We all know Thanksgiving is a busy day filled with cooking and gathering. Often times it’s the gathering part that brings me the most joy but cooking takes the most time over the holiday. My goal each Thanksgiving is to get more true togetherness time. What can we do, all at the same time to keep everyone awake and off their phones? Trust me, I always have a discerning crowd but these Thanksgiving activities and short and easy for all families. Then go take a nap!
This post is all about Thanksgiving day activities for families.
1. The Thanksgiving Gratitude Tree
Make a gratitude tree. I found a dried tree branch from my yard for my gratitude tree. I tried to find a branch with lots of offshoots, as this provides more places for the tags to hang. You could also use the light-up branches like those linked below. Depending on your space, you can make this a big “tree” or a small “tree.”
Next, I used white metal ringed tags that I found on Amazon (linked below). Instruct your family to write down things they are thankful for. When we started this, I expected the items to be traditional, i.e., love, home, vacation, etc. In truth, I started by using those examples. What “nice” decor it would make. I’m so thankful that this activity turned silly. Five minutes in, everyone was freestyling with things they truly liked and thought about, as well as the qualities/quirks of the others they appreciated. I’m telling you, everyone’s answers were making us all laugh and feel warm and fuzzy. Ensure they know these don’t have to be serious, just anything they feel happy about. For example, our dog’s pink nose, skittles, Harry Styles (my daughter’s), Sonic, hugs, electric blankets, cheese, and sister’s loud yell.
I filled the black crock with crumpled paper and used black stones to keep the branches in place. The tags hang on with the metal rings or with string.
This is actually one of my favorite Thanksgiving decorations now. I was wrong about it being “nice” decor; now it’s better than that. It’s beautiful decor! It is really fun to look at each tag when I bring it out each year to get a snapshot of what everyone was loving that year. Even better the more years that pass. This is a Thanksgiving activity you could do every year. It might be fun to put the year on the back of the tags for reference.
Buy on Amazon here
These tags are #100 for 1.26-inch size with attached metal ring for hanging.
Buy on Amazon here
These tags are #100 for 2.25-inch size with attached string for hanging. Might be easier for smaller children to write on.
black river rocks for the bottom of crock to hold branch – Buy on Amazon here
Black crock for branch holder – Buy on Amazon here
White crock for branch holder – Buy on Amazon here
2. Thanksgiving Bob Ross Painting Tutorial
This Thanksgiving Day activity is great for families. Trust me when I tell you that you don’t need artistic talent to enjoy this with everyone: that’s what Bob Ross is for! I don’t know if you have ever watched one of his tutorials, but he tells you exactly how to take a blank canvas to create your own beautiful creation. It’s also just funny that this is such a retro video. You could even all dress up like Bob Ross for some fun photos of your holiday painting session.
Set up a computer, iPad, or phone so everyone can watch the tutorial linked below. You can also screen share it on your TV if you know how so that everyone gets a good view. It is amazing to see how everyone interprets their own idea of his tutorial. Ultimately, you will have original “artwork” made on your Thanksgiving holiday.
Canvas boards here
Oil paints here
Paint brush set here
These paintbrushes come in a variety of colors. If you have a large group, you can order different colors so everyone can keep their brushes straight.
If you like this post, you may like this post: CHRISTMAS DECORATION IDEAS AT HOME – WINTER INSTAGRAM ROUNDUP
3. Thanksgiving Thank You Game
The thank you game is so simple that you can play it all day. The idea is that you pick a word or phrase that you have to say after every sentence all day long. We chose the phrase “Thank You” because we had a discussion about just expressing our thankfulness at the dinner table, which didn’t seem enough. We decided to make it part of our speech all day long! So for us, it sounded like this: “Who is winning the game, thank you,” “I’m going to take a nap, thank you,” “That’s my chair, thank you,” “I don’t like corn, thank you,” “what time is the parade, thank you.” The fun part is trying to catch the others who forget to add it. Believe me, there will be lots of catching. You could use any word you like, maybe turkey or gravy, or I love mashed potatoes. We did it without a prize for the one who did the best, but that could be a fun option.
I guarantee this will be way more fun than you think!
4. Thanksgiving Family Board Game
Wits and Wagers Game – Buy on Amazon here
This game has been a surprising hit in our house. You guess the numbers of crazy things and then bet to see who gets the closest to the right number. No gambling or casino skill is needed, and it’s super easy to learn.
This post was all about fun Thanksgiving activities for families.
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