Thanksgiving break is such a cozy time, especially with the weather finally starting to get chilly but not freezing. You get to wear your nicest sweater and comfy pants, and best of all, you get to spend an entire day (if you have massive leftovers to take care of, perhaps even the next week) eating the most delicious food that warms your heart. Seriously, it’s my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving is also a wonderful chance to spend quality time with loved ones and friends.
So often, though, we get caught up in holiday preparations, football rivalries, and trying to cram as much excitement as we can into our short time at home before jumping into finals week. By the time we leave, it feels like we’ve hardly spent any time hanging out with family and friends. Here are six ideas to help you save money, relax, and have the best time with your loved ones over Thanksgiving break:
- Board Games
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I know, I’m starting off this list with an obvious activity: we all play board games with our family. Nevertheless, they must be included because they’re so much fun. Whether your family is into trivia, cards, or games that prompt you to answer funny questions, tangible games are a hit with all ages. They’re great conversation starters or avoiders if that’s what you need, and they’re the catalysts for amazing family memories.
Last Christmas, my sister and I took out all the original photos from the game Guess Who and replaced them with pictures of our family members and pets. This was hilarious to play during the Holidays. Some other good game recommendations are Apples to Apples, 5 Second Role, and Uno. There are so many board games out there, and they’re even better when you’re cozy, laughing, and full of Thanksgiving dinner.
- Gift Exchange
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This one is a little more out there, but it could be so much fun to do with your hometown friends or extended family over Thanksgiving. Every year, sometime between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, my extended family does a white-elephant-style gift exchange where we get the most ridiculous gifts, roll dice, and open the items in front of everyone. Everyone gets so creative with their gift ideas, and it’s so much fun to see what’s underneath the wrapping, which is often mischievous. You can also scale this idea down a bit by having everyone grab a random item from home and bring it.
- Baking and Cooking
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Thanksgiving is a holiday that’s dedicated to eating, so why not continue that sentiment with your family and friends and cook or bake something together? You could all work together to create a lavish, five-course meal or simply bake and decorate cookies. Alternatively, you could pretend you’re on the TV show Chopped, and each person could receive a bag of ingredients to use to prepare a dish in a certain amount of time (warning: this could get wild!).
You could also go to a brand-new restaurant or coffee shop together and sample a bunch of different things. Around the holidays, my family likes to try crazy flavors of chips or candy and play roulette with them. Yeah, we’re a little nuts, but we have a great time. Food tends to bring people together, you know.
- Solving a Mystery
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Surprise! Your Thanksgiving dinner this year will actually result in you and your family becoming private investigators! I’m just kidding, but why not pretend to solve a mystery together? One way you can do this is by going to an escape room. These are venues where you and your group are locked in a room together, and you have a certain amount of time to crack the code to a make-believe case. It’s a great family bonding activity, especially for those family members with a competitive edge.
Another very interactive and mystery-related thing to do with your family and friends is to get together for a Murder Mystery Dinner. You and your party will each become a character in a make-believe murder case and act as that character while you eat dinner and try to figure out who in the party is the murderer. This really brings out the goofy side in all members involved and can create a lifetime of memories.
- Holiday Markets and Lights
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What better way to kick off the Winter Holidays with some festive activities? Many places have Christmas decorations on display by the time Thanksgiving break begins. Therefore, you and your family and friends can drive around one evening and explore the local light displays.
Also, in addition to Black Friday shopping, small businesses have their own launch into the Christmas shopping season, called Small Business Saturday, which takes place the Saturday right after Thanksgiving. This is an awesome time to visit small businesses in your area, start your holiday shopping, and score some good deals on unique and amazing items.
- Community Service
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Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for what we have. How about spreading that gratitude and compassion for others with your family and doing something altogether to serve people in the community? My family likes to shop for Christmas gifts for children in our area who are housing insecure. It’s a blast getting to pick out these gifts for them.
You could also participate in a running or walking event, like a Turkey Trott, to enjoy the fall weather and help raise money for charity. Another great idea is doing a closet cleanout and donating clothing you no longer need to local shelters. Let me tell you, cleaning with other people is much better than cleaning alone.
Which of these ideas do you look forward to doing with your family and friends over Thanksgiving break?
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