10 New Family Traditions to Try This Thanksgiving
November 12, 2018 by Eric White
If Thanksgiving is one of your favorite times of the year but you’re looking for some fun ways to shake things up with your family, this is the post for you! Thanksgiving is all about having fun with family and this year, why not start a new Thanksgiving tradition? From turkey trots to movie plots, here are some great new traditions you can start with your family this Thanksgiving.
Or, use these ideas to come up with your own! These Thanksgiving holiday deals will help you save money when the time comes to making purchases for the holidays.
10 Fun Thanksgiving Family Traditions
1. Run a Turkey Trot. Turkey Trots are a great way to celebrate the holiday, spice up the day with competition and burn calories before that massive turkey dinner. Whatever city you live in, there is sure to be a Turkey Trot 5k race within driving distance. Pay a small fee and take part in a race near you! You’ll usually also get a commemorative t-shirt.
2. Cook a meal for those in need. If you’re in a city that has a homeless population, you and your family can spend a day doing something good! Find a local kitchen and volunteer time during the holidays to help provide a meal to those in need. If heading out to an event for the holidays is usually the norm, consider donating to PATH for their “Imaginary Feast.”
3. Have a card game tournament. If your family is like mine, you love card games! Get teams together and make a bracket for a card game tournament. We recommend Euchre.
4. Try a fun, new turkey recipe. Don’t let your turkey get stale on you! Sometimes it’s necessary for change... could it be time to change your turkey recipe?
5. Make an exclusive t-shirt for the family. A fun Thanksgiving themed shirt for the family can make a great surprise and memento for one of the best times of the year.
6. Play a game of backyard football. Football is a favorite American past-time, so why not consider adding it to your Thanksgiving traditions (assuming it’s not one already!). These days, the NFL schedules 3 football games for Thanksgiving Day, so we recommend taking to the backyard and picking teams on Friday. You know, let the turkey digest.
7. Watch a complete movie trilogy classic. After piling on the turkey, stuffing, potatoes and gravy, greens, pies, etc., piling on the couch is exactly what the soul needs. This year, star the tradition of watching a new classic trilogy with your family. There’s no shortage! Here are a few good places to start and trilogies for the next 4 years: Lord of the Rings, The Godfather, The Matrix, Star Wars.
8. Apply your hand to create Thanksgiving crafts. See who in the family is the most creative by finding a fun Thanksgiving craft to make each year! You’ll want to pick a new one each year and make sure it’s not too challenging, you don’t want to spend all weekend on it!
9. Don’t buy pies, bake them together!
10. Take turns sharing your funniest or most meaningful stories since last Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is a great time to get together and share stories. Each year, why not take the time to think of the funniest or most meaningful things that happened to you since last Thanksgiving and sharing with the family!