8 Thanksgiving Traditions to Try
Traditions are the stuff of memories. As we grow into adulthood, it’s the family traditions that we remember and look back on with fondness. Create your own traditions for your family, whether you have kids or not, and you’ll also create lots of precious memories that you’ll always remember. Here are 8 fun Thanksgiving traditions you might want to consider adding to your Thanksgiving celebrations!
Give every family member a 6-foot long piece of paper (try cash register paper rolls) at the beginning of the month and ask them to fill up the entire paper with things that they’re grateful for. It’s a good exercise for everyone to really think and be grateful for the good that they have in their lives. Then everyone could share their favorite ones at the big dinner!
Paint a couple of faux pumpkins white and write on it with a black sharpie the things that you’re thankful for. Ask everyone to add theirs and then decorate your dinner table with these pumpkins. Be sure to take pictures so you’ll always remember what was written. For your guests, give them small pumpkins of their own and ask them to do the same thing.
This is a cute traditions for kids to do year after year. The first year, have your kids decorate a box, such as a baby wipes box. Then give them pieces of paper in one color and ask them to write down a thing they’re grateful for. Store the boxes when Thanksgiving’s over and bring them back out for the next year’s Thanksgiving. This time, give them paper in a different color. After a few years, their boxes will be filled with slips of thankfulness in various colors. Everyone can look through their boxes and reminisce!
This thanksgiving tradition is centered around being thankful for each other. Give every guest pieces of paper with other guests’ names on each of them. Have them write down what they’re thankful for that person. Then everyone takes a turn and says out loud what they wrote on the paper and gives the paper to the person as a keepsake. This activity will make everyone feel great about themselves!
Thanksgiving Day Walk or Run
Many cities host a Turkey Trot or a similar running or walking event on the day of Thanksgiving. It could be a fun tradition for you and your family to get together and walk or run before getting together for a big, filling dinner. If your area doesn’t have anything like this, you could find a nice hike in your area and enjoy the fall foliage together before sitting down to eat at home.
For even more fun, you could all dress up for the special day and show off your outfits at the walk or run. For example, this threesome went all out and dressed up as pilgrims and a turkey. Or you could do something simpler and make t-shirts for everyone to wear. Whatever you decide to do, have fun with it.
Grab a plain table runner or cut one from fabric. Ask your kids to paint their hand and put it on the runner. Add their names and the year and have fun turning the hand prints into little turkeys. Pull it out the following Thanksgiving and have your kids do the same thing. It’ll be fun to see their little hands grow throughout the years until the table runner is all filled up!
Fall Scavenger Hunt
Doing a fall scavenger hunt as a family could be a fun Thanksgiving tradition before dinner or a way to burn off full stomachs after eating. Go to a nearby park with a fall scavenger hunt list and either do it together or compete in teams. Here’s a free printable, but you can always create your own list based on the things that you have in your area or park.
Get a book with blank pages and call it the “Book of Thanks” or whatever name you want to give to it. Every year just before dinner, take a group picture of everyone and save a spot for it in the book. On the pages, have every guest write what they’re thankful for that year. Print out the picture and put it in the middle of the pages. The next year, do the same thing and so on, so you can look back on it and see who got together which year and what everyone was thankful for. Such a nice memento!
Thanksgiving is all about family and friends, so it’s always nice to celebrate together with a few of your favorite Thanksgiving traditions. What other Thanksgiving traditions have you done with your family and friends?
For more Thanksgiving ideas, check out 10 Unique Stuffing Recipes for Thanksgiving and 14 Easy Designs for Thanksgiving Tablescapes.
Title and featured image via Better Homes and Gardens.
“I’m Elisa and I live in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two little girls. I used to teach reading and writing, but now I stay at home with my two kiddos and read and write in my spare time. I also love to undertake DIY projects, find new recipes on Pinterest, and dream about someday finally completing our home. Above all, I love to learn about new things and sharing my new-found knowledge with others.”
For more Thanksgiving Inspiration check out these ideas:
Easy Side Dishes Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes Fall Dessert Recipes
Thanksgiving Tablescapes Stuffing Recipes Thanksgiving Cook Tips
I’m Elisa and I live in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two little girls. I used to teach reading and writing, but now I stay at home with my two kiddos and read and write in my spare time. I also love to undertake DIY projects, find new recipes on Pinterest, and dream about someday finally completing our home. Above all, I love to learn about new things and sharing my new-found knowledge with others.
