How to Make Thanksgiving Meaningful for Kids

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year. I love the crisp fall weather, the Macy’s parade, the food and the family time. It’s one of the few American holidays that isn’t completely commercialized (at least not yet.)

Creating traditions can help make Thanksgiving meaningful for our kids. Here are a few ideas:

1.) Read Scripture: Write a few verses on the subject of thankfulness or gratitude on index cards and distribute them to readers at your dinner table. This can be a great way to involve young readers in a meaningful tradition that helps everyone focus their hearts on their blessings.

2.) Decorate a Gratitude Tree– Pull out your Christmas tree a little early or craft your own. There are so many fun ideas on Pinterest for creating gratitude trees and it allows all members of the family to take time to reflect on the things we all have to be thankful for.

3.) Cook with the Kids– The holidays, and Thanksgiving especially, are a great opportunity to get the whole family in the kitchen. It’s a great way to pass on treasured family recipes and a love for cooking to your kids. It’s also a great way to connect the generations to each other through a shared experience. Invite grandma or auntie over to bake pies, or ask a trusted elderly neighbor to teach you and your kids how to cook their favorite dish. Your kids will treasure these memories for years to come, and it’s nice to have the help.

4.) Make a gratitude table runner– Adorn your Thanksgiving table with a simple runner of brown butcher paper and scatter markers and crayons across the table. Ask your family and guests to write things that they are thankful for on the table runner. Once it’s complete, these are fun to hang on the wall to remember throughout the year.

What does your family do to make Thanksgiving meaningful?