IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

5 Thanksgiving activities to keep kids (and adults) entertained

The turkey needs basting, potatoes need mashing, pies need filling — and kids need to be entertained. Meredith Sinclair, the woman behind the blog Meredith Plays, has Thanksgiving activities that your kids will love — and maybe even the adults will want to join in, too.Give back Friday Tell kids — and other guests — that to get a seat at your Thanksgiving table, they need to bring one bag

The turkey needs basting, potatoes need mashing, pies need filling — and kids need to be entertained. Meredith Sinclair, the woman behind the blog Meredith Plays, has Thanksgiving activities that your kids will love — and maybe even the adults will want to join in, too.

Give back Friday

Tell kids — and other guests — that to get a seat at your Thanksgiving table, they need to bring one bag of lightly-worn clothing, books, toys and other household items to be donated. Set up a “donation stand” where people can drop off items, then schedule a pick up or arrange for a drop off at a local charity for the day after Thanksgiving.

DIY photo booth

Set up a fun photo area with “face in the hole” photo props for guests to have fun with as they arrive. Simply pick up butcher paper, paint on a Midwestern or other fun scenery with characters, then cut out the space where the faces would go so guests can pop their heads in and Instagram away.

The list

Spark conversation with kids by having a sheets of paper with “fill in the blank” sentences for them to fill out before dinner. Then, as you all sit down to eat, put the filled out papers around the table and take turns reading them as you all try to figure out who is behind each batch of answers.

Five suggested sentences:

1.   My favorite TV show right now is _______.

2.   If I could only eat one dessert for the rest of my life, it would be _______.

3.   If I could be one other person in our family for a day, it would be _______.

4.   If I could live anywhere in the world, it would be _______.

5.   The best gift I ever received was ________.

Thankful centerpieces

Spray paint wine bottles in gold or another festive color, then invite guests to write what they are most thankful for on the bottles with a black Sharpie pen. Once guests are done, fill the vases with wheat stalks, leaves or feathers, then add them to the table as a centerpiece.

Turkey race game

Start your basters! Let the kids have a little friendly competition with this racing game. Using small balloons with drawn-on turkeys and turkey basters as blowers, have kids race their balloons from one spot to another as they guide each small balloon with small blasts from the baster.