The kids are off for the entire week of Thanksgiving. From how to get out and get active as a family to ways to get in the holiday spirit, Family Entourage has got you covered so you’re not hearing your kids say they’re bored!
Turkey Trot with a Twist
The average American consumes close to 5,000 calories on Thanksgiving day. While it can be fun to indulge in our favorite seasonal treats, we love getting out and getting active as a family. Turkey trots can be fun to do as a group, but if you missed the deadline, why not take advantage of all the gorgeous trails in your area. Whether it is going for a walk as a family along the beach, checking out a new hiking trail or climb to your favorite lookout point, hiking can be a great activity before the big meal. Try not to overwhelm yourself or your family. It is better to start with something achievable and a hike that everyone can get excited about so that they will want to do it again. Don’t forget to protect your skin! Coolibar is a great option whether you are going for a hike or headed to somewhere warmer for break. From dresses and shirts to hats and swimsuits, they make a wide range of clothing with UPF 50.
Tested more than any other brand, endorsed by experts worldwide and recommended by dermatologists, Coolibar industry-leading fabrics block 98% of UVA/UVB rays to provide you with ultimate UPF 50+ protection guaranteed for the life of the garment as set by ASTM/AATCC standards. The protection also won’t wash out or lessen in the chlorinated water. We also just love the fabrics that Coolibar uses. They have the same great technology as other athletic apparel, and they are buttery soft. Some of our favorites are the Interval jacket, Mendocino Skort, and anything with Lumaleo!
Travel Tips for Families
This is a peak time of travel for families and keeping little hands busy, and not getting into mischief (or being bored) takes some careful pre-planning! But we’re excited to say it can be simple and inexpensive — two of the words mom’s love to hear!
The new Wixels sets from Crayola are an innovative way to do pixel art while teaching concentration and patience in a creative way. The set comes with markers and boards that you press the color against and see your masterpiece come to life. Another fantastic feature is that Wixels are reusable! This way the creativity can flow traveling TO grandma’s and BACK.
It’s lightweight and compact so perfect for a car ride, flight or at a restaurant! Definitely in our travel bags and packed for meal’s out.
Make Memories Together
The Thanksgiving holiday usually marks the onset of the holiday season. An annual tradition for our families is painting ceramics and bringing home the keepsakes. We love CeramiCafe because it’s such a fun environment and they have so many pieces to pick from, or you can completely come up with your own design. We get creative with handprints, let the kids fully takeover their items with ideas and paint. Be sure to date the bottom as it’s so fun to look back as you display throughout the year in their rooms or your home. From piggy banks of their favorite characters to plates, mugs and more, the kids love finding a piece to make their own. We enjoy watching them use their creations. CeramiCafe is such a fun spot for a rainy or cold day too. There’s plenty of table space to spread out and paint with your group. We always love being creative with the kids and love how CeramiCafe inspires that.
A fun idea is to meet up with friends or teammates and paint an ornament. Have everyone wear their favorite Christmas sweaters or pajamas. It can be a fun Christmas party idea. We also love the gift of time together, so when people ask what gift they can get we love a date with grandma to Ceramic Cafe.
Inspire Gratitude through DIY Games
This time of year can get busy and we want to make sure thankfulness and a heart of gratitude doesn’t get lost between the amazing feast and the Black Friday strategizing.
Here is a DIY game you can even do at the Thanksgiving table, at the end everyone ends up with a feathered headband full of gratitude — plus you learn a little bit more about everyone. Get colored construction paper. Make a key card that assigns a color with a gratitude prompt, for example, red might be “a family member you are grateful for,” while green could be “an activity you are grateful for” and so for. Then cut the matching colored construction paper in feathers. Make a paper headband and staple it together. Get a giant bowl and put all the construction paper feathers in the middle. Then go around the table, each person closes their eyes and picks a feather. Depending on the color, they then answer the prompt and write in on the feather. After the staple it in their headband, the next person continues and you keep playing until you’re full of feathers and gratitude for all.
Something that is really simple and fun for all, regardless of age, is a Thankful from A-Z sheet. You can make it yourself, or download a free printable from Written Reality where you think of something you are thankful for that starts with each letter of the alphabet.
