5 Games and Activities to Keep the Kids Busy on Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving is definitely a family holiday and you want everyone to be together. But that also means a million little kids everywhere. And when you are trying to cook in the kitchen and are trying to get everything done, sometimes those little helping hands aren’t so helpful. They get bored easily and will want to be involved with what you are doing. And although there are a lot of things they can help with when it’s just your family around, when the cousins come over, it get’s really crazy. They all need something to do which is where the list of 5 Games and Activities to Keep the Kids Busy on Thanksgiving comes in. These are simple games and activities for kids of all ages and only require a few things that you might even have around your house. You can adapt these games for your kids needs and skill levels.

1) Turkey Feather Hunt. This is a game that all ages love. All you need is a package of those colorful feathers you can buy in just about any craft section of the store, or you can make your own feathers out of construction paper or card stock. I’ve included a free printable in case you want to use that and don’t have time to run to the store. I always have the older kids hide the feathers, then when they are done, the littles go on a hunt to find them all. You can choose to have a winner if you wish. The child with the most feathers wins a candy bar or small dollar store toy. Just make sure you have something for everyone. One treat for everyone and a bigger treat for the winner.

To download the feathers . . .

Click on the image below. When it opens in a new window, right click and choose Save Image As. . . then save it to your computer. Now you can print as many as you need!

And if you’d like to learn how I Print then Cut these cute feathers on my Cricut Explore Air (seriously I don’t know how I lived before I got this thing), here is a tutorial.

2) Create a Thanksgiving Picture Collage.  This is where your cute little Instax camera comes in handy. I know most everyone has one of these. And if you buy the film through Amazon, it’s not that expensive. You can get 20 sheets for $11.50! If you don’t have an Instax camera, you can use your phone and the cute little HP Sprocket printer. You can print photo stickers right from your phone with this cute little thing. Don’t forget the paper for it. Only $9.99 for 20 sheets. I’m in love!

I would have each child think really hard about something or someone they are thankful for and have them take a creative picture of it or them. Have them all take turns taking ONE picture each (unless you only have a few kids in your family, then they can take a few each) then create a collage on a poster board for them. I use my Cricut Explore Air to make a cute title for the board and have the kids decorate it with other cute cut outs and markers. Then they all glue their pictures to the board and you have instant Thanksgiving wall art for your dinner.

3) Make Nature Art. Get the kids outside running around looking for all sorts of things that they can use to make a picture or a collage. Leaves, twigs, acorns, walnuts, grass, pine cones etc. Then give each of them a piece of cardstock and let them create a scene or a person using the shapes of the leaves and treasures they found. You’ll need Elmers glue and crayons so they can add to their artwork. I like to use the Extra Strong Elmers Glue for this since some of the things they will be gluing are heavy.

4) Make Homemade Butter for the Rolls. This is one of my favorite things to do on Thanksgiving! It’s so easy to do and the kids have a lot of fun doing it. The kids have to shake the jar to make the butter so I have them all sit in a circle and pass it around. We do this in a carpeted area just in case anyone drops the jar. The child that is shaking the jar tells everyone something they are thankful for then passes it to the person on their right. All you need for this fun game is heavy whipping cream, salt, and a glass jar with a lid. I use a mason jar with tempered glass. Directions: Fill the jar 1/2 full with the whipping cream. Add a pinch of salt and close the jar tightly. Start shaking! You will hear the sloshing stop for a while then start again. Those are the stages the cream is going through. First it’s whipped cream, then it separates into butter and butter milk. After shaking it for about 10 minutes, open the lid and pour the buttermilk into a container and save it for baking later. Scoop out the butter and rinse it and squish it under cold water to release the rest of the buttermilk. Put it on a serving plate and spread it on everyone’s rolls. Delish!

5) Make a Thanksgiving Placemat for the Kids Table. This cute little placemat is full of activities, jokes and games for kids of all ages and will keep the kids sitting at their table longer than 23 seconds on Thanksgiving. That’s always a good thing! Just print it on regular paper and glue it to larger craft paper to make it a little bit bigger and cuter too!

To download the placemat . . .

Click on the image below. When it opens in a new window, right click and choose Save Image As. . . then save it to your computer. Now you can print as many as you need!

I hope these fun ideas save you from going absolutely crazy this Thanksgiving. Just remember to ask for help from the older kids and you’re all set. Those older tween girls will love helping the young kids with these activities. Enjoy your holiday with your family and remember to tell everyone how thankful you are for them and how much you love them.