Thanksgiving Family Fun

By: Allrecipes Staff

Try these ideas for getting the kids involved and making the most of your time together.

Kid-friendly Recipes:

On-the-road boredom buster:

Sing carols at the top of your lungs. Make up your own words to traditional tunes.
Start a story chain that begins with "I couldn't believe it." Each person adds a sentence.
Play books on tape.
Pack markers, drawing paper, playing cards, and other games for the back seat.
Make a travel scrapbook. Include restaurant menus, postcards, and other mementos along the way.

Stir things up in the kitchen:

Ask kids to fold napkins, mix juice, or fill salt and pepper shakers.
Create place cards for the table. Try writing names on fall leaves with a gold marker.
Let kids arrange cheese and crackers or slices of pumpkin bread on a tray.
Ask the kids to hand you ingredients, or even help measure and pour.
Roll out leftover pie dough, cut out shapes, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake.

While the turkey's in the oven:

1. Take some time for Thanksgiving crafts. Have kids cut out hand turkeys or use fabric pens to write what they're most thankful for on an inexpensive tablecloth.

2. Get to know each other. Ask everyone to share a favorite childhood memory or read favorite Thanksgiving poems.

3. Keep books with riddles and knock-knock jokes on hand for instant giggles.

4. Have scrapbooks and photo albums handy. Encourage kids and grandparents to go through them together.

5. Set out classic games like Scrabble, Twister, and checkers. Have Play-Doh for the little ones.

6. Burn up energy with run-around games like tag and hide-and-seek.

7. Hand out disposable cameras so kids can record their own holiday moments.

8. Put kids in charge of welcoming guests and taking coats.

9. Remember: Nothing beats an old-fashioned leaf fight.

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