Holiday celebrations offer a wonderful opportunity to gather with friends and family. However, they can also feel daunting, especially if you find yourself hosting. Below are some tips to bring joy and beauty to your Thanksgiving celebrations.
Joyful Moments
Thanksgiving is, at its core, a holiday designed for peaceful reflection. The emphasis should be on great company and comforting food. In that equation, it is also important to remember your young guests. For the children involved in the celebration, Thanksgiving can also feel like a lot of wait time if you are not properly prepared. Planning out some crafts or baking activities can be a helpful way for children to meaningfully contribute to the celebration. As a bonus, planning out some simple activities that children can do safely and independently will allow you the space to prepare food and visit with other adult guests while younger guests are meaningfully occupied.
Crafts can be tricky. Children are often wearing their holiday best at these special celebrations, so you will want to plan something that does not have the potential to get too messy. You will also want to plan something that children can do independently. This serves two purposes, a craft children can take on independently provides a buffer for adults and also allows the children to feel successful. Some crafts that fit the bill of festive and simple are thankful turkeys, making Thanksgiving themed jewelry, and decorating Thanksgiving cookies.
Thankful turkeys are a great craft. They are readily available at all craft stores and Amazon, they are a familiar craft, and they make great centerpieces and take home gifts after the celebration is over. To make this craft even simpler, be sure to order a kit that includes dot adhesive pads; no glue needed!
Beading is always a favorite for children. It is a great craft because children get to be creative, they can add as much or as little swag as they want, and they can take their creations home with them. To ensure this craft stays mess free, it can be nice to lay the beads out in some bowls for easy access. Also, be sure to order beads with large holes to ensure that children can complete the craft independently.
Finally, cookie decorating! This craft is great because children can contribute to the holiday spread without the stress of having young guests in the kitchen. You can make, or purchase if you are pressed for time, some Thanksgiving themed sugar cookies, a couple of colorful bags of icing, and maybe even sprinkles if you are feeling adventurous. This craft is extra special because children and the rest of the family get to enjoy the effort after Thanksgiving dinner!
Beautiful Spaces
With all of the food prep, scheduling, activities, and family dynamics, it can feel overwhelming to think about the space during the holidays. However, a beautiful table for your meal can go a long way to adding to the Thanksgiving experience. A beautiful table can also be created in only a few moments with minimal effort or preplanning.
When designing a tablescape, it is helpful to first think of a color scheme. This year, I went with natural greens, golds, and some pops of red. The colors felt festive and peaceful, which was the desired environment for our party this year. Establishing the colors you will be using, then allows you to build out the rest of the design for the space.
In addition to beauty, functionality is a must. I knew we were going to be having an outdoor celebration, so light was also very important. I went with some taller candle holders and some low vases filled with tea lights so that the table had a romantic glow as the sun was setting.
I also made sure that most of the decorations were under 6 inches in height or very narrow. This was another choice made around functionality. Over half of our guests were children this year. They wanted to be active participants in the conversations we were having. It was important to keep the decor low so they could see everyone and share.
A nice way to incorporate some natural beauty is through flower arrangements. Flowers offer a great way to incorporate more color into your table. Creating flower arrangements can also be a great way to involve young family members. Kids love to pick out flowers, and teaching them to trim the flowers and arrange them can be a fun group activity. Remember to keep arrangements short so that guests can see each other to carry on the conversation.
Finally, tablescapes can be a great way to incorporate some fun. For example, this Thanksgiving, we got Paper Source name place cards. I love these because they have a space for guests to write what they are thankful for, which provides a quick activity at the table and offers extra processing time for guests who want to write what they are thankful for before sharing. We rounded out the fun with Thanksgiving poppers, also from Paper Source. These come with delightful paper crowns that everyone wore during dinner, and some plastic figurines that the kids had fun sharing and exchanging.
Bringing It All Together
Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to bring friends and family together. By planning out some accessible activities for young guests, you can give yourself the time and space to finish any holiday preparation or visit with friends and family, while children are given the chance to get creative. You can bring that same creative energy to the table design. When creating a tablescape, think through the items you will need to include to make the table functional, beautiful, and joyful. You will want your guests to be able to have great conversations in silly paper crowns over your flower arrangements. Have a wonderful holiday season!