Thanksgiving Day | 5 traditions to start this year with your family

5 Thanksgiving traditions you can start with your family this year

Many of us remember holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas by the traditions and the large meals we share with our close family and friends. Somewhere along the way, as our families grow, we create new traditions and ways to celebrate with them.

As Thanksgiving day is right around the corner, you might find new ways to make this special day memorable for your family. 

Volunteer

Thanksgiving Day is the season of giving and being grateful. It would be an excellent opportunity for you to teach your children the importance of showing gratitude by giving back to the community.

You can spend time with your children volunteering at a local non-profit. For example, you can either spend a few hours at the local animal shelter, collect and donate canned goods, clothes, and blankets to the needy, or even run errands for elderly neighbors.

Cook together

Besides being a great sensory experience, cooking also benefits a child's math and language development. Cooking with your family on Thanksgiving Day could become a unique tradition where everyone contributes in some way. While you prepare the food, your child can help you measure the ingredients.

Cooking together on Thanksgiving Day could become overwhelming, especially if you're hosting dinner for friends and family. Try to sneak in a bit of time to decorate cookies, prepare the mashed potatoes, or make the cranberry sauce together. We bet this tradition will hold a special place in your child's life when they grow up and look back on past Thanksgiving Days. Just be sure to supervise your child and practice good kitchen safety when cooking together.

Play a game pre or post-dinner

Some families have traditions of playing a game of football or Pictionary on Thanksgiving. Growing up, you might remember the laughter, the people, and the food when the entire family came together to play on special days.

You could play games as a part of your Thanksgiving traditions, like charades, a game of cards, scrabble, or even football. 

Saying thank you

Another great Thanksgiving tradition could be a DIY gratitude tablecloth. Bring it out every year in November. Every week, let each family member write on the tablecloth with a fabric marker what they're most thankful for that week. So every year, you bring out years full of memories and the things you were grateful for in the past years.

Most children might also love making crafts. As a Thanksgiving tradition, you could make a DIY Thanksgiving turkey where your child can write what they're thankful for on the bird's feathers or make tabletop decorations together.

You can also help your child make thank-you cards with little notes to send to friends and family members. 

Family portrait 

Capture pictures of your Thanksgiving family dinner or fun candid pictures, stick them in a photo album and mention the year on top. Then, you fill the book with heartfelt memories every year and as your children grow up. As your families become bigger, you can relive and cherish the old memories on Thanksgiving Day every year.

There are many more Thanksgiving traditions you can create with your families. We wish you the most memorable Thanksgiving day with unique and cherished traditions.