Thanksgiving has always been an adult holiday to me. There are no gifts to open, no special characters to represent the holiday like Christmas or Easter, and the whole holiday is focused around one large meal. To make matters worse, most of the time the kids have their own table sans china and fancy tablecloths and are too far away to hear the “good stories” at the adult table.
Friendsgiving is a casual, kid-friendly Thanksgiving celebration hosted either before or after the actual holiday. This simple party can be hosted on the patio (if the weather allows) or in a kid-friendly space indoors. This version is a creative spin on the traditional parts of the holiday where everyone wants to sit at the kids’ table:
Games
- Black Friday Game: This simple game brings out the competitive side in players and is easy enough for all ages. You will need several ad sheets from the Sunday paper (i.e. grocery store, department store, etc.). Make a list or find one online of pictures you might see in the ad. For example, a picture of a Christmas tree or a set of screwdrivers. Put the list on index cards and put the ads in the middle of the table. Draw one card, and on ‘go,’ the whole group grabs the papers to try to find the item on the card. The first to find it gets the card, and the game continues. The person with the most cards wins.
- Thankful Blocks: Purchase or make a set of Jenga-like wooden blocks. Most sets have four to six colors. Each color will represent something that they are thankful for—a person, something they like about themselves, something they use every day, something that makes them laugh, an activity that they like to do, and a place they visited. As they pull out the corresponding-colored blocks, they have to say what they are thankful for.
- Scavenger Hunt: Fall scavenger hunts can be done with natural items (like a red leaf or a pinecone), as a photo hunt (like a red cardinal), or door to door with a list of Thanksgiving-type items (a turkey napkin or the label from a can of pumpkin).
Activities
- Mini Caramel Apples: A whole caramel apple is too big to bite into and often goes to waste. The solution is to make fun mini apples. Peel an apple and use a melon baller to scoop out mini apples. Insert a wooden stick and dip it into caramel. Roll into candies or nuts and let dry.
- Art on the Table: Kids love the restaurants that let you draw on the paper tablecloth. Let the kids use their imagination to create pictures, play games like tic-tac-toe, or write their name in bubble letters. Before the kids are seated, measure out a placemat-sized space in front of each seat. If any artist wants to take home their masterpiece, you can easily cut it out.
- Make Wishbones: Give each kid a small portion of pizza dough and some mini chocolate chips. Let the kids shape it into a wishbone, mixing in the chocolate chips. Near the top of the wishbone, let the kids insert one colored M&M candy for “luck.” Cook dough as directed. When they are cooled, let the kids pull them apart like a wishbone. The side that has the M&M has good luck for the year.
Menu
- Turkey Sliders: Place the bottom of Hawaiian rolls in a 9×12 dish. Layer with sliced turkey, shredded cheese, bacon, and ranch dressing. Place the tops of the rolls in the dish and brush with melted butter mixed with parsley. Bake, covered, for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with sweet potato fries.
- Pumpkin Fondue: This is a fun dessert. Shred 6 oz. of Gruyere and 6 oz. of Emmantaler cheese into a large bag. Add 3 tablespoons of flour and mix well to coat. In a fondue pot or saucepan, add 1 cup of chicken broth and ½ tsp of nutmeg and bring to a boil. Slowly add cheese and stir until smooth. Add a small can of canned pumpkin to the cheese. You might not need the whole can, so pour a little in at a time to see consistency. Use angel food cake, pretzels or pretzel bread, bananas, and apples for dippers.
For more parent-tested Thanksgiving hosting tips to help ease the stress, click here. Also included are a list of local businesses in Central New York offering pre-made options to lend you a culinary hand.
