Whether you are having a huge Thanksgiving gathering or just your immediate family to dinner, it is fun to have a few Thanksgiving theme activities that you can enjoy. It will help keep everyone occupied when the you are all still waiting for the turkey to finish, create some new memories and just make a festive time. Friends and family don’t often get a chance to get together, so why not make the most of it with some planned but frugal fun?
Thanksgiving activities don’t have to cost much or even anything at all. Here is a list of some fun things to do for Thanksgiving that are also very frugal.
Do you have any leftover pumpkins? You can use them for Thanksgiving. Small pumpkins and gourds can be made into place card holders. Large ones can be made into turkeys. Enlist the kids for these projects, or just hand them some Thanksgiving theme stickers and let them decorate.
Adults can use markers to draw on the pumpkins. Pick someone at your gathering and try to draw his or her likeness on a pumpkin. Everyone else must guess who it is. If you don’t have any pumpkins, try this game with a piece of paper or pick up pumpkins for a great discount.
Purchase an inexpensive white or cream tablecloth or runner and a fabric pen or two. Ask everyone to write down one thing they are grateful for this year, along with their name and the year. You’ll have a family heirloom that you can take out year after year and smile at what changes life has brought to you.
Dust off those board games that you already have for some frugal family fun. If you don’t have any board games, see if you can borrow some or check out your local thrift store for some inexpensive games. Many libraries also let you check out board games for two or three weeks.
Get the kids started with making hand print turkeys. Just trace around a child’s outstretched hand. Turn the thumb into the head and neck by adding an eye and a waddle. The rest of the fingers are the feathers. Add some feet at the bottom and color.
Go outside and play a traditional game of tag football. Get everyone involved. You’ll have a fun time, work up an appetite and get fit, too, all for free.
Click here for more articles by Mary Ann Romans.
How to Have a Frugal Thanksgiving
Choosing Wisely for the Thanksgiving Meal
The First Thanksgiving Website
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