In the United States, Thanksgiving kicks off the official holiday season. Traditionally, it is celebrated with family. Family members get together and have a meal of traditional Thanksgiving foods. These foods include things such as turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and warm pumpkin pie. Besides all the great food, it is also a time to give thanks for everything good that has happened throughout the year, and gives us a good chance to show appreciation for those who support us.

As you can see, Thanksgiving allows for some wonderful emotional warmth just when the weather is starting to turn cold. Many people get the day off work, and can use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to forget about all your stress and responsibilities. And of course, you can pair that with reconnecting with family and friends who you don't get to see much.

Obviously, Thanksgiving is a great holiday for us as adults. We can enjoy the food and conversation, but after the meal, children can quickly become bored. The vast majority of schools give their students four or five long vacation days, which gives kids a lot of chances to make mischief! So it is up to you to find things to keep them entertained and out of trouble. You want to still be able to enjoy socializing with family, but still keep an eye on the kids. Here are a couple of fun indoor games then can be played by them.

The Stuffed Animal Playground

The kids can really have a lot of fun if you get a few plush animals and gather them all together. Plus, this way they'll all have a toy, and there won't be any fighting. If you choose a theme with the stuffed animals, you can really let their imaginations run wild. For example, get together all sorts of forest animals, such as stuffed foxes, stuffed bunnies, stuffed raccoons, or even a teddy bear. Then the kids can pretend that they are in the woods as the animals prepare for the winter season. This could even provide entertainment for the adults, as the kids could put together a play for everyone to watch while they are having dessert!

Coloring Books: Holiday or Winter Themes

This is a good suggestion for young children. Get together some coloring books and let them pick out their favorites pictures to draw on. Choosing books with holiday themes will make the kids feel particularly special, with a turkey, a pilgrim, a reindeer, Santa Claus, a menorah, a snowman, or anything else you can think of. This will allow them plenty of room for creativity. Plus, it has the added bonus of being a quiet activity. You can enjoy dinner without having to keep a stern eye out for trouble, and there are no dangerous objects involved.

Guessing Games

For older children, it often pays to be a bit more organized. Find some simple pictures in a magazine, and cut them out. You can find such things as animals, cars, plants, or clothing. Glue them to a piece of cardboard and put them in a box so that each child can pick one without anyone else seeing it. Then, have the other kids guess what the image is from clues that are given out.

Believe me, a couple games and entertainment will do a lot for keeping your Thanksgiving fun for everyone. Keeping the kids happy will allow you to enjoy dinner and conversation, so try them today!