Start these 11 Thanksgiving traditions your kids will remember and pass on…
Growing up I didn’t realize just how many traditions I would carry on to my kids in regard to the holidays. I don’t remember every single moment of course, but I do remember the feeling of love and fun. I know, I know holidays can be stressful with preparation and if you travel to family members homes like us the day can fly by. I urge you to try one or all of these new traditions that your kids will remember and even pass on to their families. Though you may not be sure the significance you are having in the midst of the craziness, I can guarantee as we watch them as they have their own families and we see them continue the traditions, it is then we see the importance.
So now that I am done being mushy and reminiscing let’s get to it… 13 new traditions to start this Thanksgiving.
- Choose a Thanksgiving Playlist
Start the day off right and have your Alexa, Google Home, or whatever way you listen to music play a series of Thanksgiving music. There are tons of different playlists already created on Spotify and Apple Music you can choose one or make your own playlists with some of their suggestions. Here are a few we have on ours to get you started!
Snag this Alexa Deal here! Alexa Show
“What a Wonderful World” By Louis Armstrong
“ Sweet Potatoe Pie” Ray Charles
“Do the Mash Potato” by James Brown
“Stretchie Pants” by Carrie Underwood
Whatever your favorite genre of music,let it play a specific play list every year. Doing this allows the kids to come back to a place of great memories and love every time they hear these songs outside of Thanksgiving.
- Have the kids set the table with “special dishes”
Growing up we had this cabinet full of the “good china” Mind you these dishes don’t have to be Tiffany. Ours (as I found out when I got older) were this set my mom found at the local thrift store. In our eyes these dishes were lined with bright gold accents so we felt fancy as hell. My mom assigned each of us either plates, cups, or silverware. We were told how careful we had to be with these dishes being so “fancy”. Our favorite part was being able to drink our sparking apple juice out of a “wine glass”. As the oldest of four daughters I have claimed these “fancy” dishes to use as my children grow. Check out this adorable set here —> https://amzn.to/3QDlnXg
- Take the damn photo
I don’t care if you are each coordinated with matching shirts/colors or if your hair is a wreck and everyone never made it out of their jammies(my type of family). Take the damn picture. Get a nice smiling one (even if you have to threaten and bribe) and then get a reality one(those are the one we enjoy the most). Our memories fade over the years and the kids might not remember all the details but take the photo and keep them all in one album so each Thanksgiving you can take a look back at the holiday as the years pass on. You will cherish these as family members start to pass and you honor them on these holidays!
- Have a designated craft table for the kids.
There is so much preparation that goes into cooking a huge meal. Some of you guys might be really great at letting kids help in the kitchen (KUDDOS TO YOU). I am not that mom. I am the get the heck out of my way mom during big dinners like Thanksgiving. BUT I also do not want them on their Ipads the entire day. I found that setting up a craft table filled with markers, colored pencils, washable paints and thanksgiving themed printouts or wood cutouts keeps them busy for a long time. After the Holiday when everything is on sale I stock up on deals for the next year! This keeps them off electronics and out of my way haha!
Here are a few options
- Start a movie tradition
This tradition can be the same movie every year that everyone looks forward to OR each year you can choose for the following year’s movie as a family. Maybe each year a different person gets to choose the movie for the following year so everyone gets a turn. Here are a few we have chosen over the years..
Planes Trains and Automobiles
Instant Family
The Blind Side
Grumpy Old Men
- Pie Competition
Who says a little competition on the holidays can’t be fun? You can start this tradition and make it a big deal with the kids. BEST PART for moms like me. The pies can be made a day or two prior to the holiday so that way you don’t feel stressed having your kids in the kitchen during the actual day. Everyone can pick a certain pie out of a hat so there are no repeats or just everyone volunteers for a certain kind. I suggest switching it up every year so you get to teach the kids new kitchen skills.
Snag some new pie dishes here https://amzn.to/3MNmYZu
- Draw names for secret Santa
In my family we discovered a few years back that we are spending way too much money on all the adults in the family when our focus could be on the kids. So instead of buying for every adult we now on Thanksgiving draw names for a secret Santa. Each grown up pulls a name and that’s the only adult they buy for. We set a dollar amount limit so it’s fair! If you want you could have the kids do it amongst each other as well so they get to buy (well you get to buy) another kid a special present!
Go traditional and draw names out of a hat or use these cute forms to have ideas for your pick! Get to know your secret Santa!
- Table Cloth Keepsake
This is one of our favorite traditions. Get a white table cloth each year( does not have to be expensive) and get a set of permanent markers. Everyone writes something they are thankful for on it and signs their name. This gets everyone in the thankful mood as well lets you read the tablecloths over the years and see what has changed and even see the writing and signature of the family members that pass over the years.
This one has fun activities for the kids! https://amzn.to/46o8ztA
- Start a Friendsgiving Tradition
All of our friends on the actual holiday of Thanksgiving have their own families and in-laws to split their time amongst. We used to all stress to try and make it to everyone’s houses at some point in the day. I remember the conversations clearly “Ok so we can do two hours here, dessert there”. Why put that pressure on each other? Instead, why not create a Friendsgiving. This can be done the weekend before or weekend after (or frankly whenever the hell you all can get your schedules to match) The best part is make this tradition NON traditional. Come up with a fun theme each year that doesn’t have to be turkey and mashed potatoes. Everyone brings a different appetizer, do a nacho table, or everyone brings a different color themed dish. Don’t tell the inlaws BUT I bet you the Friendsgiving will be even more fun and relaxed then the actual day. Let the kids play with the friends’ kids and make memories!
Here are a few cute games to ad to your party!
- Start volunteering or charity donation.
The goal in raising our kids is to not just make memories but have them grow into giving and compassionate humans. In order to do this we have to show them the way. This can be done in giving your time. Volunteer at a local soup kitchen on the holiday, before the day starts. Let your kids see/feel the difference their time can make. Let them see that not everyone is as lucky as they are and that volunteering makes a big difference on this day and every day. If volunteering your time is not an option (maybe you are running from house to house) then how about helping them collect items that could be given to local families to help them celebrate and make their own memories on this day. This could range from donations of non perishables to a local charity, hosting a local family at your home, everyone bringing hats, mittens or jackets to donate after the holiday.
Book the kids can read to understand how we can help https://amzn.to/40G3P1j
- So this one is going to be a little different…. Hear me out!
Have everyone at Thanksgiving write a small note to a stranger. Leave this note on a car of a person at the grocery store or hand directly to someone passing you on the street. This doesn’t have to be done the same day as the holiday but make it point and hand these out purposefully. A simple encouraging note to a stranger makes more of a difference. Maybe picturing yourself doing this is out of your comfort zone but I promise you, if you stick around and watch someone’s reaction just once you will be hooked and might even do it throughout the year. Watch some of my favorite clips of people doing it …
Thanks for checking out some of my favorite traditions to do with my 5 kids! I hope you found at least one or two that you can add to your family fun! We never know the impact on our children fully until they have their own and then we get to watch our traditions continue. Happy Holidays from our house-full to yours!
