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Thanksgiving Games, Party Ideas, Movies and Recipes

As a girl scout leader for many years and a homeroom parent for both of my children I have planned many Thanksgiving Parties and I have hosted many Thanksgiving dinners.  You will find some great games, recipes,  movies, crafts and decorating ideas for kids parties and your Thanksgiving holiday dinner listed below.

THANKSGIVING GAMES FOR KIDS

Taking a trip by car for Thanksgiving?  Check out our Kids Car Games Page!!

Create a Word Write the word thanksgiving on paper and see how many words the kids can make out of it in 5 minutes.

Hot Pumpkin A spin on the classic "Hot Potato" game, kids sit in a circle and pass the mini pumpkin while the music is playing. When the music stops, the person holding a pumpkin goes out of the game and receives a small prize.

Balloon Bust Divide the group into two teams.  Blow up AUTUMN color balloons and tie one to everyone's ankles. Say "go" and watch the teams trying to burst the other team's balloons first. The team with the last balloon wins. As your balloon is burst you withdraw from the game. Thanksgiving Air Balloons Keep the balloons floating in the air while thinking and saying words about Thanksgiving To begin get everyone into a circle and start the balloon going around from player to player keeping the balloon in the air at all times. The catch however is before he can bat the balloon each player must call out a word (no repetitions, please) to fit a Thanksgiving theme. For example turkey, mashed potatoes, Mayflower, Pilgrims, Indians etc... Pumpkin Roll Create a start and finish line by placing a strip of electrical tape on the ground.  Break players evenly into two teams and line them up.  Set two pumpkins on their sides at the starting line and give the first player in each line a sturdy broom.  At "GO" the object is to propel the pumpkin across the finish line and pick it up run back to their team and give it to the next person in line.  First team to have all players cross the finish line wins.
Candy Ring Game Drop a plastic table cloth on the floor (preferably Autumn color).  Cover it with candy and trinkets such as toys, , pencils etc.   Have the children stand a distance from the table cloth and toss one or two rings.  Whatever their ring encompasses they get to keep.  Be sure to have goodie bags available.  This game has always been a great hit with the kids.	Pumpkin Pumpkin Arrange players in a circle. Pass  a Pumpkin around and have everyone recite the following poem: Pumpkin, Pumpkin around you go --  Where you'll stop, nobody knows. But when you do, someone must say, What they are thankful for today. The player holding the pumpkin at the end of the poem must say one thing for which they are thankful and step out of the circle.   This continues until everyone has had a turn.
Words of Thanks   Thank You for the world so sweet, Thank You for the food we eat, Thank You for the birds that sing, Thank You, God, for everything! Amen.   God is great God is good We thank him for the food we eat Amen

Click Here For Thanksgiving Crafts and Party Decorating Ideas

Click Here for Tips on Carving a Turkey
Compliments of http://www.apples4theteacher.com

 Thanksgiving Movies and Books For Kids

Movies

Winnie the Pooh - Seasons of Giving  -- A collection of Winnie the Pooh's memorable holiday adventures, as Winnie, Piglet, Rabbit, and Tigger set out to find the right ingredients for Winter, they learn how to manage a festive Thanksgiving dinner.

Mouse on the Mayflower - This Thanksgiving tale, that tells the story of a brave little mouse, on a musical voyage to America.

Garfield: Holiday Celebrations - Three cartoons featuring the holiday adventures of the Garfield. The first is a Halloween adventure where Garfield gets stuck in a haunted house populated by spectral pirates.  The second, "A Garfield Christmas" features Garfield and Odie home alone while Jon visits Grandma on the farm.  The third, is a Thanksgiving tale where Jon has a hot date for Thanksgiving dinner.

Miracle on 34th Street - Kris Kringle is hired to play himself at Macy's Department Store in New York City. He finds himself in a situation where he must convince an unbelieving little girl, and others, that he is the real Santa. As the film begins with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, it is perfect to watch on Thanksgiving Day.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving - Charlie Brown is in charge of the Thanksgiving dinner where Peppermint Patty and pals drop by unexpectedly and expect food.

Caillou: Caillou's Holidays - Caillou loves the holidays - and Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are his favorites!

Hoboken Chicken Emergency - When Mr. & Mrs. Bobowicz send their son Arthur to buy a turkey for Thanksgiving, they aren't expecting him to bring home a 266 pound live chicken named Henrietta

A Rugrats Thanksgiving - Determined to protect Mr. Turkey from the serving platter, the Rugrats uncover the real meaning of the first American holiday.  

Books

Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland and Sonja Lamut

10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston and Richard F. Deas

Thanksgiving on Thursday (Magic Tree House #27) by Mary Pope Osborne and Sal Murdocca

Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving by Ann Mcgovern and Elroy Freem

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving by Peanuts

  Thanksgiving Links

Create custom bingo cards for any activity or event 

The History of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Costumes/Accessories

Placecards for Thanksgiving

 THANKSGIVING PARTY/DINNER RECIPES

Click here for Thanksgiving Dinner Checklist
 

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Pretzel Rods
3 or more bags of melting chocolate
(depends on the number of kids)
Autumn Sprinkles
Wax Paper

Melt chocolate in crock pot on high stirring occasionally.  Once chocolate is melted have kids dip the pretzel into the chocolate and then into the sprinkles.  Give them a piece of wax paper to put it on to dry

Marshmallow Pilgrim Hats
Compliments familyfun.go.com

24 chocolate-striped shortbread cookies

Turkey Bread

Author unknown

Cut the top off a round loaf of bread, hollow out the center, and fill with store-bought dip. Slice the loaf top in half for the bird's wings and attach them with toothpicks.

To make the head, cut an X in a roll and insert a carrot tip for the nose with a red pepper wattle. Use toothpicks to attach the head and raisin eyes.

For "feathers," slice a zucchini, summer squash, and carrot lengthwise into 1/4-inch slabs and push into bamboo skewers. For a feathery look, jag the edges, then stick into the bread.