Thanksgiving break is the perfect time to bond with your children and make lasting memories for the future. Even if you have to work for part of the holidays, you can still find ways to make the most of your children’s time out of school. At our Michigan family counseling center, we love seeing diverse families coming together during this special time of year. Here are some family bonding techniques you can use over Thanksgiving break.
Cook As A Family
If you are preparing for Thanksgiving dinner, let your children do some of the prep work with you. Pick age-appropriate tasks for each of them, like adding ingredients to a mixing bowl or rolling out pie crust. You could use this as a math exercise as well – “What is 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup of flour?” “If I want to double the ingredients, how many potatoes will I need to use?” Don’t be afraid to make a bit of a mess and laugh along the way. This will all be time well spent.
Have A Family Movie Night
There are so many great family movies out at this time of year. You could choose to go out to the theater for your movie night, or you could watch something at home. The key is to pick a movie that everyone will get something out of. If you have older kids, you may choose a slightly more “mature” movie than you would with younger kids. Ask your children what they would want to watch and make a decision as a group.
Play In The Leaves
Clean your yard and have a little fun at the same time with a leaf pile party. As a family, you can rake up all the leaves in the yard into one big pile. Then you can take turns jumping in it. You will of course have to re-rake and bag all of the leaves when you are finished, but that won’t take too much extra time. If you have a leaf vacuum, you could use that at the end to make the process even easier.
Make Fall Decorations Together
Most kids love to make crafts. Let them participate in the decorating process. You could make classic turkey hand paintings or something more elaborate like a table centerpiece. The internet is full of craft ideas for kids, so all you have to do is find something that suits your children’s ages and skillsets.
With the tips above, you are sure to have a great time this Thanksgiving break!