Thanksgiving Ideas For 2023

The holiday season is here and we are sharing some ideas to make the days ahead of us festive and magical for your family, especially if you have kids. Now, let’s explore some Thanksgiving ideas for 2023 for all of you living in Jersey City, Hoboken, or nearby. 

Thanksgiving Menu

Even though many of us will spend Thanksgiving in our homes with our immediate family members, we can still have a nice traditional meal that day. Of course, the whole purpose of this holiday is not in winning and dining, but in getting together with the ones we love most and sharing what we are thankful for. If your family and all your loved ones are healthy, you have a lot for which to be grateful.

So, if you are not hosting Thanksgiving this year, you should be careful about the quantities of food you plan to prepare. If you live alone or with one more person, food delivery or takeout might be practical. Many restaurants will have special daily offers for the day – from turkey specialties to various sauces and pies.

On the other hand, if you would like this Thursday to be as similar to the previous years as possible, you can start looking for Thanksgiving recipes to make at home. Preparing food for holidays is fun, and many families with kids look forward to it. If you have little ones in your home, let them participate in some simple tasks like frosting cupcakes, making a salad, or even helping you with the gravy. It will keep their little hands busy while you prepare the turkey and lay the table.

Family time at home – Thanksgiving ideas for 2023

There are so many family games available that you won’t even know where to start. Here are some of our best ideas:

• Pin the feather on the turkey – obviously, that is a Thanksgiving version of the popular game called Pin the tail on the donkey. Younger kids will enjoy this game.
• Scavenger hunt – can be played by both younger and older kids and adults.
• Memory matching game – this game is an excellent choice for every time of year, so why not play it on Thanksgiving? To make the game more fun, print the cards with Thanksgiving motives.
• Puzzles – get a big Thanksgiving-themed puzzle you can assemble with your family and have it framed afterward to remind you of this holiday in 2020 when everything was different.

Arts and crafts

Making decorations for Thanksgiving can be a nice way to spend some quality time with your family. If you lack ideas, you can always search online, but we suggest you try some of the following:

• Leaf placemats – these decorations can be made of felt, cardboard, or paper, and they can serve as coasters or as simple decorating items for your table.
• Yarn pumpkins – make some pumpkins using yarn, some flour, food coloring, and several balloons. Kids like to get their hands dirty, and if you are satisfied with the results, you can use these pumpkins to decorate your Christmas tree after Thanksgiving is over.
• Turkey made of pine cones – this is a rather inexpensive way to make Thanksgiving-themed decorations while the results can be amazing.
• Pom-pom turkey – again, easy to make and no special materials needed; you probably already have everything at home.
• Corn husk painting – kids can entertain themselves by coloring corn husks to make decorations of their own choice.

Indoor things to do in Jersey City and Hoboken

There are many indoor activities that you can do in the area around this time. For instance, you can visit:

• Adventure Aquarium – don’t hesitate if your kids would like to know more about sea life;
• Liberty Science Center – your little scientists will enjoy every second they spend exploring, and you might learn some new things too!
• Big Snow – if you and your family cannot wait for the snow to start falling, you can visit this indoor park offering a real snowy experience whether you are fans of skiing, snowboarding, or any other snow-related activity;
• Escape room – for families with children over eight and real adventure lovers!

Before you decide to take your family to any of the places mentioned above, you should double-check whether they are open and make your reservation. 

Check out The Macys Thanksgiving Parade

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off another holiday season in 2023. Get ready for giant balloons, fantastic floats, bands, performances and so much more! You can also stream it on NBC or Peacock from 9am-noon if you cant make it!

We hope that we have inspired you with our Thanksgiving ideas for 2023. Stay safe and healthy! Happy Thanksgiving!

Author Bio: Angie Sims

Angie Sims used to work in the traveling industry for 6 years, and now she works in the relocation industry. For the last 3 years, she has been specializing in helping people with their domestic and international relocation. She is also a full-time mom and a part-time blog writer. From her own experiences, she writes about traveling and moving with children on her blog.