5 Ways Kids Can Help With Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is a chaotic day, and if you happen to have kids in the house, prep work can feel overwhelming. Eventually you'll find yourself sequestered in the kitchen, missing out on quality family time. But what if we told you there was a way to keep the kids busy while spending quality time with them? The solution is simple: have them help. Those little hands can help you make the perfect family meal, from the planning to the meal making. Your kids will love that they were a part of making this special meal happen, and you'll be thankful for the extra eager help.

Check out our ideas to getting the kids involved in Thanksgiving dinner here:

• Make a List Together
  Thanksgiving dinner is not possible without planning, so enlist the help of your little ones. Before you head out, sit down and make a list with them. This is a great way to get conversations going about past favorite Thanksgiving foods and memories.
• Go Shopping Together
  Once you're done making the plan, head out to the grocery store and send the kids on an aisle scavenger hunt to find all of the necessities! Just be sure to give them very specific instructions, to cut down on time.
• Design Seating Cards Together
  When setting the Thanksgiving table, it is always a good idea to have place settings to make seating arrangements easier. Sit down with the kids and make simple place settings by writing down the guests' names on pieces of patterned scrapbook paper. Then, under their names, have each child write one thing they are thankful for about each person.
• Dinner Prep
  There are so many things going on during Thanksgiving, it is easy to get overwhelmed and be tempted to send the kids off with a separate activity to keep them occupied. But those little hands can be put to good use during dinner preparations. Have them wash off all of the vegetables and give them small jobs like snapping off the ends of the green beans for the casserole.
• Put Them in Charge
  Have your kids be your extra eyes in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day. If they are old enough and a dish requires constant stirring, put them in charge of it. As your kid plays at the kitchen table, ask them to keep an eye on boiling water or sauces and to let you know when they start to bubble.