ALT-4 How to Include Children in Thanksgiving Preparations
Because Thanksgiving is such a busy time for the adults in the house, keeping the children peaceful and happy can be a challenge. In many homes, the day before Thanksgiving, moms and dads are preparing pies, cutting up vegetables, and even setting the tables in advance. You can make the holiday really special by inviting the kids to help out with Thanksgiving preparations.
Children of all ages can and ought to be asked to join in the hustle and bustle of getting the feast ready. After all, it’s just a nice touch for everyone sitting down to eat to feel like they had a hand in putting the sumptuous meal on the table. If you’re stuck on how to include the children in your Thanksgiving preparations, take a look at the following list for some inspiration:
-Ask the kids to look around outdoors to find small bits of nature to display on the Thanksgiving table. They’ll have a blast running around collecting colored leaves, a dried sprig of decorative grass, pine cones, and some acorns. Then, allow the kids to arrange their collected treasures on a platter to be admired by all the guests.
-Encourage the children to make Thanksgiving- or fall-themed placemats for dinner guests. They can use simple supplies such as crayons and sheets of white paper or newsprint you picked up at the local discount store. This art project will keep the children busy and involved in the preparations.
-Have the children set the table. Kids as young as 4 or 5 years can be fairly successful at helping to lay out the silverware. Older kids—tweens and teens—can place the plates and glassware to complete the table settings.
-The stuffing for the turkey is an excellent dish for the kids to pitch in and help prepare. Once all hands are clean, put them to work tearing up the bread. This job tends to be time-consuming for one person. Think how quickly the task will go when all those little hands get involved!
-If you’re making homemade rolls, the children can shape the rolls and place them in or on the pans to be baked. Older children can even knead the dough to make the bread products. If you’re using pre-made rolls, the children will easily handle placing the rolls in the pans for baking.
-Children aged 12 and up can help prepare salads and get out serving dishes for each of the foods you plan to serve. Younger children can be responsible for gathering large serving spoons and placing them on the table to be at the ready come dinner time.
-Assign one of the kids to keep the kitchen floor picked up during the day of cooking. The child can periodically sweep up dropped crumbs and food and wipe up spills to avoid bigger messes later and accidents.
-In the event you’ll be serving any dishes that are pre-scooped into small saucers or bowls, the children can most likely handle the task of placing those foods onto the dishware and setting the pre-scooped dishes on the table.
-If you use a hand-masher to mash your potatoes, most kids would get a kick out of doing that particular job. Once the potatoes are mashed well, older children can add the additional ingredients and stir them up to serve.
-Offering a vegetable tray or relish tray on the table at Thanksgiving is a very nice touch. If you buy pre-cut raw vegetables, the kids can handle washing the veggies, allowing them to drain on a towel, and arranging them on the platter however they like. This job allows the children to get creative and just have fun placing the colorful vegetables in all kinds of patterns on the plate.
Thanksgiving is one of the most enjoyable family gatherings of the year. Everyone is excited to see one another and most want to be involved in the special preparations of the feast. Elicit your children’s assistance throughout the day as you get ready for Thanksgiving. You’ll all have a wonderful time and your kids will feel like an important contributor to this very special meal.
