Thanksgiving Activities for the Whole Family

This annual holiday is observed as a day to commemorate the Pilgrim’s harvest of 1621, to give thanks for blessings great and small, and to have fun! The festivities need not be elaborate…just an opportunity for some fun quality time. One important thing to remember when playing games is that all the children should be rewarded equally for participating or winning.

Many of these classic games can be converted to tie in to a Thanksgiving/harvest theme with a simple name or prop change. Try one of the following:
• “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” – “Pin the Wattle on the Turkey”
• “Duck, Duck, Goose” – “Turkey, Turkey, Stuffing”
• “Hot Potato” – “Hot Turkey” (with a stuffed animal turkey)
• “Musical Hats” – “Musical Pilgrim Hats”
• “Bingo” – use candy corn as game pieces
• “Dress Up Relay” – Use simple scarecrow, Native American or Pilgrim costumes.
• “Ring Toss” – “Ring around the Gourd” (assign different point values to different sizes of gourds, pumpkins or dried Indian corn.
• “Three Legged or Sack Races” – Add an autumnal touch by creating an obstacle course using pumpkins, corn stalks, and bales of hay.
• Turkey Calling Contest – Host a turkey calling contest, complete with lots of squawking, flapping, wattle shaking, and pecking. Give each participant a prize with a fun distinction: “loudest turkey”, “most authentic”, “most likely to be spared”, “cutest turkey”, etc. This activity can also be turned into a relay race with the class split into two teams. Loud, but fun! (Ages 4-Adult)
• Turkey Bowling - The turkey will definitely be tenderized after participating in this game! Use a frozen turkey in place of a bowling ball (one that comes packaged with a handle attached) in a size that is appropriate for the age of the children. The frozen turkey is hurled at a set of bowling pins (use the real thing, tall wooden blocks or plastic milk bottles filled with stones). One parent helper can reset the pins after each turn. This game is a big hit with every crowd! (Ages 5-Adult)
• Balloon Popping Contest – Divide the children into two equal groups. Place two bags of inflated harvest colored balloons about 25 yards away . These balloons should be over-inflated to make popping easier. At the sound of a bell, the first two relay contestants, one from each team, run to the bag, and remove one balloon. Each must sit on it until it pops. Once the balloon pops, the players run back to the starting line and tag the next player in line. The first team to complete the course wins. If you have children who are afraid of the sound of popping balloons, offer a grown-up stand-in. Not a quiet game…but a guaranteed favorite! (Ages 4-Adult)
• Pass the Corn – Divide the children into two teams and have them form two lines. You will need two cobs of dried Indian corn. At the signal to “go”, the corncob is to be passed from child to child. The catch is that they can use any part of their bodies except their hands. If the corn touches the ground at any time, it must go back to the beginning of the line again. Whichever team manages to get the corn to the end of the line first wins the game. The corn can also be used in a relay, with the kids putting the corn between their knees, and racing crab style. (Ages 4-10)
• If the games can be played outside, “hay” fights are great fun!

Other Activites:
• Create Pilgrim hats that double as snack holders. For each Pilgrim hat, use one black stadium cup, one 6″ circle of black cardboard, a gold or yellow “buckle” made from cardstock paper, and tape or sticky pads. Fill the pilgrim hat with a dry snack (popcorn, pretzels, wrapped candies). Attach the circle base and buckle. They make great table decorations!
• Make feather Native American headdress napkin rings to add glorious fall color to your table. Cut toilet paper tubes into 1 ½” wide rings. Paint designs in festive fall colors on the “rings”. Add construction paper or real feathers. Allow each child to make a set for his/her family if time permits.
• Create personalized thanksgiving placemats. They can be used at the party and then sent home for Thanksgiving dinner. Use Tissue Leaves or leaves cut from construction paper. Give each child 8-10 leaves, and have them write one thing that they are thankful for on each leaf. Glue the leaves to a 12″ x 18″ piece of paper and laminate. Clear contact paper also works well for the purpose of laminating.
• Make turkeys out of pinecones. Add colorful feathers, wiggly eyes, and cut and bend pipe cleaners for the beak, wattle, and feet.
• Use uncooked popcorn to create beautiful fall mosaics. The popcorn can be painted after the glue dries if desired.
• Cover tables with orange flat paper. Add baskets of markers to the tables, and allow the children to draw on the decorative table covers if they finish other activities faster than anticipated. This activity is always a hit!

Make placecards for each guest. This can be done as an activity the day of the party, or can be completed ahead of time. A charming and personal touch on any table! Try one of the following, or create something with special meaning to you:

“Thankful for You Because” Bags: These can double as an activity and a placecard on the tables. You’ll need:
• Brown paper lunch sacks
• Green paint pen
• Raffia
• Tissue leaves in autumn colors
• Plenty of small pieces of paper (approx. 3″ x 4″ size).

Cut the top of each sack in a decorative manner (use pinking shears, or regular scissors to trim the size, and give the bag a little character). Glue one autumn leaf to the center of each bag at an angle. Tie raffia into little bows, and glue one to the base of each leaf with a hot glue gun. Write the name of each child on the bags (one name per bag) with the green paint pen. Place small pieces of paper in a basket along with pens and markers. Have each person write a note or draw a picture (little ones) of why they are thankful for each person. This can be done in the days preceding the party. Drop notes into bags. Allow time during the party for the children to read their notes…a great self-esteem building activity.

Pilgrim Placecards: You’ll need:
• Black paint pen
• Wooden clothespin
• Black pipe cleaners
• Bottle cap
• Construction paper
• Glue

Use fine-tip colored markers to draw faces on the “head” of each clothespin. Color the rest of the clothespin black. Just below the head, wrap a black pipe cleaner around the neck, to create the arms. Wrap another pipe cleaner around the fee, to make the Pilgrim stand up in the bottle cap. Glue on a black construction paper hat (complete with yellow buckle), and a white paper vest. Cut nametags from white or yellow construction paper, and attach to the pilgrim’s arms. They look really cute with the nametag held above the pilgrim’s head.

Mayflower Placecards: You’ll need:
• Terra cotta colored Sculpey modeling compound
• Toothpicks
• White paper plate
• Fill with M&M’s or mini candy bars in fall colors

Mold clay into boats similar in shape to the Mayflower. Cut a good-sized sail out of the edge of a white paper plate. Write the names of each child on the sails (one name on each sail). Poke two holes in the center of each sail (vertically), and use the toothpick as the mast. Boats should be approximately 4-5″ in length when completed.

Tide Them Over with Thanksgiving Snack Ideas

Obviously, if the event you are throwing is a full-fledged Thanksgiving Day gathering, you will want to make sure you have all of the festive foods normally associated with the holiday.  These would include: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, etc.  If you are looking for something a bit different, and maybe more along the lines of yummy treats to snack on, here are some ideas for you that will thrill your guests - young and old alike!  In fact, some of these make great activities for the children to do while the adults are visiting.  All of you can then share in the fun of eating the creations!

Snacks:
• CORNUCOPIA OF TREATS – Create a centerpiece by filling a horn-of-plenty (cornucopia) basket with healthy snacks such as apples, bananas, little baggies filled with grapes, popcorn, or a variety of mini muffins (cornbread, blueberry, pumpkin). Many specialty and grocery store bakeries are now offering bread in a cornucopia shape. Add little bowls of bread toppings (butter, jam, peanut butter, etc.) to the table, and the children can munch on the centerpiece during the party!
• Serve dry snacks in Pilgrim Hats turned upside down. Popcorn, pretzels, or wrapped goodies all look much more appetizing when the presentation is cute!
• CRANBERRY CRITTERS – Cut a log of canned jellied cranberry sauce into 10 slices. Use cookie cutters to cut thanksgiving shapes out of the slices. As an alternative, use a pan of set Jell-O® (using the “Jigglers” recipe) to create cutouts.
• NOT-QUITE-TURKEY SANDWICHES – Make sandwiches using favorite ingredients (PB&J, balogna, ham and cheese, honey and banana), and cut out full-sized cookie cutter turkeys. For adventurous children, try pumpernickel bread. Sliced green olives, little pieces of carrots, raisins, and chocolate chips make terrific eyes, and no turkey would be complete without a little pimento or red licorice wattle!
• BOUNTIFUL COOKIES – This snack doubles as an activity as children decorate their own sugar cookies. Have a small table set up with plenty of sugar cookies cut out in Thanksgiving shapes (turkeys, pumpkins, pilgrim hats, etc.) on individual plates along with different colors of frosting, sprinkles, candy corn, and other goodies. This activity works equally well with 2-year-olds and with 10th graders.
• TEENEY TURKEYS – What you’ll need for each turkey: One Nutter Butter® cookie, one peanut butter cup, 2 chocolate wafers, chocolate frosting, 8-10 pieces of candy corn, and a few mini M&Ms® or jelly beans. Frost the top of the peanut butter cup and press it onto the chocolate wafer, lining up one edge of each to the other. Use additional frosting to attach candy corn along the other edge to create the appearance of feathers. Frost one side of the Nutter Butter™ cookie and press it onto the other side of the peanut butter cup. Use small candies to create a turkey face and wattle. Using more frosting, attach the “turkey” to the remaining chocolate wafer. Add candy corn to the base of the turkey as feet.
• MINI PUMPKIN PIES – Instead of baking one large pie, bake mini pies using ready-made mini pie shells and canned pumpkin pie filling (prepared as directed on the can). The same concept will work with apple pie or an apple crumble pie. Kids love to be involved in baking projects. Recruit parents to help a few days prior to the party, and let each child make their own. Mini Thanksgiving-shaped cookie cutters can be used to create pie-topping garnish. For each mini pie, cut one or two shapes out of ready-made pie pastry, bake on a cookie sheet, and add them to the cooled pies.
• CRISPY POP – To make 16 pops, you’ll need one 12 oz. bag of Nestlé® TollHouse® chocolate chips, 16 ready made Crispy Treats (or make your own if you have the time—cut into 2 ½” x 4″ pieces), 16 pretzel rods (or popsicle sticks), and some glorious fall-colored sprinkles. Cutting little holes with a knife, stick the pretzel rods into the narrow end of the Crispy Treats. Melt the entire bag of chocolate chips for one minute in the microwave and stir. Dip the end of the “pop” into the melted chocolate then sprinkle with festive sprinkles. Set pops on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper, and refrigerate until the chocolate sets. If you will be using these as take-home favors or sending them to school, cover the crispy treat portion with plastic wrap and tie with satin or curling ribbon.
• CRAWLIE POP – Spiders love to move indoors in the fall and are thankful for the warmth our homes provide! For each pop, you’ll need two black pipe cleaners, two wiggly eyes, one Tootsie Pop®, and a 4″x4 ” piece of black foil or black tissue. Wrap the black foil around the sucker, leaving the existing wrapper in place. Cut the black pipe cleaners in half, then center them at the base of the pop and wrap them around the stick, so that there are four legs on each side. Bend the pipe cleaners to resemble legs, then glue wiggly eyes in place.
• BUGS ON A LOG – This extra-easy to make treat is a fun activity for little children, and then can be instantly consumed. Ingredients: pretzel rods, peanut bButter, and chocolate chips. Dip pretzel rod into peanut butter (about half of the pretzel should be covered), and then roll in chocolate chips. If you are allowing the children to participate, it is easiest to give each of them a plate with their own portion of ingredients on it. They’ll enjoy the making as much as the tasty eating!
• TASTY PLACE CARDS – Bake sugar cookies in the shape of rectangles, and let cool. With colored gel or frosting, write the names of party guests on the cookies, and decorate as desired. A miniature Snickers® bar attached with frosting will make the cookie stand. This is a great table decoration, and a nice personal touch for a small group or classroom of children.
• RITZY BITZY SPIDERS – Ritz® crackers, peanut butter, pretzel sticks and raisins…all you’ll need to create these little critters. Spread one cracker with peanut butter. Break four pretzels in half for each spider, and add pretzel “legs” to the first cracker. Spread peanut butter on a second cracker, and place the peanut butter side down on the pretzel legs. Attach raisins with peanut butter, and…your spider is ready to join the warm celebration.
• BEVERAGES – Apple cider served warm or cool is the perfect beverage for a Thanksgiving gathering. To fill the room with a delicious aroma, fill an electric cooker with apple cider, and add ¼ cup of maple syrup and two cinnamon sticks. Simmer on low.

Make Yourself at Home with Housewarming Party Tips

A housewarming party can be hosted by either the new owners of the home or by a friend or family member. The main purpose of the party is to celebrate the event with a big bash! If you choose to have a theme party, you could base it on the style of the home or the name of the neighborhood or area the house is located in.

You could also throw a “hard hat” party for the fixer-upper where the purpose is to help get the house ready to become a home. If you are hosting this party for a friend, have everyone bring household items that would help to fix up the home. Instead of a gift, you could ask each person to set a couple of hours aside to help with a specific project throughout the house. Make a schedule before the party so people can sign up for a convenient time.

Either way, you want an invitation that gives the new address and let’s your guests know that this is the place to be! If the owners are the ones that are hosting the party, it is considered poor manners for them to expect gifts, so nothing should be mentioned in the invitation. Here are two ideas for invitations:
• Purchase inexpensive wrenches or hammers and using curling ribbon, tie a note to them with all of the party information!
• Snap a photo of the new home and make copies of it. Create your own cards by gluing the picture on the front of a blank card.

Not many decorations are needed for a housewarming party since the guests are coming to check out the new house and to see what the new owners have done to make it a home.
• On the lawn or next to the front porch, place a sign that welcomes the guests and congratulates the new owners on their big purchase! Tie a bunch of balloons to the sign for a bigger impact.
• It is always a nice touch to have candles burning throughout the house and a fire in the fireplace. Put some cinnamon sticks and orange slices in a pot of water on the stove to let off a sweet fragrance that adds to the homey appeal!
• If the owners have moved often, purchase a large map to hang on a wall in a prominent location. Using string and thumbtacks, map off all of the places they have moved and label them with the dates. Be sure that the place you are celebrating is labeled with a big star or smiley face!! Purchase toy U-HAUL trucks and scatter them on the table, or hot glue them to napkin rings for a cute accent. Cut up old maps for placemats, or create a runner for the center of the table.
• If you are hosting this event as a “hard hat” party, you could decorate with work horses and saws. A wheelbarrow with outdoor tools piled on it would look cute by the front door. You could also hang our construction tools on your door and inside the house. Place a few construction hats upside down around the home and serve nuts or chips out of them. Bundle up the silverware with a napkin and tie the bunch with raw wire and tie a nail in the center.
• Of course, if you choose to have a theme for your party you want to decorate with things that are appropriate for your theme.

The main purpose of a housewarming party is to celebrate the new home of a loved one, so be prepared to show off the entire house to all of the guests! You may want to organize and lead tours, or just let the guests ramble around at their own pace - either way is acceptable and very appropriate. Here are some other ideas that you can do at a housewarming party to make it very special and unique!
• If the owners are moving from another town, you could have the guests all help to develop a reference book with the listings of their favorite places in town. Have guests each add a page - best restaurants in town, hairdresser, alterations, doctors, bookstores, ice cream, manicures, etc.
• Another idea would be to have an “around the town” party, similar to an “around the clock” party. Each guest would be responsible to highlight the part of the town that was assigned to them by the host - they would give positives and negatives of that particular area, plus a gift from the area.
• If you are hosting your own party and are looking for ideas to do with your new home, have everyone give their suggestions and advice. You could assign every guest one room to brainstorm ideas for!
• Be sure to present the owners with a guest book which all of the guests have signed and written a special note in!
• Hold a ribbon cutting ceremony outside the home in the front yard. Write the owners’ names on a thick ribbon that is tied across the front of the house. Have them cut the ribbon and let go of some helium-filled balloons at the same time.
• Hold the housewarming party like a wine tasting party. Have several wines out for the guests to sample. Be sure to have the guests bring a wine goblet to use and then leave at the home for the guest of honor to have. We have a huge selection of glassware that would make nice gifts!
• Have all of the guests bring something that the owners have an interest in. For example, if the honoree is an avid reader, have everyone bring a book to increase the new library! If the owners love music, have everyone bring them their favorite new CD! This one is fun because you could dance the night away to all of the new music!
• Last, but definitely not least, a nice touch is to have a house blessing done by the owner’s priest, minister, or rabbi. Sometimes the group will enter each room as a prayer is said for the blessing of each room in the new home, while other times a simple prayer is done for the whole house.

Although favors are not necessary at a Housewarming Party, here are a couple of cute ideas if you insist on sending your loved ones home with something fun and fitting!
• Personalized key tags would be a cute gift to give to your guests for coming to your housewarming party. If they are all family and very good friends, you may want to attach a spare key to your abode for future use!
• If you had a working party where your guests gave of their time and labor, present them with either a new tool (like a screwdriver, or small hammer) or a bag of flower bulbs to plant in their yard when they return home.

A buffet set-up is easiest if the party is in an open-house format. Serve a menu to match the theme of the party if you are using a specific theme, or serve traditional party favorites such as a taco bar or built-to-order nachos, mini pizzas, burgers and hot dogs, or giant deli sandwiches.

Here are some great staples for a buffet style:
• Chicken wings and chicken strips (offer 3 or 4 interesting dipping sauces)
• Meatballs (Swedish or BBQ)
• Mini eggrolls
• Whole water chestnuts wrapped in bacon
• Veggies and dip • Mini sandwiches made on mini buns.
• Shrimp cocktail is a little more costly than most items you might plan to serve, but it will make your guests feel special, and the color looks terrific on a buffet table!

Make everything ahead of time, and store hot items in a warming tray, or in an oven set at 200 degrees until the feeding frenzy begins!

Add a few hearty dips that can be made ahead. Here are a few that are extra easy to make, and are always a big hit:

• Cream Cheese Dip
Purchase cream cheese in block form, and top with salsa (flavored salsas are great), cocktail sauce and crabmeat, green pepper jelly or jam (any flavor works, but apricot is delicious!)Serve with a variety of crackers. Triscuit thins are perfect with this dip.

• Artichoke Dip
Mix 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 cup mayonnaise (”light” is okay to use), and 1-24 oz. can of artichoke hearts, chopped into small pieces. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, and serve with crackers. This dip can be served warm, or at room temperature

• Easy Cheesy Dip
Add one large block of Velveeta Cheese™, one 16 oz. can of chili without beans, and one 16 oz. jar of salsa to a crock pot. Stir occasionally. The dip is ready when the cheese is completely melted. Serve with bite-sized tortilla chips.

• Baked Brie
Hollow out an oval loaf of French or sourdough bread, cutting the bread so that you have a “lid”. Fill the hole with Brie cheese, and put the lid back on. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve with small chunks of bread, or crackers. If the Brie is not to your taste, fill the bread with any other type of dip, such as a creamy spinach dip.

Share the Fun with a Progressive Party

A progressive party can be hosted to spread the joy of having a party around. Several couples or families can host this event. Anniversary parties, retirement parties, Going Away parties, Milestone Birthdays…this format works great for any occasion. A progressive party is one in which guests travel from home to home, eating one course at each stop. The joint hosts/hostesses get together to plan the affair and that can be half the fun! Design the invitation to look like a tri-fold restaurant menu or a treasure map, and even include pictures of each host family (easy with access to a color copier). Let guests know which course they will enjoy at each stop, and include a map if necessary. A unique twist would be to rent either a few stretch limousines, or a trolley. Check the options in your city, so that everyone can travel together. Combine the progressive party with another theme, and then have each home decorated in colors or kits matching the theme. Browse our other theme Party TipZ for more inspiration!

The progressive dinner is easiest if five host couples share the responsibility, but can be combined to reduce the number of stops. Ideally, the dinner would work in the following manner:

• 1st home – appetizers and cocktails
• 2nd home – soup and salad
• 3rd home – the main course
• 4th home – dessert and coffee. This stop is also ideal for photographs, as guests are usually quite relaxed by this time.
• 5th home – fruit, cheese and liqueurs (easiest preparation), and party favors.

Using paper and plastic tableware is a must for this type of party…no-one wants to take the time to do dishes before they leave for the next stop, or face the dishes when they arrive home!

Personalized napkins are also great for a progressive party. Choose a party slogan and logo and have napkins custom imprinted for your event. All your tables will be coordinated and the napkins make great keepsakes too!

The last home would also be the ideal stop to play a few games, have fun music to dance to, or a Karaoke sing-along.