Four kid-friendly activities for Thanksgiving

It can be challenging to find activities to keep kids occupied during the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving weekend. Cooking, decorating and cleaning can take twice as long if your little ones are demanding your attention. Here are four ways to keep them entertained while you’re getting things done.

1. Holiday-themed crafts. Keep kids occupied by giving them Thanksgiving-themed art projects to work on. One simple and fun craft for younger children to make is a hand turkey. Ask your kids to trace one of their hands on a piece of paper and then turn the outline into a turkey, with the thumb as the turkey’s head and the fingers as feathers.

2. Thanksgiving cards. Ask your children to design holiday-themed cards for their family members, friends and teachers. Encourage them to write messages expressing how thankful they are to have these people in their lives and suggest they decorate the cards with fall or Thanksgiving-themed drawings.

3. Table decorations. Urge your children to help you set the table. In addition to putting out the place mats, dishes and silverware, kids can make decorative place cards for all the guests or even craft a creative centerpiece.

4. Cooking. Many kids love to help out in the kitchen, but it can be tough to find recipes that are easy enough for them to follow. Get them involved in the cooking by giving them simple tasks to do like measuring out ingredients, tossing the salad and carrying food to the table.