Wait before you begin reading, I want to let you know that I am stepping up on my soap box. This week's tutorial addresses how you can bring the meaning of Thanksgiving into your dolls' lives.
Thanksgiving isn't one of those made up holidays in my book, not one of those holidays just to skip over, not just one the card companies made up, or an excuse that you HAVE to get together with family...it is a very meaningful holiday that can teach our dolls the importance of being thankful and the fact we have so much to be thankful for as families. Here are some ways to get the dolls involved in the meaning of thanks.
Last year our family made a Thanksgiving tree. I made up some leaves out of multi-fall colored construction paper. Every night as we sat down for dinner, each person would grab a leave and write what that person was thankful for that day. Then we arranged the leaves on the mall and eventually we had a tree of thanks. The kids loved seeing the tree grow through the month of November and each day the leaves were reminders for each of us to thankful daily.
At the first of November, fill a jar slips of paper with people or things written on it your family should be thankful for in their life. Each day, you and your family can pull one of the slips of paper and discuss. This will remind children of all those special people and activities in their lives. You can even add as some slips might spark discussion of other things to be thankful for each day.
Each week, you and your children choose a few special people to write a short note to thanking them for playing a special role in your lives. You and those you choose will be blessed as you share your thanks with them. It doesn't have to be big. If your children love to color as much as mine, it could just be a coloring page that gets sent. These special pieces of mail will make a lasting impression of the receivers and givers.
Remember those construction paper chains you use to make in grade school? Make a Thanksgiving chain adding a link with an object or person of thanks each day. Then include that chain in your Thanksgiving decorations on the special day. Kids will love the simple, but fun craft and will be so excited that their craft was include in the holiday festivities.
Take a few special food items to the local food pantry with your children and explain how it works and caring for others. If you have older children, as a family you can volunteer your time working at the food pantry or local soup kitchen. Making them aware of the fact that not everyone has their needs met and we can help others less fortunate.
Some are even small ways to remember Thanksgiving.
Let the dolls help you plan your Thanksgiving festivities. Children are always likely to take more of a vested interest when their opinion counts. Ask them about your menu or dessert. Let them color or make a craft for guests. They can even help in the kitchen if old enough. Start a tradition with them by always letting them help with a certain part of the festivities. These are things they will remember year after year.
Get out and play on those warm days of November. Being outdoors is always good for the dolls and for parents. All my to-do lists and wild things running through my head fly out the window when I get out and play with the kids. With a quiet head, I am able to really focus on the kids and even the world around me...Nature is always calming. With busy schedules, the kids will welcome some down time. After spending the time together, talk about it and how much you enjoyed each other's company. That's part of Thanksgiving...spending time with those we really care about in life.
My children love decorations and beg every year to get Thanksgiving, aka Fall, decorations out around the house. So hold off on those Christmas decorations and get some Thanksgiving ones. The dolls will be just as excited after Thanksgivings to get out those Christmas ones.
You get the drift...Being thankful is so important in our world. Making people feel valued and love it so important. Aren't these traits we want to pass on to those dolls? So pass on skipping over Thanksgiving to get to the Savior's Birth too soon. As my husband says, don't you dare turn those Christmas lights on till December 1st.
Stepping off the box now. I hope you enjoy these next few days of preparation for Thanksgiving and are reminded of those things and people we truly should be thankful for in life.
Tutorials will resume after Thanksgiving. Happy Thankful Day...that's what I like to call it!
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