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Thanksgiving Fun for Kids 

 Originally Written: October 10, 2017

By  Hanna Trafford

thanksgiving-for-kids1This can be helpful to occupy your children before or after dinner. Lots of families get together in early afternoons, adults like to sit and have a little catch up chats – of course – the guys will more than likely be glued to the TV screen.

What are the kids to do? If you don’t give them something of interest to occupy them, it is quite likely that they will become restless and asking for attention.

Here are some ideas that will help here – few games you can organize ahead of time – easy directions and inexpensive materials are just the beginning!

Feed the Turkey

Feed the Turkey Game

 

Here is what you will need:

  • large box
  • brown craft paper
  • construction paper
  • poster board
  • yellow fabric
  • beans
  • rubber bands
  • markers
  • Glue

Instructions:

  1. Remove the flaps from one end of the box leaving an open space.
  2. Cover the box with brown craft paper
  3. Use either cardboard or Bristol board paper to create your “turkey” – you can draw the eyes and the beak and if you want, create feet and glue them under the front of the box. If you have children working with you, have them cut out the eyes, beak and feet from construction paper along with shapes to make the colorful tail.
  4. The tail gets cut from various colors of construction paper or poster board and glued to the back of the box. Next, cut out an opening under the beak large enough to throw a bean bag in.
  5. The best shape is a triangle to accent the beak or make it round. If you anticipate that most children, who will be playing the game are younger, make the opening larger to make it easier for them to throw the bean bag in.
  6. Now cut out several 7″ in diameter circles from the yellow fabric. Fill the centre with beans. Gather edges together and wrap tightly with a rubber band.

How to Play:

  • Have the children stand back, then take turns tossing the “kernels of corn” into the turkey’s mouth. See who can get the most in!
  • Give prizes to the winner – and they don’t have to be big ones – as long as the winner is rewarded. And as far as prizes go – always, always have extras on hand. There is nothing more upsetting than not having a prize for a child who deserved it!

Pumpkin Patch Game

Pumpkin Patch Game

 

Here is what you will need:

  • Small party bags filled with candies
  • Coins (you can get the chocolate ones)
  • Tags for bags
  • Music

Instructions:

  1. Put numbers on each bag tags before attaching them to bags. (Keep the numbers low – the children will be “buying” the pumpkin bags with their coins)
  2. Give each child a handful of coins.
  3. Create a “pumpkin patch” on your floor
  4. Start the music and have children walk around the pumpkin patch.
  5. When the music stops, each child picks up a pumpkin bag and checks what number is on the tag. If the child has enough coins they can “buy” the pumpkin bag.
  6. Continue this until children are out of coins – but tell them they can combine their coins and share the candies they “buy”. You will have fun watching them figure out how much money they need to buy out all the bags.

Spider Web Spin

Spider Web Spin Game

Spider Web Spin Game

Here is what you will need:

  • large sheet white paper
  • black permanent marker
  • spider cards
  • double-sided tape
  • blindfold

Instructions:

  1. Draw a large spider web with black marker on the white paper.
  2. Draw the funny looking spider cartoon on small cards and write each child’s name on it
  3. Put a piece of double-sided tape on back of each card before the child starts playing
  4. Use same instructions as Pin the Tail on the Donkey.
  5. Blindfold child and spin them around three times.
  6. Give them spider cut out and have them try to place the spider in the middle of the web.
  7. The child who places their spider closest to the centre gets the prize.

Pumpkin Bowling:

Pumpkin Bowling Game

 

  1. Save ten 2 litre plastic soda bottles and fill with a couple of inches of sand to weight the bottles.
  2. Decorate the bottles by covering them with white plastic (kitchen garbage bags are good for that)
  3. Using permanent black markers to draw funny ghost faces on them, creating your special bowling pins
  4. Get enough small pumpkin gourds to use for bowling bowls. They are not perfectly round and that makes Pumpkin Bowling more fun!
  5. Use blue or green painters tape to mark bowling lanes on your driveway, deck or patio if you want to play outside. Or do the same inside in a room with appropriate surface and space.
  6. You can play this as an individual game or set up teams and give prizes to winners!

 

Think about joining the kids, creating teams, Playing for who will do the dishes…. you can have lots of fun with these few games!

If you liked this information piece, get the full version of

Mama Knows Thanksgiving Guide ebook!

It is FREE – to you – from me!

You will get everything from tips for getting and cooking your turkey, full recipes, decorating tips and more

Just ask for it on top of this page and it will be sent to you right away!

 

Here is a list of more thanksgiving games to keep the kids occupied, in case this wasn’t enough.

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Hanna Trafford


Hanna is the mother of two grown sons Dan and Dusan Nedelko, and is also the Grandmother to Jax, Cohen and Mila. She is the lead editor of Mama Knows and is hoping to create an exchange of communications with other grandmothers, mothers and daughters - giving everyone the opportunity to learn and share about everything that is "Mama"

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