By Shandley McMurray
It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is here again. Soon, our houses will be filled with the comforting smells of turkey and stuffing wafting from our kitchens, the sound of children running and shrieking excitedly down the hall and the warmth created not only by the oven, but also the close proximity of our family and close friends. Much less stressful than Christmas, Thanksgiving offers the best of holidays – good food, drink and company – without any added pressure of present buying and limitless party going.
Like any big holiday meal, however, a Thanksgiving feast can entail hours of work. With so many things to do, it’s easy to think it will go faster if you do it alone. In some ways, you’d be right. Having to supervise children who are baking cookies while you’re grating carrots and basting a turkey does sound overwhelming. But if you organize their tasks beforehand, having them help with the preparations can be an enjoyable and even fun experience for everyone.
Not sure what tasks to give them? Here are a few of our favorite suggestions:
Set the table: Depending on their age, have kids fold napkins, place the cutlery or even lay plates for the meal. It’ll keep them busy while you’re working on other things and provide you with one less item on your to-do list.
Decorate: Thanksgiving happens at one of the most beautiful times of the year. Take advantage of the spectacular colours in your backyard or nearest park by having kids gather leaves, acorns and other seasonal treasures for the table. Create a centerpiece by adding a tall candle in the middle of your natural finds. But never leave it unattended when lit, especially with dry leaves. Tip: If you’re decorating a day or two early, place the leaves inside or under a heavy book to keep them flat.
Create place cards: Children love to do crafts. Simply draw around your child’s hand on a piece of paper and cut out the image. Then, draw and cut a gizzard, beak and legs from a different coloured piece. Show kids how to glue the items together to produce a turkey. Then give them a list of your guests’ names. Once everything is glued, the kids can colour in their turkeys and write a guest’s name on each one. Cut a toilet paper roll in one- to two-inch rings, cutting a slit in each side to hold your turkey up. Then voila, you have a festive, standing place card. Tip: make sure to help younger children with the cutting.
Seating plan: Not sure where to sit your overbearing Uncle Ted this year? Why not let the kids decide? Letting them have a say in who sits where can make children feel a sense of responsibility and could help to mix up the conversation in a way you never thought of. An added bonus: getting to choose who sits beside them could make the thought of having to sit at the kids’ table feel less humiliating for older kids.
Plan the menu: Ask children what they like to eat on Thanksgiving and add it to your menu. Then ask if they have other suggestions for dishes to add to your turkey day repertoire. They’ll be much more likely to clean their plate if they had a hand in making and choosing what goes on it.
Prepare side dishes: Younger kids can easily help dish out cranberry sauce from a jar or arrange vegetable slices on a plate. Have them place bread rolls in a basket or spoon things from the cooking pots into your serving dishes. Tip: make sure the items aren’t too hot or heavy for small fingers.
Mini chefs: Kids love to get involved with cooking. If you’re planning on making a pie, chop the fruit and then have them put it into the pie dish or help you mix the filling in a separate bowl. They could also help measure ingredients or use their muscles to mash potatoes. Another idea: let them top candied yams with marshmallows.
Play time: Don’t forget the importance of play. Whether you make time while the turkey is cooking or enjoy a game post-meal with all of your guests, going outside to play football, baseball or walk around the neighborhood will instil fun holiday memories, not to mention help you to work off a few of the extra pounds you’ll be consuming.
Organize party games: Kids love parties, especially when they have a say in how they’re run. Let little ones choose the games to play with their cousins or friends. Here are a few suggestions: Thanksgiving freeze dance (when the music stops everyone has to freeze) Pumpkin Twister (regular Twister but everyone has to hold a mini pumpkin while playing) Duck duck turkey (everyone sits in a circle while one child taps each player’s head as he walks around the circle saying “duck,” “duck.” When he says “Turkey,” the player he tapped gets up and races him back to the empty seat. The loser is “it” the next time around.) Guess who I am (stick a piece of paper with a Thanksgiving-themed name to each player’s back and have them guess who they are by asking questions. Good ideas include: pumpkin, cranberry sauce, gravy, stuffing, apple and turkey.)
Add fun to the kids’ table: It’s hard for kids to sit still at the best of times, let alone when they’re over-sugared and over-excited about a holiday. Help keep them entertained by leaving Thanksgiving-themed coloring pages and crayons on the table. Or place a few pieces of paper with jokes, questions or conversation ideas for older kids to help stir up discussion. Tip: Have the kids choose and print the coloring pages they’d like before dinner. You can add a few jokes and conversation starters while you help with the computer.
Clean up: You’d be surprised how many children will actually enjoy scraping leftover food from dishes into the garbage. They can pile the scraped plates on the counter for easier dish washing or older ones can help load the dishwasher.
Movie night: A long day spent cooking and cleaning is exhausting for everyone. Turn on a kid-friendly movie and let them put their little feet up to relax while you and the other grownups unwind in your own way.
Be thankful: Don’t forget to thank your little tykes for their work and praise them for helping to make this year’s feast one to remember.
