Thanksgiving is just around the corner and most of us will be getting together with family and friends to share a meal and enjoy some quality time together. The adults will be content with filling their bellies, sitting back and watching some football while they visit. But the kids are usually a little harder to keep entertained. If you are going to have a houseful of youngsters this Thanksgiving, here are some ideas for keeping them busy and helping them enjoy the day as much as the grown-ups.

For starters, you can involve them in planning the Thanksgiving menu. Discuss the different “traditional” dishes that are served for Thanksgiving and see if they have any suggestions of their own. You never know what kind of new tradition you’ll come up with based on a preschooler’s side-dish suggestion. Once the meal choices have been made, take your child to the grocery store with you to help find the necessary ingredients. This is a great teaching moment because you can incorporate reading and math into the shopping experience. (Of course, you’ll need an extra dose of patience to pull it off, but it will be worth it.)

Children can also help prepare, cook and serve the meal on Thanksgiving. There are a lot of Practical Life and Sensorial opportunities available for toddlers and preschoolers in the kitchen. They can help baste the turkey, mash the potatoes and wash the dishes. Older children can help with measuring ingredients, cutting the pie (a great way to learn about fractions) and setting the table.

If having them in the kitchen isn’t practical, arts and crafts are also a great way to keep them busy. Set up a special “craft area” and provide a variety of different materials for them to create with. Before dinner is served, they can create Thanksgiving placemats and other table décor. Once dinner is done, the crafts can continue. Since the Christmas season will be in full-swing when you wake up the next day, this would be a great time for them to start making Holiday Greeting Cards or other winter holiday crafts.

Finally, assign them the important job of photographer for the day. Kids learn how to operate smartphone cameras at a young age and they will probably capture some memorable candid shots from their perspective. (Don’t forget to share the results with everyone.)

However you decide to do it, making your kids feel a special part of the big day will help things go more smoothly for you while also helping them to have fun and to appreciate the excitement of family celebrations. You might even start some new traditions that they will pass down to their kids some day!

Keeping kids entertained on Thanksgiving.