Thanksgiving offers for families the favorite holiday of the year. Turkey, pumpkin pie and football alone can make for a spectacular day. And, for those who cherish quality family time, there is perhaps no better chance to make special connections with your grandchildren. Other holidays are certainly unique and special in their own way, but can simply seem so BUSY.
Turkey day is a more relaxed affair in our family. Sure, there's certainly some planning and preparations required by the host family. (especially the cook!) But, the essence of the holiday is enjoyed over the duration of an entire day. Family quality time and thankful reflection are intermingled with some favorite American pasttimes: football, outdoor play, movies, indoor games, and lots of warm laughter. Not to forget...sweet, sweet gluttony. Did I mention stuffing and mashed potatoes?
On a sincere note, Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reflect on the blessings in our life and during the course of the year. And, with the chaotic pace of life in America today, a planned pause to self-reflect is often a necessary and well-received blessing in its own right. For we often forget that we are living in the most bountiful time of American history. And that the very roots of the Thanksgiving tradition stem from the extraordinary courage & sacrifice of those who came before us...
Thanksgiving History
During the harsh winter of 1620, nearly half the Pilgrims of Plymouth Rock lost their lives! The nearby Wampanoag Indian tribe befriended the Pilgrims and helped them to plant crops and hunt for food. The following Autumn of 1621, the Pilgrims invited the Wampanoag tribe to a 3 day feast, following their success in collecting a bountiful harvest of food for the coming winter. Imagine the hardships of overcoming the loss of half their people, and the pride & accomplishment in building new friendships and overcoming such great adversity! Thus, the tradition of the American Thanksgiving was born...a time of thankful reflection.
Want a cool way to remind your little ones about Thanksgiving? Gather them together and check out the history of Thanksgiving video over at History.com. Encourage your grandchildren to consider the many blessings in their lives and how America has carried on the tradition of giving thanks for nearly 400 years.
Giving Back
Remind your grandchildren that there are many families & children much less fortunate. Listed below are a couple charity websites you can visit with your grandchild to make a donation, or better yet, to inspire them to volunteer locally for others in need. Through Feeding America, you can enter your zipcode to find the local Food Bank. Pull together some food to donate and take a ride with your grandchildren to drop it off. Children learn by example. And, this one won't be forgotten.
Thanksgiving is also the perfect time to connect with your grandchildren and take a legacy-building step. Have you outlined your legacy thoughts yet? If not, visit Create Your Legacy for guidance and a free legacy planning worksheet.
With a legacy theme in mind, plan something unique for Thanksgiving day that matches your grandchildrens' interests & your own. It doesn't have to be a grand gesture, or day long activity...simple things can be incredibly impactful. Get creative & make it PLAY. Kids of all ages love to play, and it's the ultimate method of learning, and translating your wisdom to your heirs. Have a blast!
If you're early on in your legacy building effort, and don't have a legacy theme in mind...then don't miss the opportunity Thanksgiving offers to identify your grandchild's unique values and interests. Pay special attention to the games they'd like to play and how they divy up their holiday time...it can be incredibly insightful to simply observe.
Regardless of where you are in your legacy efforts, you'll find a number of ideas to spur your thinking on this page. Step outside the norm, and get creative!
For some families, Thanksgiving also marks the official start of the Holiday season. Plan for a unique surprise in a phonecall to your grandchild from Santa Claus! Or, have a very special letter arrive direct from the North Pole!
Be sure to start asking your grandkids now for their Christmas wishes. And, get a jump on your Holiday shopping below, where we've pulled some of the HOTTEST TOYS this year!
Outdoor Play
With the family together for Thanksgiving, you know the kids are going to be wild with holiday energy. Create the perfect outlet for burning some of that youthful energy with outdoor activities. Besides, the adults will need some quiet time indoors to finish meal preparations or some peace to watch the big game. Or, if you're like me...you'll be out rolling in the leaves along with the kids!
Here are a couple outdoor play ideas below. For more, visit the Outdoors page.
Looking for some Indoor game and play ideas? Visit the Indoors page.
Movies
During rainy weather, or after a few hours of nerf football with the kids outside, Thanksgiving offers a great time to get the family snuggled together and settled in to enjoy a family movie. So grab some blankets and pop the popcorn! This year, there are a number of great DVDs your kids will love, and of course, any holiday just isnt' complete without Charlie Brown!
High Definition TV
One sure fire way to spruce up your Thanksgiving is enjoy the movies, videogames, and of course, the football game on your new High Definition television set. Watching sports, and especially football bring out the best qualities of the high definition format. You are absolutely guaranteed to feel like you are on the field and part of the action. When the winning coach is hit with a cooler of Gatorade, you will duck! You'll be wishing you had bought this new set a LONG time ago...and the grandchildren will love it too!
VideoGame Consoles & Games
Kids love variety in their play. And while our little ones will spend a good deal of time outdoors in the leaves and tossing the nerf footballs...we'll certainly have some video game time as well on Thanksgiving.
Kids today are electronically "connected" and it will be amazing to see the technologies they utilize in their coming years. But, it doesn't come without risk. The videogame market gets well-deserved criticism for the content value of some games...so as parents / grandparents, we have to remain viligant to provide some guidance of what is acceptable for our children. Look for family games with the EC (Early Childhood suitable) or E (Everyone) ratings. For older grandchildren, be sure to investigate in advance games rated T (Teen) and certainly be cautious (or avoid!) the M (Mature) titles.
Fortunately, there are number of family friendly games. My boys two sets of grandparents have each purchased the Wii game system. The Wii provides the best format for the casual gamer and for younger kids in my opinion. While kids of all ages can & do love the Wii...it's especially suited for the younger (10 and under) age group. Controls are more simple than other systems and involve unique "movement controls" that are intuitive, and requires physical movement. Unlike the dreaded Atari thumb kids of my generation developed...today's kids can actually get real exercise while playing games!
For older grandchildren (10 years+), the Playstation 3 offers a more sophisticated game system with incredible graphics and interconnectivity options. Via the magic of the internet, there are some games you can play games from your family room against other gamers all over the world.
Pictures & Cameras
It's Thanksgiving! Be sure to capture the moment. Make sure your digital camera and video recorders are all charged up...as you surely don't want to miss the chance to snap some great Thanksgiving pictures. Visit the Photos webpage for more camera and videocamera selections. If you don't have a newer "point & shoot" digital camera, you simply must pick one up. The choices below are favored by many. So act quickly, and don't let those treasured grandchild moments slip on by...
If you already have a digital camera but are now facing the challenge of how to organize and enjoy your photos...rest easy. You are not alone and many others find themselves in the same dillemma. Do not feel bad, or beat yourself up about it. Technology has been changing so quickly, it's a wonder anyone can keep up! Thankfully, today, there are some wonderful and easy methods to organize, share, and create photo projects. Smugmug is the answer. Click below to learn more and become the next raving fan customer of SmugMug!....
With SmugMug, your pictures are securely stored with UNLIMITED capacity. Rest easy knowing your treasures are safely protected by experts, and backup copies are even available on DVD format. Plus...and this is a super cool feature...your family & friends can see your photos at your discretion and without the annoyance of registering or advertisements! YES!
Somebody is going to put $25,000 in their child or grandchild's college fund very soon.
Why not YOU?!
Get out your new digital camera and snap away.
With Thanksgiving and the Holiday season fast approaching, opportunities to capture that magical moment (and $25 grand) are coming very soon...
Holiday Shopping
Get a jump now on the holiday shopping season. We've done some research to find out what are the most sought out gifts expected for this Christmas season. Compiled in the slideshow below, we've listed the HOTTEST TOYS! With one of these selections, your grandchildren are guaranteed to be thrilled with what they find under the tree this year!
Can't find that sought after gift from the slideshow above? Try Amazon's Holiday Toy Link below where you'll even find video demonstrations for many toys.
Good luck in your holiday shopping. And best wishes for your ongoing Legacy Creation efforts. Enjoy, and have a spectacular Thanksgiving, Christmas & Holiday Season with your families and grandchildren!
