Five Easy Ways to Make Thanksgiving More Fun in Like Two Seconds
Dog show bracket printable & more!
I am in the middle of cranberry-sauce-making and wanted to pause to share five super easy ideas to make Thanksgiving sparkle a little more this year. Not in the sense of pristine tablecloths and perfect dining ware (there is a lot of that on Pinterest already) — but in human connection!
While Pinterest and Instagram dazzle with holiday tablescapes and matching family pajamas — the reality of home for the holidays is often an experience focused more on navigating complex emotions than pure aesthetics.
Families gather around the table and so do their past pains, current conflicts, and strange ways of (not) talking about all of it. Every family falls somewhere on the spectrum of these complexities, from the extreme (see season 2, episode 6 of The Bear) to a mostly healthy, occasionally awkward family dinner.
While I am not here to offer any advice on how to deal with psychological olympics in the family kitchen, I think I have some tactful suggestions for making a holiday a little magical despite them.
The muscle of making up fun stuff out of thin air was strengthened throughout my years of nannying, camp counselor-ing, and becoming a middle school teacher.
If you are hosting in any capacity, or just want to come to the event with some ideas in your back pocket — hopefully this will help! Everything is very free or very inexpensive and something you could whip up today!
Sometimes having a good plan is what love looks like.
P.S. The Art of Gathering is one of my favorite books about hosting. The author persuaded me to never invite people over to “just chill.” There is a whole chapter about the kindness it is to have plans for your guests to participate in. Even if the plans are laid back and simple, it is still worth having them rather than making a guest guess what they should be doing. It’s a great resource.
1. My printable dog bracket
I love the dog show. I could write a paper about its aesthetics and why I love it. I have yet to find anyone as crazy obsessed with it as I am on Thanksgiving…but just in case it is your annual tradition, too…I am sharing the bracket I made this year.
You will need a highlighter and pen for your guests!
Notes:
The actual dog breeds that will compete are not announced until the day of, which is why each group has a list of the common competitors and then write-in options!
I recommend getting a prize for your winner!
Make sure you pick your group winners quickly. They announce the winners after each group is shown. No dilly-dallying on the selections. You don’t want anyone to cheat!
You can watch on NBC or stream on Peacock - it starts at 12!
If you use the bracket — tag @jennaisfeeling in your pictures so I can see your setup please! I don’t want to miss out on the joy :)
2. This playlist
Do you need music that both grandma and 5-year-old impressionable niece can listen to? I made a playlist you can use too! It is a cozy, traditional, with a little 2000s coffeehouse and indie squeezed in. (It is all clean, so no worries about suddenly having to skip).
3. Blank Slate
This is the absolute best party game we have ever purchased. I have played with kids and 80-year-olds and everyone understands it. It takes very little time to explain, and it’s even easier to play once everyone gets going. They sell it at Target, and if you need a little after-dinner activity that will make everyone talk (and laugh) — this game works like magic.
4. Thanksgiving Jeopardy
Divide the family into teams, airplay this game, and have a blast. It is completely free to play too! Let someone hammy be the host and then just go for it.
5. Print some word games
You can print out crosswords for everyone to do as they wait for the food to be finished up. There are some with expert difficulty to stump grandpas, and there are kid-friendly activities to do as well. Everything on the website is free to download and print.
I sincerely wish you a happy Thanksgiving! I am so grateful you are here on Substack with me. I am eager to share what this newsletter will grow to be!