If your family is like mine, it happens somewhere between the (shoot!) not-quite-thawed turkey, that one kid (you know the one) who decided today is the best day to complain about the world or rage-bait a sibling, and a football game turned up a smidge too loud. Thanksgiving can so easily become a day to survive while still smiling pleasantly. Where it’s more like, oh yeah, can someone say the blessing before we start?
But swiveling your family’s eyes toward thanks doesn’t have to look like you leading them in a hymn after the pumpkin pie. Though hey, you do you.
7 Creative Ideas to Help Everyone at Your Table Give More Thanks at Thanksgiving
Lay out markers and a kraft- or butcher-paper tablecloth.
In the middle of your paper tablecloth, write “This year, we’re thankful for…” Write a few of your own to get the ball rolling, and leave markers for everyone to write or draw their thanks.
Cover a door, wall, or window in sticky notes of thankfulness.
Same idea here: Leaving out sticky notes and pens, ask guests to write something they’re thankful for on separate sticky notes, and as a group, try to cover a wall, door, or window. The host can optionally read a few of them during your feast.
Thanksgiving Bingo and Scavenger Hunt.
Great for kids, this printable Bingo board allows them to hunt for objects of gratitude while you’re busy trying not to burn something important. I also love the free Gratitude Scavenger Hunt from FamilyLife’s Gratitude Project printable.
Index cards at every plate.
Leave an index card at every place setting, and pass around pens. Each person takes time to write out gratitudes for the year, and at the end of the meal, read out one that’s meaningful to them.
Bonus: These are fun to keep year after year, and occasionally revisit.
Video greeting card.
Help kids tape a video “greeting card” for relatives far away, describing their appreciation for that person’s influence in their lives. (Let ’em get creative with the props.) This is great for deployed relatives, too.
Or roll out the butcher-paper to design a banner you’ll send in the mail for a special surprise.
Kids’ table activities for gratitude.
In addition to the Bingo mentioned above, this post has 13 ideas for kids waiting for Thanksgiving dinner–including a crossword and some other whole-body activities to help kids give thanks on Thanksgiving.
Three out-of-the-box prompts.
Does it feel like “What are you thankful for this year” gets a little stale? Ask guests to choose to answer one of three prompts:
- Something you’re thankful for this year that you weren’t thankful for last year.
- A change that has taught you something.
- Something you’re thankful for that’s come out of something challenging.
Among my many (so many) gifts from God this year–readers, you are one of them. May this holiday tip our eyes upward.
