Today, I am going to share with you some great Thanksgiving tradition ideas that you and your family can do.
Thanksgiving is a time for spending time with family, giving thanks, and thinking about others. Family traditions are how we teach our kids to pass these values on for generations to come.
Traditions are our roots and a profile of who we are as individuals and who we are as a family. They are our roots, which give us stability and a sense of belonging – they ground us.
Lidia Bastianich
10 Thanksgiving Tradition Ideas For Your Family
If you don’t have any traditions it’s never too late to start. Traditions are an important part of building a strong, stable, and healthy family environment for your kids.
Complete a family puzzle while watching the Thanksgiving day parade
This is one tradition that my family had when I was growing up. We were never really into puzzles, but on Thanksgiving, it was something that I looked forward to. We would set up a card table in front of the TV and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade while we did the puzzle together.
Family drawing
Let me explain. My kids LOVE this and my husband came up with this a few years ago. Each family member gets 3 slips of paper that they must secretly write down a favorite family activity on. All slips are folded and put into a container. The youngest family member then draws one out and the family does the activity together.
Rinse and repeat until they are all completed or time is up! This ensures each family member gets to do something they want to do. We seem to do this every holiday since they love it so much. Some examples of things that seem to make it into our container every time are; family dance party, baking cookies, Disney Charades, play a game of UNO, and a 30-minute workout. That last one is mine!
They all groan, but we do it together so that we can draw the next activity!
Kite flying and football tossing
Get outdoors no matter the weather! These are fun to do anytime, but really neat when you know that every year this is what is going down!
Watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
While eating homemade pretzel twists! My kids love Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Kits. This tradition keeps them watching a cartoon into adulthood and gets the family together in front of the TV while sharing a once per year treat. Cuddle up and enjoy your sweets!
Family Yahtzee game
Some friendly competition is always a blast in my home. Yahtzee is a game that I have found that even the younger ones can play with a little help.
Volunteer to serve Thanksgiving dinner
There are always opportunities locally to serve those in need in your community. Some ideas are The Salvation Army, your local soup kitchen, and Meals on Wheels.
Write a letter to the oldest family member you have
Yup, snail mail style! How awesome is this? In a few days when the hustle and bustle of Christmas has started, they will be reminded that you were thinking about them when they check their mailbox!
Participate in a Thanksgiving Day 5K
Work off the calories first! Then you can really enjoy your homemade noodles!
Decorate for Christmas
My children can’t wait to start decorating. Ask Alexa to “play Christmas tunes”, then break out some hot chocolate and the decor. I don’t usually set up the Christmas tree at this time, that’s a totally separate tradition, but frosty and the garland definitely make an appearance!
Pay it forward as a family
What a great way to instill the value of thinking of others. There are so many different ideas for this. Here are a few ideas you can do together as a family.
- Take a meal to an elderly neighbor
- Pick up some litter in your neighborhood
- Deliver a special treat to the nurses station at a local hospital or nursing home
These Thanksgiving tradition ideas can be a terrific way to create lasting memories with your family and instill great values in your kids at the same time. Commit to trying at least one this year.
I like the football idea! We already watch football but why not throw a ball around before dinner is ready!
These are great ideas! Beautiful format and I love the opening quote. Thanks for thebideas to incorporate into our family Thanksgiving!
Awe these are awesome ideas! My favorite is the Yahtzee game! We love playing games in our family so this would be a perfect tradition to start!
I clearly remember the years that I served a Thanksgiving dinner at a soup kitchen of some sort, I highly recommend it! Such a great idea to include on this list!
I LOVE the idea of writing an old-school letter to your oldest family member. I think it’s such a thoughtful gesture of respect and love.
What a lovely idea! So important to spend quality family time together. These are some great suggestions! Something for everyone to enjoy 🙂
These are wonderful and creative ideas! I love it! My family is young so we will be starting our traditions soon! Thanks!
Love 2 and 10. We tried watching some Charlie Brown with our kids and they thought it was the weirdest cartoon ever. Go figure. Kids these days. ?
These are such wonderful ideas! My kids love to color and make hand turkeys while I watch the parade 😉
I’ve always loved doing a puzzle with my family growing up. I also really like the idea of the family drawing, that sounds like it could be really fun.
These are great ideas! I agree, traditions are so important and make the holidays really special. I like the thought of doing a puzzle, I think I’ll suggest that this year!
I live this list, especially about ding the puzzle while watching the parade. Mine are to young to do this now but I will keep it in mind for When they get a bit older. I also enjoy decorating for Christmas Thanksgiving night or the next day. This year will be the first year in 7 years I’ll be at home for thanksgiving so can’t wait to do this with my daughter!
I love these ideas! Especially the pretzel kit! I’m looking into that ASAP!
Josephine | Better as Us
Betterasus.com
Any of these are great way to bond with families. Thank you for sharing these ideas!
These ideas are really nice. We have never had a thanksgiving tradition. I think we might be trying some out.
Great post!☺
I love this! We already have 2 of the traditions – a 5K and volunteering. I think it would be great to incorporate more. I especially love the idea of writing a letter.
These are great! I love them especially the volunteering. Brings people together
Great ideas!! I really wanted to pay it forward this year and am thankful for this reminder to get planning that!
These are great ideas! I love starting family traditions especially during the holidays!
Love the puzzle idea. Now that my kids are old enough to do this, we may have to make this a tradition. We always go ice skating on the Friday after Thanksgiving. No shopping stress and lots of fun!
We must be on the same wave length, I was just thinking about family traditions today! I love the puzzle idea, I think I am going to have to steal it!
Hi Leslie!
I love these ideas! Family traditions are some of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving. I especially love the Yahtzee idea. Everyone loves rolling the dice in our family and even the little ones can go nuts with the dice!
I think I need to add paying it forward as a family to our list of traditions this year. You have some great suggestions. I would like to add “Pay for the person behind you at the drive through”. We’re coffee addicts in my family so by literally paying it forward, we could do something nice as a family!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I never think of Thanksgiving Traditions, but always Christmas. Some of these might be nice to implement.
Yahtzee and pay-it-forward are my favorites! I love traditions, especially when it involves bonding, and helping others.
Love these ideas!!! We have been trying to start traditions since my daughter is now almost to the age she can participate. I love the activity jar and she would love to do puzzles! Growing up we always decorated for Christmas on thanksgiving or on Friday as well!