What outfit do you don before sitting down to gorge on your Thanksgiving feast? Some families have a tradition of wearing their Sunday best to celebrate the festive holiday meal, while others throw on their comfiest elastic waist pants and chow down like there’s no tomorrow. Then, there are those families. You know; the ones that take Turkey Day to a whole new level. Rather than sport a suit or sweats to the dinner table, they dress up like our country’s first settlers or the centerpiece of the celebratory buffet. If you are looking to spice up your turkey dinner, … Continue reading →

One of the advantages of parenting a first grader is that you’re pretty much set in the seasonal decoration department. Since the beginning of the month, my daughter has brought home no less than a dozen homemade Thanksgiving-themed craft projects. Each and every handcrafted turkey, pilgrim, cornucopia and Giving Tree is prominently showcased throughout our home, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. My daughter’s art teacher went all out this year. If your children weren’t as productive in art class, or you’re just looking for easy and inexpensive ways to keep the kiddos busy on Thanksgiving morning, and … Continue reading →

It’s the ultimate edible Thanksgiving craft and the perfect boredom buster for kids who tire of making handprint turkeys and construction paper cornucopias. This veggie and cheese turkey can be made up to 48 hours in advance of serving. It requires quite a bit of prep work and the assembly takes a while too, but it’s easy stuff that kids can help out with. Cheese Ball (Base of Turkey) Ingredients: 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 3 one-ounce packages dry Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing mix 3 cups shredded cheese 4 three-ounce packages of real bacon bits or cooked crumbled bacon … Continue reading →

You don’t have to scale back on Thanksgiving decor, just so you can afford to pay for the Turkey Day spread. The following craft projects are not only easy enough for kids to create, but they’ll leave you with plenty of money to spend on an extra pumpkin pie or two: APPLE TURKEY PLACECARD Materials (for one turkey): Googly eyes Craft glue Almond (in shell) Small apple One Lifesaver candy Peanut (in shell) Paper napkin Small paper clip Construction paper Directions: Glue googly eyes to almond and let dry. Glue Lifesaver to front of apple and let dry. Glue almond … Continue reading →

My neighbor’s kids’ school gives students a week off for Thanksgiving break. My daughter gets two days (Thanksgiving and Black Friday), so I’m not scrambling for childcare or for boredom busters to keep her busy while I plan and execute our Turkey Day feast. However, my neighbor is desperately trying to find ways to keep her kids occupied while she cooks, cleans and preps for out-of-town guests. I suggested she put her kids to work. Then, I recommended that she visit our local craft store and stock up on materials to make the following Thanksgiving-theme crafts. After all, there’s no … Continue reading →

With the economy still in recovery mode, many people are choosing to cut back on holiday celebrations this year. Fortunately, there are a slew of ways you can celebrate Thanksgiving without breaking the bank, including making your own festive decorations. The following Thanksgiving craft projects are ideal for kids of all ages (with adult supervision). What’s more, in addition to looking great, they help teach children the importance of being grateful. MAYFLOWER GRATITUDE CENTERPIECE Materials: Cardboard milk carton (washed and dried) Brown paper bag Construction paper (in a variety of your favorite colors) Craft glue Large wood dowel Two apples … Continue reading →