There’s a pretty big gap between what kids learn about Thanksgiving in school and the true meaning. While your kids may know that it’s an occasion that allows them to consume pie in vast quantities and watch TV all morning, there’s so much more to the holiday than that. To teach your kids the real meaning of Thanksgiving and get them excited for the holiday this year, here’s how:
Top 5 Ways to Get Your Kids Excited for Thanksgiving
By Candice Shaffer of 100 Shawmut, ARO, 830 Brickell, 200 Amsterdam, Madison Realty Capital, The Belnord, One Dalton
Cook some traditional food:
We hate to break it to you, but the folks at the first Thanksgiving probably weren’t eating pumpkin pie and green bean casserole. If you want your kids to appreciate what the first Thanksgiving was really like and get excited about your family celebration this year, try cooking some traditional food with them, like corn, lobster, squash, and venison, and talk about how it’s different from what they usually see on your holiday table—and why.
Get some books out the library:
If you want your children to understand what Thanksgiving is really about—while finding an opportunity to bond with them—take some books out of the library that discusses what the holiday means. Books like Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving, If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620, and Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving is all excellent teaching tools for little ones about the holiday in terms they can understand.
Take them to a museum:
Eager for your little ones to learn more about Native American heritage and the tribes involved in the first Thanksgiving? This year, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in New York is hosting a “Rethinking Thanksgiving” exhibit. This exhibit helps tell the real story behind the first Thanksgiving in a fun quiz-style format.
Make a Thanksgiving craft:
Decorating for Thanksgiving is half the fun of the holiday. So, get your kids involved this year by making some cute crafts with them. A hand turkey, some paper garlands in fall colors, or a drawing of a Thanksgiving table are all great ways to help them start getting excited about the big day.
Have them say what they’re thankful for:
Thanksgiving is, first and foremost, about expressing gratitude. So, get your kids involved by having them say what they’re grateful for. Better yet, have them write down what they’re thankful for this year. You can also have them read your other Thanksgiving guests read out what they wrote at dinner.
Top 5 Ways to Get Your Kids Excited for Thanksgiving
If you want your kids to appreciate Thanksgiving and the people who made it possible, there’s no time like the present to start teaching them. From crafts to cooking, these bonding activities are sure to make them excited to celebrate the holiday.
