November 25, 2013

Thanksgiving DIY Family Activities

If there’s one thing we can all agree on being thankful for…it’s adoption! The fact that November is the home to both Thanksgiving and National Adoption Month is not lost on us, and it’s such a wonderful time to truly embrace the spirit of the season and the blessed impact adoption has had on all our lives.

The big day is just around the corner, but here are a few special projects and expressions of thankfulness that are very kid and family-friendly, and are sure to be a welcome addition to any celebration you have planned. It can be difficult to find activities that get the whole family involved, but these creative ideas are not only fun to execute, but get your children involved in the “thanks” part of Thanksgiving (it’s not all about the food!)

These DIY Thanksgiving placements are not only adorable and easy to make, but they give your kids something to do when they’re sitting at the kid table! Everyone can write out what they’re thankful for while they’re eating, and then you can share them all at the end of the meal. (What your kids come up with is sure to provide amusement.)

A gratitude tree! Much more fun than a centerpiece, you can put this tree up on the wall and cut out leaves on which you and your kids can write what you’re thankful for…slowly building a tree blooming with with gratitude! Love this.

Paper garlands are so easy to make, and even better for expressing the things you’re thankful for this season. You can make your own, buy pre-made garlands at the store, or even recreate this idea using a paper chain. Keep it going throughout the day and see how far it’s grown by the end!

Another cute idea we saw circulating around the web was to put little handwritten notes around the house sharing with your children and family ways in which they make you feel thankful. Keep a stack of “thankful for…” cards in the kitchen, or other centrally-located room, and then people can pick them up whenever they want, write a little note and deposit it in a secret place for someone to find. A very sweet way to create special moments leading up to the holiday.

Depending on your child’s relationship with their birth mother, this is also a time for expressing thanks to them as well. A handwritten Thanksgiving note sharing their thankfulness for her presence in their life would mean the world to any birth mother we know.

Do you and your family have any favorite Thanksgiving traditions when it comes to sharing gratitude? We’d love to hear what you do!