If You've Ever Hosted Thanksgiving, I Need Help!

You can prep all of this before the actual day.

A pinata is always fun. You do not have to fill it with candy. Bandaides, stickers, chewy fruit, small toys from the dollar store can be put in it.

Have them go on a treasure hunt around your yard. Hide clues at the end you can have a prize for all of them.

Set up a puzzle on a card table. All day people can go by and work on it.

Have the kids set the table and let them make the centerpiece. You can have the supplies available and let them decorate it any way they want.

Purchase or borrow Candy Land, Chutes and ladders and let the kids play the games all together.

Borrow a tent, set it up in the back yard let the kids play in it with blankets, sheets and pillows.

Let the older kids do face paint on the little kids after the meal. Take photos and post them for the family to see.

Also after the meal, take a family walk. Walk around the neighborhood with a list of items that you as a group need to find. You do not need to pick them up or collect them, you just need to be able to point them out. Red Leaf, butterfly, newspaper, pumpkin, yellow cat, barking dog, bird with red wings, brown car, red truck, airplane etc....

Have them bake and decorate cookies after things settle down.

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Playdough is something that kids of all ages enjoy. This is something they can do inside or outside. You could put it on a little table or on a piece of plastic on the floor with some Thanksgiving and/or Christmas cookie cutters and a rolling pin.

For a cheaper solution, you could make the playdough yourself in the next week or two. The kind you cook will last for months unrefrigerated in a sealed container or ziploc bag.

Here is a playdough recipe I have used as a parent and a teacher:

2 c. salt
4 c. flour
4 t. cream of tartar
4 T. cooking oil
4 c. water
Food coloring

Combine dry ingredients in a sauce pan. Combine wet ingredients and add to dry. Cook slowly until forms a ball. DO NOT USE HIGH HEAT. Stir constantly. Let cool and knead.

This makes a lot of playdough so you can divide this recipe into two or three parts and make several different colors of playdough.

Happy Holidays!

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makingfriends.com has lots of inexpensive crafts. YOu can make a hit with the kids and the parents if you make some keepsake crafts!! The 14 yr old can help the younger ones and still "be cool". We normally have about 20 kids at our gathering and this is always a hit.

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ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE to begin with. When I put craft activities together, I like to put them plastic shoe boxes (or size necessary). I put all of the items needed for each project in a separate box. That way it is all there and I don't end up having all the stuff mixed up. I type up the directions and tape it to the top of the box. I also make a tag for the bucket part of the box so top and bottom match.

Have plenty of glue, crayons/markers, childproof scissors, etc. Invaribly, there will be fighting if there is only one of each thing.

I would designate an area especially for the kids to play/do their activities indoors. You won't want them in the kitchen or around the dining table. If you have a card table and/or small child's table that would work perfect.

You can go online to look up ideas for craft projects, etc. for the kids to do. Family Fun magazine always has great activities. The older ones should enjoy helping the littler ones, but not be expected to do so all of the time. They will have their own interests at some point.

Oriental Trading (www.orientaltrading.com) also has all sorts of craft kits that the kids would enjoy putting together. They could be Thanksgiving or Christmas crafts. They are really inexpensive. You usually buy by the dozen, and that would allow for do-overs if someone messes up.

A thought would be to get kits for small Christmas ornaments and then go to Hobby Lobby and buy each child a mini-Christmas tree (12"-18" or so). Let them make their own decorations and decorate their tree to put in their bedroom for the holiday season.

If the children arrive early enough before eating they could make placemats for themselves and everyone else, too. Use large pieces of construction paper or manila paper. Have fallen leaves or other fall signs for them to glue to the paper. Then use contact paper to cover the front and back of the placemat. Leave an edge around the entire piece so that the paper will be sealed inside the contact paper. This could also be done for Christmas if they are not there early enough to get it done before eating.

Maybe get each child a disposable camera. Let them take pictures, collect the cameras at the end of the day, have them developed, and make them into photo books for each child. CVS does them really inexpensivly. You could give them to them at Christmas.

The same could be done for outside activities. Have everything out and dusted/cleaned off so the kids don't have to go digging through the garage/storage shed.

Remember, the teenagers should not be expected to watch the littler ones ALL day long. They are not the parents. Set up a schedule of 30 minute increments where the adults rotate watching. If you and your husband are cooking all day, you should not have to contribute equally to this.

Good luck. And remember, real families are not the picture perfect ones you see in Norman Rockwell paintings. Adults will argue, children will fight, some food will burn, someone will show up exceedingly early or late, you may have surprise guests, you'll forget to put something on the table. Just try to stay calm and enjoy the day of family time together.

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Fun for ages 2 to 79.

My sister & I get the little guns that shoot the round soft sponge disks either at Walmart of the $ store through the year. The 1st year she just got enough for the kids. Now we have to get enough for the adults too.

My granddaughters know that her twin 3rd cousins hide the "bullets" in their back pockets and that Great Uncle Jimmy hides his in his shirt pocket. So, they are on a mission to find the bullets. They will hop up in Great Uncle Jimmy's lap like they are going to hug & love on him. Of course he knows it's just to steal his bullets but he plays along. It's cheap & the kids talk about it all year. I've got some great snap shots of this & it entertains them for hours.

My mother finds the disks/bullets all year. Behind her couch, on her deck... She smiles, remembers the last holiday & saves the bullets for next year. She'll call me in June giggling & say "I found another bullet today" and I know exactly what she's talking about.

Just an idea from a crazy grandmother who keeps a large collection of make up & spent hours yest morn filling up 140+ water balloons and hiding them in the bathtub for (1 of 3 a year) birthday slumber party at grandmas.

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Ok ....
Take a deep breath, hosting Thanksgiving can be very stressful with all the preparations and possible family dynamics mixed in. So that you can enjoy the day as well, try to do as much ahead of time as you can ie, setting the table, making desserts, cutting up veggies for salads and dressing.
One family tradition my kids and now my grandchildren look forward to is the making of the turkey treats. These are very easy to assemble and something the 11 and 14 year old can supervise. The 2 year old will need help.
For the treats you will need:
1 recipe rice krispie treats
1 can of chocolate frosting
1 bag of candy corn
1 package Oreo cookies
The day before
make rice Krispie treats and with buttered hands, roll in 1 1/2 inch balls
Store in airtight container
Twist apart oreos and carefully scrap off the filling.
To assemble:
Spread frosting on inside of 2 cookie halves.
On 1st cookie half-
Place three candy corns side by side fan style with tips pointed toward center. These are the back turkey feathers.
Center 1 rice krispy ball on other cookie half.
Stand up 1st cookie half with candy corn on it and stick it to the back of the ball (which is resting on the 2nd cookie half. The candy corn feathers should be sticking up above the ball.
Lastly place candy corn beak (tip down) on the front of ball with a smear of frosting.

The directions may sound complicated( Assembly instructions always do!) but once you make one and actually "see" the process, it's easy
Another tip....try them out in the next couple of weeks and take to nursery school as treats.
Happy Thanksgiving!

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My two cents is less on ideas for the kids and more for you, so that you can visit more. Do a lot of prep work a few days in advance and make shortcuts to make your life easier. For example, if you are doing mashed potatoes, peel and boil the potatoes the day or two before and then just heat, dump into a mixer and add a little butter, milk, garlic salt, bacon, cheddar or parmesan cheese or whatever for great mashed potatoes. Use a packet or canned gravy and just add spices and drippings from your turkey for a home-made taste.

Make stuffing the day before from scratch or from a mix and put it in a baking dish and cover tightly with foil, drizzle with a little chicken broth the next day and put it in the oven uncovered to bake. Make pies the day or two before...they reheat really well, or keep them out for room temperature pies.

Mix up the green bean casserole and put it in the fridge covered too...bake that with the stuffing on Thanksgiving Day...consider using crescent rolls or pre-made brown and serve dinner rolls that take like 8 minutes to heat. With these and other shortcuts, you will simply have to "check" on things which will make you a lot happier and enable you to help keep things going in the social department! Hope this was somewhat helpful for you.

AS for activities, hopefully the older ones will help the younger ones. The little ones and the 8 and 11 year olds (depending on their maturity level) may have fun putting on a "thanksgiving show" for the family. Maybe have some pre-cut feathers, some paper bag vests, some black and brown construction paper, etc. Let the older ones design the show and they all can make "costumes" depicting the first thanksgiving with the pilgrims and the indians. One of the babies could even be a turkey if they made some tail feathers and a feathered paper hat....let them get creative. This would work best if they are girls. If they are boys, the best thing is to have a room of video games or movies for them, or some balls and things for them for the backyard, they do best with more physical activities. You could put together some cones or hula hoops as a little obstacle course for a soccer ball, or get a football for them all to toss around. Don't forget the Macy's parade that may hold the interest of the younger ones. The three year-old will probably be enthralled with the two year-old's toys and should be happy, unless your child doesn't like to share, then there may be some hitting and/or hair pulling (another reason for you to pre-prepare some of the food). Anyway I will say a prayer for you! Sounds like you have your work cut out for you! Remember, it is all about being together and being thankful, try not to get too stressed out!

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Kids are pretty good at entertaining themselves, just provide the supplies. Have a bucket outside with footballs, bubbles, jumpropes, etc... hit the dollar store and throw some stuff in a bucket. the kids will figure out what to do with them (and they never use them the way you intended). Have a bucket in the living room for the little ones to access and play with while your cooking. Tell the older kids to bring their playstation or wii and they can set it up in an extra bedroom or something and they can all play it. This works for us and we have 1, 3, 3, 5, 9, 18 over for thanksgiving. Good luck, and remember they tend to entertain themselves:)

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There are lots of good ideas in the Family Fun magazine and on their website.
Maybe a paper table cloth the kids can color and decorate. Older ones may actually like to help in the kitchen...arranging a fruit tray, learning to make a pie, or setting the table with extra decorations.
Set out some toys the kids haven't played with for a while, maybe hide some away now, to play with on that day.

We do this every year at my moms....to keep the kids out of your hair for a little bit. Let them color their own tablecloth or placemat. For a table cloth you get paper from a party store. For placemats get brown paper bags and let them go to town. This way they can show off their artwork before supper. We usually have them color something they are thankful for....Good luck!

Some people take out the Christmas decor on Thanksgiving...maybe they could decorate the tree and such.

Let the kids make the decorations I always let mine trace their hands I cut the hands out and let them decorate them as turkeys I don't think I had every seen a polka dot turkey until I started this tradition and let me tell you it keeps them occupied and they have a blast one year we had a diva turkey glitter and all.

One of our favorite things to do with all the kids in the family is to make gingerbread houses. You could set up a table outside covered in plastic or newspaper, for the little ones have one already made for them to decorate and the older ones can put it together themselves. They have kits ready to make or a simple small milk carton with gram crackers would work too. It seems to be good for boys and girls. I am sure if you did some research online there would be plenty of ideas. for us it is a tradition the kids look forward to every thanksgiving!
Good Luck!

Maybe the older kids can lead an activity to make place mats for the table, a fun centerpiece, and name place cards for the table. You can get craft stuff from Hobby Lobby or use paper cups turned upside down with a popsicle stick in it and then add the name card at the top for each person's place at the table. Turkey hands are always fun. Maybe get the other adults involved by having the kids go around and trace everyone's hand and then the adults can write on their hand what they are most thankful for and the kids can decorate them. When all else fails we love bubbles and sidewalk chalk at our house!
Have a fun gathering!

P. (mom with three boys & a husband...I always forget to mention him!) :)

The new Family Fun magazine has lots of things for entertaining during Thanksgiving. Check out thier website as well for other things.

We always did a ginger bread house at christmas...my Mom was Betty Crocker so she actually made one, but I have found these great little kits at costco last year and bed bath and beyond this year, that has everything included...you dont have to make a thing! Just spread some newspaper out on a table or outside, put the house together (really simple) and let them each have a bowl of frosting and the candy to decorate the house(all included)...my kids had a blast with it last year and cant wait to do it again this year! (my boys last year were 2 and 10 months) They will need some supervision so maybe grandma and grandpa can assist?

Im not a very crafty person, but I get great ideas just walking through Michaels. My kids like to paint on uncooked penne noodles with washable markers and then make necklaces out of them with string.

Good Luck!

go on line to crafts and food projects for the kids. There are some simple and fun things to do. Coloring pages etc.

Goodmorning..Well the best advice I can give you is to just let them play. You have a pretty good range betweens ages, so its hard to think of just one thing they might all enjoy..I mean if you think that the older kids would enjoy helping the younger ones do some type of arts and crafts then that would be an idea. Maybe like making some Turkeys..Were the kids trace there hands and color them, then add little feathers to them. They might enjoy something like that.
I cook every year and I have a 12, 10, 6, 16mth old and I am expecting any day now...And I normally just let the kids play outside, weather permitting of course..and they have a ball.
Plus they work up a great appetite..lol...
Well good luck with your Thanksgiving dinner, and happy holidays soon to come.
S.

I always get my kids to help cook. My youngest (2) like to hand things to me. I have my middle (8) stirring pots or peeling potatoes and everyone helps to set the table. Last year we had 25 for Thanksgiving and Christmas. After the kids are done helping we always have a new release movie for them to watch or a new game to play. The age of the kids that come this year will be 2months,2,2,3,6,7,8,11,and I am sure that I am forgeting someone. But I try to have everyone involved and the parents and the kids all enjoy.
Good Luck.
Beth

HI,,,
you might try getting the to older ones to help,,,,they could make sock puppets and do a lil show,,,there the hand print turkey also...play hide in seek outside red rover,,,dodge ball,,,,musical chairs..OH a pinratia (not spelled) side walk chalk,,,bubbles
Hope some of this will help Happy thanks giving to you and your's
L.

Dear Elizabeth,

How about "corn" pictures? Get dried corn and seeds, and glue onto a heavy piece of cardboard to make a picture. Have the older ones supervise the younger with the glue.

Then, when everyone sits down to eat, show the pictures. Then pass around a basket and tell everyone to take 3 pieces of dried corn. That represents all that the pilgrims had to ration their first winter, when half of their group died. The the next year God provided Squanto, who taught them how to survive, and they had a Day of Thanksgiving with the Indians.

J.

Our family bought a inexpensive bingo set and prizes from the dollar store. Bingo for prizes! lots of fun for all ages. Good luck.

http://www.orientaltrading.com/ui/shared/sharedFlowContro...

oriental trading crafts are cheap, fun and easy.

Get a couple holiday kids movies (charlie brown's thanksgiving) and put a couple plastic garbage bags on the floor and let everyone watch movies and decorate cookies (the ones in a roll that you have baked the day before). Don't stress, I remember feeling bored as a kid while we waited for the adults to be done cooking. It's part of the holiday tradition.

Depending on how much room you have outside, one of the big blow-up jump-a-thon things would be fun for the kids...my cousin runs a company where he rents them by the day. He comes and sets up and takes down. For my oldest daughter's graduation party, it worked like a charm!! The little ones loved it and it kept them busy!

Good luck with your Thanksgiving dinner. It is definitely my favorite holiday to cook and then sit back and watch all of my guests enjoy!

Some sort of craft and any outdoor game should keep them occupied.

All of these ideas are great...and inexpensive. My only suggestion would be one that my neighbor did one year, she rented a bounce house for the back yard. That way, once the adults became tired from eating the turkey, the kids were tired from all of the fresh air and jumping.

I went to Oriental trading (just google it) and bought several crafty things to keep the kiddos busy. Everything from sticker scenes to thanksgiving bracelets. Some young at heart grown ups got into the act too so it was fun for all while I was getting the meal together.

Get some construction paper and have them make things like hand turkeys, head wear with feathers, make a card that says everything they are thankful for. A room with movies and a t.v. depending on how mature the 14 yr old is she/he might want to help set the table, cook or watch the kids for you. D.v.d's help. Think about what you did when you were a kid. I got really board sleept and then had to help with the clean up while my brothers did nothing. Hated it. Oh and I still sit at the kids table! Hope yall have a fun and great Thanksgiving.

Well the last few Thanksgivings we have had everyone help pitch in to pay for a really big jumpy house! It has been a blast for ALL ages! Even adults! Try it! Also be sure to have kids bring anything else they may want to play with outside - frisbee, balls, skates, etc..good luck! This year I'm hosting as well!
C. (34 yr old SAHM of 3 yr girl and 1 yr boy)

Put the 8,11 &14 year olds in charge of helping the younger ones make Indian head-dresses. A little construction paper and crayons and scotch tape is all that needed. Indian vests can be made by cutting brown paper grocery bags. If you provide an ear of raw corn and some beans, they can decorate their creations. They can also make decorated place mats for the dinner. None of this costs much, it gets the kids involved and keeps them out of your hair. Since it's family, surely you use disposable plates rather than dishes that have to be washed. You can get an entire meal (salad,meat and veggies) on a paper platter. It makes for such a more relaxing day when you don't have to spend time cleaning dishes and loading the dishwasher.

Have some bubbles and sidewalk chalk outside for the kids. You can purchase a battery powered bubble machine at Walmart or Target that is inexpensive and entertains the younger kids with nonstop bubbles. Coloring books and crayons will usually keep them occupied for a while.

This will be more expensive but the 3 older kids will probably love it, what about renting a karaoke machine? The adults might enjoy this one as well.

Good Luck,
K.

When I'm hosting Thanksgiving, I prep as much as I can the day before. I bake the pies the night before; prep the casseroles & dressing, put them in the fridge & bake them the day of the event. That way I'm a little more free to enjoy the holiday too. The 2 & 3 yr/o will be fine w/ a craft kit (if the older kids or an adult can help) a coloring book, or your child's toys. The older kids can play outside (hide & seek, toss a football around) play a board game or watch a movie. The 14 year old, I would treat more like an adult. It's a bummer at that age getting grouped with the little kids. If you want to make sure s/he has something to do, give him/ her a camera & ask if s/he would like to be the family photographer for Thanksgiving. If it's a boy, he'll probably want to watch football & hang out w/ the guys. Keep in mind, no one will expect you to keep all the kids entertained every minute of the day when you are cooking a big meal.

I got a roll of heavy brown paper at Lowes in the paint dept. and also some leaf stamps at the craft store with some map pencils. Measure how much you would need for a table runner for your table and spread this amount somewhere out of the way on the floor. Let the kids stamp and color in their leaves on the brown paper. Just generally decorate the table runner and then use it for your Thanksgiving table. It ends up being very pretty and the kids feel like they contributed.Keeps them busy awhile.

How about letting them turn cupcakes into turkeys. If there are teenagers have them do the activity with the little ones. I will see what I can find online.

Okay here it is:
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50291

C.

Morning Elizabeth;

#1 Why not do 90% of the cooking the day before>>>example:
Turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, baked rolls (of course it easier to just buy heat and serve!
#2 You have 3 different sets of kids>>>2 & 3 easy, thanksgiving coloring books and or book cut outs!
8 &11 year olds, electronic games, put them in a bedroom with
the games and you won't hear from them till eating time.
14 year old>>adult, treat as an adult, if girl have her help with all the preparations/if a boy, let him be with the men,
watching football or something on that basis!
Remember a 14 year old does not think of themselves as a kid!
Pretty day>>>You might have them all do horse shoes or badmitton!
Good Luck
B. C

Well, if you want to spend $40, Target has a great toy called a Gigaball. It's a huge ball that you inflate and the kids can get inside of it and be rolled around. If you have enough room in your yard it would be fun for all ages.

You can go to orientaltrading.com and order some kits for them to do. The older one can help the younger ones. They can make turkeys out of their handprints or just about anything. They are very inexpensive or you could just get the idea and buy the stuff for the project at Hobby Lobby. We did this for all the little kids (18 of them) for Christmas one year and they loved it. Good luck....

Hello Kathy!

This may sound cheesy, but go to the teacher's supply store or Visit the internet for paper plate crafts.

Purchase a craft book for November, (paper plate crafts) and there should be parts of a turkey and a example of what it should look like after completion. Have each kid to color the turkey and assemble it to the paper plate.

Now, the child will have his/her paper plate turkey. This is time comsuming because you will need scissors, glue or glue sticks, crayons, cheap paper plates and lot of patience! I hope this helps for something that isn't costly!

Make plenty of extra copies incase someone has a meltdown!

CH