Thanksgiving Traditions – From the FOLLOWERS

Thank you to everyone who sent me your favorite Thanksgiving Traditions! It has been so fun going through them and choosing my very favorites! I have compiled a list of “Last Minute Ideas for Thanksgiving.” These are fun things to do that YOU, my creative followers, do for Thanksgiving!

1.  Watch the Parade – I remember this was a tradition in my house growing up too! I would wake up to the smell of yummy turkey baking in the oven, the sound of the beaters mixing the mashed potatoes and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on in the background!

2.  BINGO – How fun is this? I love that it is a tradition for a family! There is nothing more fun than playing games with the people you love!

3.  Go See a Movie – This is also a tradition that my family did as well growing up! It must be a popular thing to do! This is something the youngest little one would enjoy all the way up to Grandma and Grandpa! Go see a movie your whole family would love!

 

4.  A Countdown Chain – The first Monday of November, make a countdown chain to Thanksgiving. Write on each chain something you are thankful for! Then at dinner each night, remove a chain and read what you are thankful for. This is a fun way to talk about your blessings as a family!

 

Picture from about.com

 

5.  Thankful Turkey – Each year at the beginning of November, make a turkey out of construction paper.  To make the turkey's feathers trace your families hands on several colors of paper and cut them out. Then glue them on the turkey in layers with the biggest hands in the back up to the smallest hands in the front.  Each layer of feathers (the fingers) is one persons. Once the turkey is together, have each person write on their personal 'feathers' things that they are grateful for.

It's fun to see each day what feathers fill up.  This cute mom keeps all the Turkeys and at Thanksgiving time hangs up the old ones.  Everyone enjoys reading and looking at the years past Turkeys.  The kids love to see their hands grow and remember or be told stories about why some of the things they wrote are on the turkey from that year.  Her kitchen is full of Turkeys this year! So fun!

 

6. 12 Days of Gratitude – Each day for the 12 days prior to Thanksgiving, write one thing you are grateful for on a leaf. Then glue it/stick it on a leaf. Then in December, do the 12 days of Christmas to Jesus. Take the 12 things you were grateful for in November and act on them…showing Jesus & Heavenly Father your gratitude.

(Ie: if one day is daddy, in December show that by cooking him breakfast in bed, etc.)

 

Picture credit to paintcutpaste.com

 

7. Pine Cone Turkeys – Gather pinecones, colored cotton balls, craft pipe cleaners, googly eyes, and construction paper. Trace your child’s hand on the paper and write what they are thankful for. Glue the hands to the back of the pinecone, and make a face out of the cotton ball, pipe cleaners and googly eyes. You have yourself a darling turkey, your children will love!

 

 

8. Handprint Turkeys – Dip your child’s hand in paint and put them on a piece of paper. Draw a face on the handprint and little legs to make it look like a turkey. Do it every year to see how big they get! Such a cute way to document their little growing hands!

 

9. Appetizer Cook-Off – Each individual person submits an appetizer and everyone votes on a winner for the year, who receives a trophy and a prize! There are two categories: taste and creative presentation. The appetizers serve as lunch on Thanksgiving Day!

 

I hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving! I love this holiday so much and am thankful we have a whole day to celebrate our blessings! Don’t forget it is never too late to start a new tradition for your family! So have FUN and do something NEW this year! Make this Thanksgiving, the BEST day for you and your cute family!