Transforming an Easter egg hunt into a Thanksgiving activity, a feather hunt provides a simple and engaging game for all family members. To play, cut several pieces of colorful paper into turkey feathers. Then, hide them around the house, and have others search for them. To add a competitive edge, whoever discovers the most feathers wins; however, this can cause disputes if there is an overly competitive family member. Additionally, speaking from experience, older family members should hide the feathers, otherwise, an eternal feather hunt may ensue. Several Thanksgivings ago, my sister and I hid the feathers, seeking revenge on my grandma and mom for hiding them too well during the round prior and they are yet to be found to this day.
Challenging precision and patience, turkey shoot is an essential Thanksgiving game. Created by my grandma, it involves balloons and a Nerf gun. First, blow up the balloons, preferably orange, and draw a turkey on each one. Then, place the balloons on a wall and allocate points for each balloon based on difficulty. Lastly, have each family member take turns shooting the balloons with a Nerf gun from a set distance away. Whoever has the most points by the time all balloons have been hit wins!
Card and board games provide an effortless, yet entertaining method to spend time with loved ones over Thanksgiving. Despite not directly containing a tie to the holiday, they exemplify the spirit, through spending time with and being grateful for loved ones. Spoons, 21 and war, persist as the most beloved card games for my family’s Thanksgiving, with my grandma’s jar of coins used as money. The most popular board games include, charades, pictionary and “Fluff.”
Combining a classic family activity with a symbol of Thanksgiving, turkey bowling is a perfect way to enhance the holiday. The Seasoned Mom inspired the idea, creating the bowling pins out of brown plastic cups, decorating them as turkeys and setting them up in the correct format. Although she used miniature pumpkins as bowling balls, any other small, round device would work.
In the kitchen, stuffing the turkey is reserved for adults; however, out of the kitchen, it alters into a game for the youth. Kid Friendly Things to Do provided the idea of creating a “turkey” out of paper bags, then creating “stuffing” out of rolled up paper. Whoever successfully throws the most “stuffing” into the “turkey” wins!
Appreciating the diverse methods and games incorporated into Thanksgiving is equally as important as remembering the classic traditions of the holiday. Breaking the turkey wishbone, a superstition of luck if granted the bigger half, along with watching the Macy’s Day Parade create sacred memories with family over the holiday. Yet, to spruce up these classic traditions, one could create an individual Macy’s Day Parade, with each family member decorating a balloon or float.
After the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving’s main events, combined with the stress of other holidays approaching, simply being with your loved ones and family proves meaningful. Taking the time to relax and watch a movie, Thanksgiving related or not, provides the perfect close to the holiday.
