Find ways to focus on the positive since Thanksgiving may feel different this year. Family games, crafts for the kids, and Thanksgiving traditions will make for a day to remember even without large gatherings.
Don’t forget to watch the parade! Despite what you may have heard, the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is not going anywhere. It may not look exactly the same, but you can still tune in to see beloved balloon characters and catch performances from the high-kicking Radio City Rockettes and award-winning Broadway shows.
Need to entertain the kids while you cook? Try some festive crafts to keep them occupied.
Hand turkeys – This one is a no brainer! We all remember making hand turkeys in grade school. Somehow, it never gets old. Bust out the crayons and get to tracing! Click here for a quick how-to since it’s probably been decades since you last did this.
Apple turkeys – If you think 2D turkeys are child’s play, step up to the plate. Grab an apple, toothpicks, and whatever small candies, cereals, and snacks you can find. Skewer small foods like raisins, mini marshmallows, or gumdrops onto toothpicks and stick the toothpicks in the back of the apple to create feathers. Then, create a head, eyes and beak for your turkey using cookies, marshmallows, olives, candies, and more! Let creativity go wild. Check out the photos for some apple turkey inspiration.
Coloring pages – Foster creativity and gratitude with these free-to-print coloring pages. Each one challenges the artist to decide “who” and “what” they are most grateful for. This is a great chance for adults and kids alike to stop and reflect on what we are most thankful for.
Wow the family as you cook by spouting off Thanksgiving fun facts. Find more fun facts and have a trivia tournament to test everyone’s turkey day knowledge!
- About 46 million turkeys are cooked on Thanksgiving each year.
- About 50 million pumpkin pies are eaten on Thanksgiving each year, making pie apparently more popular than turkey (But, who’s really surprised?).
- The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621, meaning next year will be the 400 years since the first celebration!
- 4,500 calories is the average number consumed by one person on Thanksgiving. Check out last week’s blog for fruit-based Thanksgiving recipes that may help decrease that number!
- The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade did not feature balloons but featured animals from the Central Park Zoo.