18 Family Thanksgiving Traditions to Start This Year
In this post: Thanksgiving is a great time for families! Start one of these family Thanksgiving traditions this year to make lasting memories with your kids. From making a thankful tree to watching the parade, there’s something for everyone.
Many of us grew up spending the Thanksgiving holiday with our families, making tons of memories around the table, in the backyard, or snoozing on the couch after dinner.
The last few years have taught me that I can value my favorite Thanksgiving traditions. But I’ve also learned to keep my mind open to trying new traditions.
Sure, it might seem a little silly to get up at the crack of dawn to do a turkey trot. Some of us don’t care to watch the big game or head out for a family walk in the local park. But these activities are a great opportunity to try something new.
And they often become the favorite traditions we return to next year and beyond. That’s how meaningful traditions are born!
18 Family Thanksgiving Traditions
American Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States usually include much food. My mouth waters just thinking about my granny’s turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, green beans, and cauliflower. (Does everyone have cauliflower at Thanksgiving dinner, or was that just our family recipes?)
When I started cooking for my own family, I realized it was a lot of work to serve delicious food to everyone. These days, I prefer Thanksgiving activities that are simple and leave more time for making memories.
Whether you’re celebrating your first year hosting or you’ve been gathering for decades, these fun ideas can help you start meaningful traditions that your family will cherish.
1. Donate to the Less Fortunate
One wonderful way to teach your kids gratitude is to donate to a local charity or local soup kitchen. This could be food, clothes, or even your time. Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to help others in need—especially when your kids can see the difference it makes.
2. Do a Turkey Trot
Start your Thanksgiving holiday with a little exercise at a local park. Many Turkey Day celebrations include a fun thing like a 5K or 10K. These events are often for a local charity and are a great way to enjoy the crisp fall air before your delicious meal.
3. Write a Gratitude List or Fill a Gratitude Jar
This is a Thanksgiving tradition that the whole family can get involved in. Make a gratitude jar and have everyone jot down what they’re thankful for from the past year. Later, read them aloud at the Thanksgiving table. It’s a meaningful way to reflect and help kids focus on the good.
It’s so nice to reflect on all the good things in our lives, and it’s interesting to see what everyone is thankful for. This tradition always brings up great conversations and sometimes even laughter!
4. Make a Thankful or Gratitude Tree
Use branches and paper leaves to create a gratitude tree. Have your young children and children of all ages write what they’re thankful for. This doubles as décor for your dining room and is one of those favorite Thanksgiving traditions that’s easy to repeat next year.
Related: 17 Gratitude Activities for Kids to Encourage Thankfulness
5. Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
There’s nothing like watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade live from New York City—or at least on TV—to kick off your Thanksgiving holiday. Make it an event with hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls before your Thanksgiving feast. Bonus points if you sneak in the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special afterward!
Get up early and make some breakfast, then curl up on the couch and watch the parade together. It’s always a lot of fun to spend time with the family and experience a real American tradition, too.
6. Make a Craft
Set up a fun Thanksgiving tradition of crafting before dinner. Whether you’re making place mats for the kids’ table, DIY place cards for the dining room, or fall wreaths, it’s a wonderful way to create meaningful traditions with children of all ages.
Not only is this a fun activity, but making Thanksgiving crafts is a great way to decorate your home for the holiday. And, you’ll have some lovely memories to share!
7. Have a Family Game Night
After enjoying so much food, clear the Thanksgiving table and bring out board games. This is a fun thing to do with extended family or immediate family, and it’s a meaningful way to end the day.
Related: 58 Fun Thanksgiving Would You Rather Questions for Kids
8. Invite Someone New to Dinner
In 2018, we spent our first Thanksgiving away from home. Money was tight at the time, and we just weren’t able to make the trip home.
Some friends invited us to their home to be with their family. What could’ve been a sad, hard day, turned out to be a fun and memorable Thanksgiving.
Last year might have been a hard one for someone you know. This time of year can be lonely, so invite a neighbor, coworker, or friend to share your delicious meal. You’ll be adding to both your own traditions and theirs.
9. Make a Special Family Recipe or Try a New Recipe
Is there a traditional recipe in your family that you only have at Thanksgiving? Maybe it’s something your grandmother used to make, or maybe just something you’ve never made yourself.
Whether it’s Grandma’s stuffing or a pie you’ve never tried before, adding a new recipe to your Thanksgiving feast can become one of your favorite Thanksgiving family traditions. Try making pumpkin pie, apple pie, or another Thanksgiving dessert you’ve never served before.
10. Have a Pie Eating Contest
This fun thing works whether you’re serving pumpkin pie, apple pie, or pecan pie. Whoever finishes their slice first wins bragging rights until next year! Have a silly trophy that the winner gets to keep until next year’s Thanksgiving contest.
11. Get out and Exercise
A post-dinner family walk in the local park or a football game in the yard is a wonderful way to enjoy the crisp fall air. It’s also a fun Thanksgiving tradition for children of all ages.
Recently, my brother-in-law taught us how to play bocce ball, and it’s so much fun! It’s a great way to spend some time with the family, get some fresh air, and burn off some calories!
12. Have a Movie Marathon
After your delicious meal, settle in for a movie lineup. Watch a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving or start the Christmas season early. You can even take a family photo before everyone gets too comfortable–and goes to sleep!
13. Plan Your Black Friday Shopping
If you’re one of those people who love to shop on Black Friday, start planning your shopping trip now. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to start making your list and mapping out your plan.
The next day is a great opportunity to score deals. Use the evening to plan your shopping list while still enjoying Thanksgiving dessert.
Get the whole family involved and see who can get the best deals. This is a fun time to be together and get started on your Christmas shopping. You might also get some good Christmas gift ideas!
Use this Christmas Prep Masterplan to make your season stress-free and fun!
14. Make the Most of Your Leftovers
A few years ago, our family all went out for Thanksgiving dinner instead of preparing it at home. While it was awesome not to cook or clean, and the food was delicious, there was one thing missing.
No leftovers. We vowed to never do that again.
Whether you turn cranberry sauce and turkey into sandwiches or try a new recipe, leftovers are part of different Thanksgiving traditions in every family. Sometimes, just reheating them is the best fun thing you’ll do all weekend.
Our favorite is a sub bun or some sourdough bread with leftover turkey, bacon, lettuce, mayo, and cranberry relish. We could eat them for days.
15. Put Up Your Christmas Tree
Once the dishes are done, gather your immediate family and extended family to decorate. It’s a meaningful way to transition from Thanksgiving celebrations to Christmas, and a favorite tradition you can look forward to next year.
16. Share Family History Stories
Before dessert, take a few minutes to share stories about your family history. These can be heartfelt memories, funny moments, or favorite traditions from last year or even decades ago. It’s a wonderful way to connect generations.
As the older generation passes away, you’ll come to cherish these memories and stories more and more.
17. Create a Thanksgiving Photo Album
Start a fun Thanksgiving tradition of taking a family photo each year and adding it to a dedicated album. Over the years, you’ll see how your own traditions evolve and how the age of your children changes the celebrations. Eventually, you’ll see new family members added as your family grows!
18. Hold a Thanksgiving (or Day After Thanksgiving) Breakfast
If you have extended family staying over, serve a light, delicious meal—think muffins, fruit, and coffee—before the Thanksgiving feast. It’s a great opportunity to spend quality time before the hustle of cooking begins.
This is also a great idea for the day after Thanksgiving, when we’re all still feeling the effects of the precious day!
Start a Your Own Traditions This Year
Whether you’re hosting in your dining room for the first year or gathering extended family as you have for decades, Thanksgiving is a wonderful way to spend quality time with loved ones. The Thanksgiving holiday offers a great opportunity to slow down, savor a delicious meal, and create meaningful traditions your family will look forward to in the upcoming year.
These Thanksgiving activities—from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to sharing family recipes—help you help kids appreciate the past year while anticipating what’s ahead in the next year. And the best part? You can adapt them to fit the age of your children, your space, and your schedule.
So choose a few of these favorite Thanksgiving traditions, add your own twist, and watch them become part of your family history. Who knows? One of these fun ideas might just become the tradition your kids talk about for years to come.
Love these ideas! And the printable is such a great extra to make it even easier to get kids involved in the gratitude list concept!
Love these ideas!
Such fun ideas – if we hadn’t already broken out all the Christmas decorations, that would have been fun to do! I like your idea for a special breakfast! Maybe we will try to do that this year! I always think of having a special breakfast Christmas morning but why not for Thanksgiving too!!
I’ve been so tempted to get out my decorations already! I might have to get them out before Thanksgiving.