Fun with Kids on Thanksgiving Break

It’s Thanksgiving and your nanny is off; don’t panic! My Girl Friday has some great ideas for you to do with your kids over the holiday weekend.Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a tradition since the 1940’s and families still watch it together today. It’s a great way to start out the holiday in a festive mood. Familyeducation.com even has a fabulous bingo game to play while watching!Get active! Since all the neighborhood kids are home as well, now would be a great time to hang out and get to know each other! Some great neighborhood games are: touch football/capture the flag, kickball, red light-green light, hide and seek, and freeze tag. There are also local Turkey Trots to get involved with that support great causes!Volunteer! What better way to help children practice at the spirit of giving than to empower them to give? Go shopping for an Angel Tree family, or help serve meals at a soup kitchen or shelter. Wake County’s Holiday Cheer program also matches families with community sponsors who provide them Thanksgiving and Christmas meals or gifts.

Play family board games and card games. This is a great opportunity to spend some fun down time with your kids when there are no deadlines or schedules. If your family isn’t into competition, you can play in teams or play cooperative games like Defenders of the Realm or Forbidden Island.

Do arts and crafts! Pinterest and other pro-kid websites have an endless supply of fun activities to do with kids that relate to autumn and winter seasons. It can be cathartic and relaxing simply sitting and coloring with your kids (and detoxing from the day-to-day grind).The Ice Raleigh Skating Rink opens November 19^th in downtown Raleigh. It is Raleigh’s only natural ice outdoor skating rink!The Chinese Lantern Festival is taking place at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary from November 25^th to January 15^th.Listen to carols, join in a singalong and expect a visit from Santa at the North Carolina Symphony’s Holiday Pops. This is taking place on November 25th at 7:30 p.m. and November 26th at 3 p.m. at Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh.

Visit the now open Sassafras All Children’s Playground at Laurel Hills Park. Boasting this wonderful park as Raleigh’s largest, it is designed for children of all mental and physical abilities.By: Leanne Powell, 2016