4. Encourage kids to play games and activities
If you're busy with dinner preparations, arrange for an older child to organize and run the activities for younger children. Hide a stuffed animal that looks like a turkey and have a "Turkey Search." The Internet is a great source of word searches, colouring pages and activities with a Thanksgiving theme.
5. Set the stage
Do you have a young, aspiring screenwriter in the family? Ask your little one to write a skit about the meaning of Thanksgiving (or about the first Thanksgiving); have her cast the rest of the children to star in it. Be sure someone brings a camera or video recorder to capture the event.
6. Create some quiet time
Time to settle down a rowdy crowd? Try a good family movie, like "A Walton's Thanksgiving Reunion" (1993) or "The Thanksgiving Promise" (1986). Or have an older child read a favourite Thanksgiving or harvest story aloud. Our personal family favourites include Clifford's Thanksgiving Visit (Scholastic, 2002), by Norman Bridwell and Thanksgiving Day in Canada by Krys Val Lewicki, (Napoleon Publishing/Rendezvous Press, 1993).
7. Share the Thanksgiving spirit
For a different spin on this traditional holiday, consider volunteering family time at a shelter or inviting another neighbourhood family to dinner.
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