How to Entertain Kids at Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day is often a whirlwind of activity from cooking dinner to catching up with family. It is inevitable that kids will become bored, needy and curious while waiting on dinner to be served. Keep their meltdowns – and your stress level – to a minimum with these Thanksgiving activities that keep them busy while the turkey cooks.

• Provide kids with a Thanksgiving skit they can perform after dinner. They can practice lines, gather props and make costumes while you prepare the food.


• Entertain kids with a Thanksgiving craft table. Set up a spot out of the way furnished with craft supplies. Provide some project ideas, such as making placemats for the dinner table, or creating pinecone turkeys. Also, leave out blank paper to let their creativity take over.


• Let kids play a game. They can head outdoors for tag football, or stay inside for traditional games with a Thanksgiving twist such as “Pin the Waddle on the Turkey.”


• Give kids a job in the kitchen such as decorating cupcakes or mixing ingredients. They will feel important while helping to take care of some of the smaller tasks needed to get dinner ready.