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Thanksgiving is a time of coming together, which means more than one family in a house. In most situations, this also means that there will be more children around as the Thanksgiving dinner is organized and prepared. This Thanksgiving, rather than switching on the TV, take control of the situation. Whether you’re hosting the dinner or traveling as one of the guests, there are several things you can do to make sure that the children stay safely entertained without TV while the adults are busy.
Give Them a Project:
Have coloring sheets, puzzles and Thanksgiving printable printed off for the kids to work on. SMARTS Club has SMARTS Thanksgiving booklet (2) ready for you. These are fun and skill building activity for kids Age 3 -12.
Assign a Leader:
Are there older children in the group? If so, assign one or two leaders in front of the smaller children. Their job as leader is to make sure that the small ones don’t get hurt. Keep the rules simple but specific: too many rules for the leader means that he or she is sure to forget something important.
If there are no older children in the group, ask an adult if they are going to be in the same room as the children for a certain period of time. By asking if they’ll be around the children, they’ll feel obligated to keep an eye on the group.
Provide Healthy Snacks:
Have healthy snacks, such as mini-sandwiches and veggie or fruit sticks, prepared and sitting in the fridge. If the kids begin to get unruly, simply sit the snacks out and announce that it’s “snack time”. Stay away from stain-causing condiments and dips. Make sure each child takes at least one snack and put the rest away for later.
Designate a Kids’ Area:
Most importantly, designate an area for the kids, away from the kitchen and the football game, but still where parents can keep a constant eye on them. This way the kids will feel as if they have place where they can play.
One great option is to provide them with sheets and boxes in a wide area with no shelved ceramics, collectables, or lamps. This way the kids can build a fort to play in (and likely nap in, as well) before and after Thanksgiving dinner.
Hope these tips prove to be helpful and you all have a great Thanksgiving holiday.