Family traditions bring a sense of comfort and belonging. It’s important that I raise my kids with the same wonderful memories I have from childhood. Whether we are starting new traditions or continuing ones that my husband or I did as kids, I want our children to grow up with great family experiences, especially during the holidays.
It sometimes seems like people go straight from Halloween to Christmas, but I personally love Thanksgiving and all it stands for. Here are 10 Thanksgiving traditions that you can implement now (or in the future) with your family.
Go to a Pumpkin Patch
Many people associate pumpkin patches with Halloween, but most are open all the way through Thanksgiving. At some point during the months of October or November, take your kids to a pumpkin patch. Lots of them have fun activities for the whole family, and you can get a few pumpkins to display with you Thanksgiving décor.
Volunteer at a Food Bank
It is important to teach kids the true meaning of the holiday season. While mine are still too young for this, as they get older, I would love to volunteer at a food bank every year as a family. In the meantime, we can still gather canned goods to donate and talk about helping those less fortunate than us.
Make a Thanksgiving Craft
If your kids are anything like mine, they love arts and crafts. A quick search on Pinterest will give you tons of Thanksgiving-related DIY craft ideas. I love using my kids’ art projects as décor for different holidays. Start a tradition of creating a new craft each November that you can treasure for years to come.
Carry Out Random Acts of Kindness
What better time of year to teach your kids about being kind and helping others? Have them do simple and small deeds for others like helping a sibling or writing a thank you note to their teacher. Each night at the dinner table each person can share the things they have done to help others and spread kindness.
Host Friendsgiving
While this may not be the best tradition to implement in 2020, Friendsgiving is such a fun way to celebrate and give thanks for all the important friends in your life who mean so much. Keep it casual, rotating houses of who will host and do a potluck style feast for everyone to enjoy.
Practice Gratitude
The season of Thanksgiving is about being grateful and giving thanks. Start a tradition of practicing daily gratitude in the month of November. Each day have everyone say one thing they are thankful for. After all, happiness begins with gratitude!
Bake a Pie
Whether it’s pumpkin, apple, or pecan, nothing screams Thanksgiving more than pie. I’ll be the first to admit that I am no baker, but my little boy loves to make desserts. Pick an easy recipe and do your best to make a yummy Thanksgiving treat.
Split the Wishbone
Splitting the wishbone is something I loved doing as a kid, so I can’t wait to pass this tradition on to my own. After the turkey is carved two people get to pull on each end of the wishbone. It is said that the person who ends up with the bigger piece will have their wish come true.
Take a Picture for Your Holiday Cards
We always take our holiday card picture in early November so I don’t have to rush to get them mailed. Make this a fun and stress-free event if possible. You could even use one of your fall outings (like the pumpkin patch) as a photo opp.
Decorate for Christmas
Once Thanksgiving dinner is over and everyone’s bellies are full, it’s officially Christmas season! We typically put our tree up on Thanksgiving Day or the day after. Put a football game on TV or play some Christmas music as you decorate the tree as a family.
Now that we have thoroughly celebrated Thanksgiving, we can officially move on to all those fun Christmas traditions!
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