ALT-2 How to Include Children in Thanksgiving Preparations
Family traditions, homecooked food and big gatherings are all favorite and celebrated aspects of Thanksgiving. For children, it can also be fun to be involved in some of the preparation and traditions that are commonly saved for adults. Here are some tips on how to get kids involved with Thanksgiving preparations this year:
Create some holiday décor.
To get in the festive spirit, spend a few days before the holidays creating decorations. There are some great ideas for creating fall decorations, including taking apinecone and decorating itto look like a turkey. Another fun idea can include takingclear ornaments and fillingwith strips of paper rolled into spirals (can also remove and refill with Christmas colors).
Children can also be designated as the official decorators, allowing them to determine where their handmade decorations should be placed.
Have them help with the menu.
Instead of taking charge of planning the meal, sit down with the kids and see if they have any requests. For instance, they may want to add another dessert to the menu in addition to pumpkin pie. Or, they could be interested in having a special drink for them, such as punch or even milkshakes to kick-off the meal (if you can squeeze it in to your preparations). See what the kids want to add – it might be something equally festive that was never considered.
Give them a chance to cook or bake.
Now that you have the menu figured out, it’s time to dole out responsibilities for cooking and baking. Make sure the kids are involved. They can help out in some easy tasks, such as grating the carrots or helping mash the potatoes. Designating the kids to be the organizers of the kitchen is a good role as well, as they will feel important and included.
Let them set the table.
Setting the table is another way to help the children feel involved in the Thanksgiving festivities. When you are determining the appropriate décor for the dinner, see if there are some easy ways to create designs with cloth napkins and add that to the table setting responsibility. Additionally, it may be fun to designate a separate table for the children and give them an opportunity to decorate however they want. This will allow them to be creative and festive.
With these tips in mind, it’s easy to integrate children into planning for the Thanksgiving holiday. It will create an even better celebration as all guests – no matter their age – will feel like they had a part in creating the special day.
