the worse they come out, the more hilarious they are. It’s simply impossible to mess up because the errors will just make them better. Trust me. All you need is a can of Pillsbury cinnamon roll dough, candy eyeballs, bacon torn into strips (feathers), mini pretzels (for legs), and candy corn (for his beak!)

    2. Gratitude Jar

    This one is a craft that’s good for the whole family. Find a glass jar (mason jars will work, or a wide flower vase). Then get strips of paper and a pen (the more colorful, the more fun it will look in the jar!) and set them in a public space in your home. In the days leading up to the holiday, have everyone make at least one trip, if not several, to the “gratitude jar” and write something they’re thankful for on a strip of paper. When they’re done, they fold it up and drop it in the jar. Then, during your holiday meal, pass the jar around and have everyone at the table draw one or two strips and read them out loud. If you’d like to make a game of it, you could even take turns guessing who wrote which message! This is a great way to remember what we’re thankful for and have everyone participate. 

    Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/hobo_018

  • Child making a paper turkey

    3. Place Settings

    Kids love making place settings for guests. If you’re not a control freak like me, let them design or color their own placemats for the table and have at it! If you’d like them to stay on a theme, give them something specific to draw or color or let them create name tags for each guest. If your kids are older and more artsy by nature, here is a link to some creative place-setting crafts that can put them in the holiday mood in no time! 

    4. Pin the Feather on the Turkey

    The younger kids will love this one. (Though honestly, my teenagers are more into kids’ games now than when it was expected of them!) You can draw a turkey on a piece of computer paper (if you’re a better artist than me) or print a turkey outline from the internet and hang the paper on a wall. (This game might work best outside or on a wall that doesn’t have other art or breakables around!) Do the same with a feather outline, and let your younger kids color it. Cut out the feather, stick a piece of tape on the back, and do the ol’ blindfold and spin routine. See who gets the feather closest to the right spot on the turkey, and have a prize for the winner. This could also be a great memory to video and laugh at for future holidays.

    Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Natalia Bodrova 

  • Mom and son baking a pumpkin pie

    5. Thanksgiving-Themed Games

    Another way to bond as a family, either before or after the big meal or even the days leading up to it, is to play holiday games together. Thanksgiving Trivia is easy to create, along with Thanksgiving Bingo or Thanksgiving scavenger hunts. Etsy is a great resource for finding all of these games as ready downloads you can print for as cheap as two or three dollars, or you can create your own versions. 

    6. Give—or Take!—a Cooking Class

    If you have older kids or teenagers interested in learning how to cook, Thanksgiving is a great time to take a class (or give a demo, if you’re a better cook than me!) and get them skilled in this area early on. Cooking together can be a fun experience and a helpful tool in prepping your kids for their own routines and traditions down the road. After all, someone else needs to know how to make Grandma’s delicious chicken-and-stuffing!

    Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Lordn

  • 7. Visit a Corn Maze

    7. Visit a Corn Maze

    This one is super simple, fellow Target moms. You don’t have to do anything but put your kids in the car and drive! (and maybe bring your wallet). The popularity of corn mazes has grown throughout the US, and odds are, you might have one in your area to hit up during the autumn months. Some even offer spooky mazes, if that’s something you’re interested in, but the simple ones are really fun and create a challenging bonding experience for all ages. Most corn mazes offer concessions, pumpkin patches, miniature train rides, and other events that can turn the opportunity into a full day of fun! 

    8. Memorize Scriptures About Thanksgiving as a Family

    If anyone needs an encouraging boost in this area, as most children and teenagers tend to need, turn it into a game or a competition, or offer rewards for each verse completed. (That leftover candy corn from your breakfast turkey works in a pinch!)

    Here are several good verses to start with:

    1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV): "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

    Psalm 118:24 (ESV): "This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

    Psalm 103:1-4 (NIV): "Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all His benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion."

    Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV): "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."

    Whatever you do as a mom for your kids/family this holiday season, remember, your efforts go a long way. You don’t have to have the picture-perfect holiday to have an impact or make a memory. You’re doing great! (Mind if I squeeze ahead of you in the Target line, though? I’m probably running late…) 

    Related Resource: How to Lead Thanksgiving Devotions with Your Family

    If the trajectory of our country is going to change, it must begin with our hearts. America’s systemic problem is spiritual in nature; therefore, we must  first steward our own hearts and the hearts of our families before speaking about changing the direction of our country; anything less is hypocritical. May God use the following thoughts to aid in crafting a special, constructive day centered on our love for Jesus. Let us give thanks for all He has done for us!

    Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Priscilla du Preez

    Betsy_headshotBetsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of over twenty romance novels and novellas. She resides in north Louisiana with her hubby, two daughters, an impressive stash of coffee mugs, and one furry Schnauzer-toddler. Betsy has a B.A. in Communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored to truth. When she’s not composing her next book or trying to prove unicorns are real, Betsy can be found somewhere in the vicinity of an iced coffee. She is a regular contributor to iBelieve.com and offers author coaching and editorial services via Storyside LLC.