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- Handprint Turkeys: Craft keepsake handprint turkeys each year and date them to track how much they’ve grown.
- Gratitude Jar: Start a tradition of writing or drawing things you’re thankful for and saving them in a jar to read next year. We have the Turkey on the Table decoration which is a fun and festive gratitude tradition! You add gratitude feathers throughout the month leading up to Thanksgiving. Check it out here!
- Toddler-Friendly Feast Prep: Let your little one “help” by stirring, pouring, or even playing with measuring cups. Matching aprons or oven mitts would be a sweet touch!
- Thanksgiving Story: Share a simple, toddler-friendly story about Thanksgiving. (We love to read Where is Baby’s Turkey? – it has subtle hints of spending the day with family, prepping food, and the feast!)
- Family Walk: Go for a short, nature-filled walk to enjoy the fall season and talk about gratitude. I’ve seen an idea to bring contact paper to collect nature findings. You could then make a cardboard frame (and cover the front with another piece of contact paper) and display with your Thanksgiving decor!
Lastly, of course watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a favorite tradition of ours! If you have elementary aged kids, this is a fabulous book that tells the history & founding of that parade and it’s famous balloons! Linked here, I loved reading this one with my first graders when I was teaching!
I love Thanksgiving because it feels like the true kick-off to the holiday season! It’s such a special, slow time of gratitude, family, and gathering before things get really busy with the hustle and bustle of Christmas. I want to really hype up this time for my daughter and future kiddos. Let me know in the comments if you try any of these or have a different tradition! I’d love to hear it! Happy Holidays!
If you loved this list, make sure to check out my list of Christmas Traditions!