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Thanksgiving is all about a juicy delicious turkey and appetizing side dishes that consist of mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. While a scrumptious spread is undoubtedly the highlight of the festival, the meal itself takes up only so much of the time. So the question arises: how do you keep your family and closed ones entertained the rest of the time? Fret not as we bring you 9 Thanksgiving activities that are guaranteed to keep the whole family entertained and squabble-free.
1. Pin The Tail
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Just like pin the tail on the donkey, this Thanksgiving game comes with a slight twist – it’s pin the tail on the turkey. The game is guaranteed to be an instant hit among grown-ups and kids alike. After all, who wouldn’t enjoy fumbling across the living room blindfolded while the rest of the family cheers them on! With this game, you have the option to either make a DIY version of the Thanksgiving game or get yourself a game kit online.
2. Thanksgiving Bowling
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Who doesn’t love bowling? For this, all you need is a plastic bowling set, a football, craft feathers, and foam shape stickers. To make the turkey pins, tape the feathers to the back of the bowling pin and use foam stickers for the eyes, beak, and snood of the turkey. Now line up the pins and bowl them with a football. It is the perfect recreational activity for restless kids and bored adults and will be a crowd-favorite in no time.
3. Measuring Leaves
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If you don’t want any distraction in the house while preparing the Thanksgiving meal, then this activity is the one for you. It will ensure that your kids have fun and remain outdoors until the turkey is done and the side dishes are prepared. Let your kids celebrate nature and the fall/autumn season by this game of leaf collecting. Give each kid a ruler and ask them to pick different leaves. Let the search for the biggest autumn leaf begin!
4. Gratitude Game
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Before you go around the table expressing gratitude for all that you have, give your little ones a head start with a printable gratitude card in which they can jot down all the things they are grateful for. You can let them add a personal touch to the card with glitter and sketch pen.
5. The Name Game
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The name game is always a fun game to break the ice, whether it’s a Birthday party or Thanksgiving. Though the festival is all about being with loved ones, the air can be a bit tense when you have a room full of people who haven’t spoken or seen each other in a while. To play the game, all you need is a pen and sticky notes. Write the names of a famous character or person and stick the note on each player’s forehead. The person can be dead or alive or even a fictional character from a movie or book. Let the players guess each one by asking yes or no questions to one another.
6. Pine Cone Turkey
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The pine cone turkey is easy peasy to make and looks super cute as a Thanksgiving decoration. For this, you will need pine cones, a glue gun, scissors, small googly eyes, an Exacto knife, yellow and red felt, washi tape of different patterns, and popsicle sticks. Using the Exacto knife, cut out ¼ of the popsicle stick. You may need to cut more depending on how big or small the feathers would look on your pine cone. Place the popsicle on the sticky side of the washi tape. Now press firmly to make sure that they are covered in washi tape. Repeat the same process with the remaining popsicle sticks. Cut out yellow and red felt for the turkey’s beak and snood and glue it to the pine cone. Using the glue gun, stick the googly eyes on two ends of the pine cone. There you have it—a cute pine cone turkey for Thanksgiving.
7. Metallic-painted Pumpkins
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This artsy little craft will appeal to people of all ages and requires very little to execute— metallic paint, brush, and pumpkin. Let the guests tap into their artistic side and paint away. The end result will be a super glam turkey that will be eye-catching and inspiring.
8. Pumpkin Turkey Decoration
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Create a cute pumpkin craft as a centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table. This turkey craft can be made easily by your kids and will keep them occupied on Thanksgiving. They’ll need a small pumpkin, different colored felt, googly eyes, a glue gun, and a glue stick. Make cutouts in different shapes for the head, neck, and feathers of the turkey. Once the turkey pumpkin is done, you can choose to place it as a centerpiece on your Thanksgiving table. This will help the kids feel involved in the festivities.
9. Thanksgiving Greeting Card
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Nothing says love like a personal greeting card made by your kids on Thanksgiving. Give them a glue stick, different colored papers, sketches, glitters, and kid-friendly scissors. Let their creative juices flow. In the end, you will have lovely homemade greeting cards made by your kids.
So what are you waiting for? Pick out the activities that you would like for this Thanksgiving day and gather the art supplies. If you enjoyed reading our post, don’t forget to share it with your friends!
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