This year, you might not be traveling to visit family or even hosting friends from down the street. The holidays have a different look but don’t have to be boring or cause loneliness. Here are Thanksgiving activities for the entire family so you can get creative with the ones in your household, learn something new, or stay connected virtually!
Topics for the (Virtual) Table
My parents are staying home in northern Michigan this year, so I am working on ways for us to create a connection virtually. I came up with some family-friendly questions where my kids and I can truly learn more about their lives, how they grew up, and share stories together about experiences.
Send a copy of the questions to all parties who want to participate, and go around the “room” answering them. I spoke about this in a previous post, but made this printable so you can easily download and share! See end of post for images. This is one of the Thanksgiving activities for the entire family that can be done near or far.
Gratitude Placemats
I love creating things with my kids that we can use for years to come. Every year, my family goes around the table and says what they are grateful for. You can create a family heirloom to commemorate this tradition- a “gratitude” placemat! Have each person write in one word the thing they are grateful for each year on the placemat.
Although their grandparents won’t be here, we are still making placemats and sending them to my parents so they can have a little piece of our family with them while they eat. Hopefully next year they can bring them when we gather! I used gold fabric paint with rubber stamps to create this placemat. I found the mats at Michael’s on sale- $3.99 for two, and they are great quality to last for years to come!
STEM DIY
I love a DIY that incorporates education! This Solar Bot kit from Thames & Kosmos is under $20, and you can build 8 unique robots that are powered by the sun — batteries not required! Using a compact solar panel, these cool little bots harness energy from the sun to power an electric motor to get moving. Build a drummer robot that marches along, beating a drum; an armadillo robot that does somersaults; a solar bug that crawls on six legs, and more.
This should keep kids (and adults alike) entertained while the turkey cooks. Completing a project together lends a sense of connection, especially with tween/teen kids that might find crafts and games too cheesy. I know my dad wouldn’t necessarily want to bake with my kids, but he would dive into this with them wholeheartedly. Hands-on kits like this are a great way to kids occupied while dinner gets prepared instead of just plonking them down in front of a screen.
Get Cooking Together
These drumstick Krispie Treats are adorable and easy to make and can be an easy craft to involve kids in the assembly. Grab a pretzel rod, mini marshmallows, white chocolate, butter and Cocoa Krispies. Dip the pretzel rod in white chocolate, affix two marshmallows, then dip that end again in white chocolate. Make Krispie treats out of the Cocoa Krispies and mold a “drumstick” around the pretzel rod.
Homemade House
Poptart “gingerbread” Houses are the hottest holiday trend sweeping the sweets this year. Instead of using traditional gingerbread pieces, you can use Poptarts or other toaster pastries (store brand is usually less expensive!). These pastries become your walls and roof, and frosting = glue. Major tip- use Royal Icing instead of traditional frosting. The box and bowl in this photo are definitely holding my house together!
You can also make pretzel rod log cabins if that is more your style! Decorate with leftover Halloween candy or sprinkles. This is definitely one of the best Thanksgiving activities for the entire family because adults can construct the home and any age can take pride in decorating!
Cheers to Thanksgiving activities for the entire family- finding creative ways to stay connected and positive isn’t easy, but SO worth it!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you purchase. All opinions are honest and my own as always.
