5 family-friendly ways to get outdoors on Thanksgiving

Posted in Holidays & Seasonal
by Lorain County Moms

McClatchy-Tribune

Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity for gathering as a family and sharing a traditional meal. But, it’s also a great time for families to spend quality time outdoors. Playoutdoors.com offers five great outdoor activities that every member of the family can be thankful for to feel a part of the festive fun.

1. Take a family walk after the meal (if it’s snowing, get the whole family together to snowshoe in the yard)
2. Create a backyard treasure hunt for the kids where they have to find Thanksgiving-themed items like: mini pumpkins, leaves, turkey, pumpkin pie, pilgrims, etc. These items can be made from construction paper or can be purchased at party stores.
3. Start an annual family turkey trot. Players pair up by linking their elbows. Each team has their own turkey mascot (a football with construction taped turkey face on it, a stuffed animal turkey, a brown bag stuffed with newspaper and decorated like a turkey). The first team to make it to the finish line without dropping the turkey and unlinking their arms wins.
4. Set up a craft table in the backyard where kids can create their own turkey hats, hand turkeys, glue leaves and sticks on paper, turkey napkin holders etc.
5. Before recycling the food containers from your Thanksgiving meals, create an outdoor game bowling where guests roll a pumpkin into plastic soda bottles, tin cans or boxes that can be reused as bowling pins