One thing’s for sure, with this season, comes a lot of strong opinions. Autumn This or That questions are a fun way to find out where your family stands on some pretty important topics, like pecan pie or pumpkin pie and hot chocolate versus cider. Without these Autumn This or That questions, you might have gone your whole marriage without realizing your husband has been secretly hoping for pecan pie!

This free printable is fun for a car ride on Thanksgiving Day, your child’s class party, or even to print out and put in goody bags at your church’s fall festival. However you use these Autumn This or That questions, you’ll be sure to launch a fun conversation. You could even let the kids state their case, debate style. You never know, maybe your daughter’s stance on mashed potatoes will reveal you have a future lawyer in the family.

Want more questions like these? We have Christmas This or That questions and Summer This or That questions. We also have loads of great conversation starters about light topics like friendship and more serious ones like drugs, alcohol, and peer pressure. Some of the best conversations start with a single question and then intentional listening. So print our This or That pages and Conversation Starters today.

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Of course, you and I know being with family and friends is more valuable than any candy haul or mountain of gifts. We understand that gratitude is a character trait that leads to greater joy. But try telling that to an 8-year-old who doesn’t like turkey, runs from dirty dishes, and just wants to get the day over with so the Christmas countdown can begin.

Whether you have a kiddo who would rather sleep through Thanksgiving or one who is the first to wake up and help baste the turkey, there are small things moms can do to make the day more festive and kid-friendly. That’s where our Thanksgiving This or That printable comes in. After you’ve used something like our Thanksgiving Story Cards to put the focus on being thankful, switch to a lighter tone with our Thanksgiving This or That questions. When you’re done asking your kids the questions, grab them in a big hug and say, “You know what I’m thankful for? You!” And tickle them until their laughter fills the room.

You can also expand upon our This or That Thanksgiving questions by getting all of your Thanksgiving guests involved. If your kids can read, have them ask the this or that questions to everyone gathered around the table. Then, have each person come up with at least one This or That question to share with the group. See, Thanksgiving sounds more fun, already!

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We all have much to be grateful for, on and around the Thanksgiving table. Our Thanksgiving jokes for kids will add laughter to that list. A bonus: The kids won’t fight over the turkey’s wishbone when they are tickling everyone’s funny bone! Gobble, gobble!

Need more laughs? Find 100 more jokes for kids here!

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Choose the housework items you need to be done from the cards below. Place them in a bowl and let everyone grab one or two depending on how many chores you have. You can separate the jobs into before, during, and after dinner, and have each member of the family draw one chore from each group. We’ve included several blank cards so you can make your own chores. 

If you’re brave, allow your kids to each write one task they think they should be in charge of that isn’t already on the list. You never know. They might come up with something you didn’t think they’d be willing to do, like clean the bathroom or sweep the front porch. Write the name of the person who’s doing the chore on the checklist, and have them check it off when their mission is accomplished. 

If you are the host for all of the holiday gatherings, don’t be afraid to ask your extended family to participate and choose a card. Most people want to help but don’t know what needs to be done, while some are just happy to have an excuse to get out of a tense conversation. Whether you ask them to lend a hand or tell them to put their feet up, your guests will notice the team effort your family has put in. 

If you liked our Holiday Helper Cards, try our Clean Up Cards printable!

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The beauty of this holiday planner printable is that it helps you plan for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since the holidays are just one month apart, some of the tasks can be bundled into one. Way to work smarter, not harder, Mom! The planner also sets a nice pace to the season, so you’re not doing everything two days before Thanksgiving, or the weekend before Christmas. The best part about that is that you’ll likely panic when you think about something that needs to be done and it will dawn on you, “I did that two weeks ago! Thanks, iMOM Holiday Planner!”

Coming in a few weeks late? No biggie! Just jump in and start with the week you’re on. Getting organized late is better than not getting organized at all! Look back over the weeks that have passed and decide if there are any must-dos. If not, carry on! The planner might even help you think of things you’ve never done that will make your Thanksgiving and Christmas planning smoother.

So print our 7 Week Holiday Planner today and use it to keep the thanks in your Thanksgiving, the calm in your Christmas, and major holiday mishaps far away. Here are more great Thanksgiving and Christmas printables.

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Do you have any fun family traditions on Thanksgiving? Aside from eating a good meal together, another way to make memories on Thanksgiving is to do our Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt. You’ll just have to hide some clues around the house before you get started. But once you’re ready, you can read the opening rhyme to the kids to get things going. They’ll learn some fun facts about Thanksgiving as they work together to search for these indoor clues. Don’t be surprised if you hear lots of laughter! It’ll be fun for the rest of the family to see the children do this scavenger hunt too! Think about what prize you might leave at the end of the hunt. Is it a Christmas DVD? Or the football to start the family game? Or maybe it’s a board game?

When you return to the table for a second helping of turkey or an extra slice of pumpkin pie, you can quiz your kids on the Thanksgiving facts they learned while doing their Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt. It’s an easy way to include your little ones in the festivities and make the day more memorable for all of you.

Keep the fun going! Try these 15 fall riddles and 20 fun Thanksgiving jokes with your kids too. Don’t forget to check out the rest of our scavenger hunts on iMOM.com!

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Today, the food on our tables probably arrived with a bit less uncertainty than it did for the pilgrims. We just have to make sure the turkey is set out in time to fully defrost! But we still find ourselves grateful for the plump bird, the warm, savory stuffing, and the cranberry sauce that jiggles across the plate. Oh, and the pie. We’re grateful for the pie. But our Thanksgiving prayers often shift from food to the things not on the table, like the people, our health, and God’s provision. 

Any words of gratitude that come from the heart are well said, but if you find you get tongue-tied or you need an idea for Thanksgiving prayers, this list of 15 provides variety and depth. You don’t have to save them for turkey day either! You could pray one each night for two weeks leading up to the holiday and then hold onto your favorite for Thanksgiving Day. If you love leftovers, maybe save two prayers! Everyone in the family would get a chance to lead a prayer and thank God for His blessings.  

So, when you gather for Thanksgiving this year, consider saying some of these Thanksgiving prayers. Encourage others to chime in and add what they are grateful for, and don’t miss some of our other fun Thanksgiving activities like this scavenger hunt and these Thanksgiving jokes for kids. 

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Throughout the American Revolution, government officials set aside days of prayer to recognize military victories over the British armies. In 1789, Representative Elias Boudinot from New Jersey requested that Congress persuade President Washington to declare a thanksgiving observance in honor of the creation of the new U.S. Constitution. Washington himself celebrated by attending services at St. Paul’s Chapel in New York City and by donating beer and food to imprisoned debtors in the city.

He sent the following, along with the proclamation, to the Governors of the United States:

“I do myself the honor to enclose to your Excellency a Proclamation for a general Thanksgiving which I must request the favor of you to have published and made known in your State in the way and manner that shall be most agreeable to yourself.” 

It wasn’t until President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Proclamation that Thanksgiving was regularly commemorated each year on the last Thursday of November. Now every year we get together with family to pray, laugh, thank the Lord for what he has provided, and eat delicious food.

Get in the holiday spirit. Print the proclamation and let your kids announce the words of President Washington. Be sure to check out our Thanksgiving Story Cards and our Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt.

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Thanksgiving is a great day to spend with family and eat a big meal together. But it’s more than just turkey, stuffing, and pies (though that’s pretty awesome too!). Thanksgiving also gives us the opportunity to teach our children a little more about being thankful. What does it mean to be thankful? And why should we spend time talking about gratitude? Not only does being grateful make those around us feel appreciated but we’re reminded of all our blessings. It’s important not to take what and who we love for granted.

As we get closer to Thanksgiving, why not print out our Thanksgiving Tree Thankful printable? It’s a quick little craft to do with your kids. Print the sheets, cut out the leaves, punch a hole at the top, and attach a string to each one. You can hang one ornament per day and say a prayer of thanks for whatever is written on the ornament. You can stick to the ideas we’ve provided or add more to the blank ornaments.

Once you print our Thanksgiving Tree printable, you can use it on a miniature Christmas tree, hang it as garland on the mantle, or tape it up over the bathroom mirror as a daily reminder of all the reasons your family is thankful.

Using our printable gives your children something to be thankful for each day. By the way, we are thankful for you!

Be sure to check out iMOM’s other fun Thanksgiving activities. You might also enjoy our Thanksgiving riddles with a second helping of pumpkin pie!

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iMOM’s Thanksgiving Lunchbox Notes add a tiny dose of gratitude and thoughtfulness to any kid’s lunch, and boy do kids need it! Even though Thanksgiving is near, they are still feeling the stress of schoolwork and friendship issues. A note from you saying you’re thankful to be their mom will feel like a warm hug. These sweet-as-pumpkin pie lunchbox notes are perfect for encouraging and loving your kids in the middle of their school day and getting them excited for Thanksgiving food, traditions, and fun!

So keep them in a secret (but handy) place, and after lunch is packed, grab your scissors and cut out the note that you think will bring a smile to your little turkey’s face. You could even print these Thanksgiving lunchbox notes on adhesive paper and stick one to a turkey sandwich as a teaser for the big meal. And speaking of the big meal, why not use these sweet notes as place cards at the kids’ table? All the kiddos will feel special as they sit down to enjoy dinner. 

If you love using lunchbox notes at the holidays, we have some for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and the end of the school year. But it doesn’t have to be a special occasion to send a midday message of love. We have so many more free lunchbox notes, including ones created specifically for boys, girls, elementary kids, and high schoolers.

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