Top 5 Nontraditional Thanksgiving Ideas

When we moved across the country away from our large extended families, my husband and I knew that we needed to think differently about the Holidays and how we could still make them special for our kids. Thankfully, our boys adjusted quickly to our nontraditional Thanksgiving. Turns out they prefer a lazy day of grazing on their favorite snacks and feasting on carnitas tacos instead of a big turkey dinner. Go figure! For entertainment, they enjoy having a movie marathon or binge watching one of their favorite tv shows. We’ve spent quite a few Thanksgivings watching Doctor Who and it looks like it’ll be making the rounds again this year!

So for this post, I thought I’d go hunting for some more non-traditional activities and share my favorites with you all. Who knows, I just might add a few new ones into my family’s mix!

Please note that this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

1. Spend the Day Outdoors.

Depending on where you live and the weather conditions in your area, this may be an amazing way to spend Thanksgiving Day with family and/or friends. This might mean going on a hike or possibly taking part in a turkey trot in the morning. Camping might also have a lot of appeal to your family or perhaps sitting around a small pit fire in the evening with some friends is more your speed. Be sure to save some room for Smore’s!

Below are some fab finds to ensure that your day outdoors is enjoyable.

2. Theme it Up.

Creativity knows no bounds with this one and is largely dependent on the age and interests of your guests. While the themes below are linked to movies or tv shows, you could go in a completely different direction.

Stand by Me– A classic coming of age movie about friendship might be more in line with your guests interests and the theme of this year’s activity. I can imagine sitting around a pit fire and sharing stories or possibly having a pie eating contest.

Italian– The dinner menu might include wine, pasta, breads, olive oil, salad, and tiramisu for dessert. Perhaps The Godfather Collection is what will be playing in the background.

Mad Men– Perhaps if your guests are creatives and enjoy cocktails, binge watching this 1960s period drama and mixing up some old fashioned drinks could be a blast.

SpongeBob SquarePants– For a theme that may appeal to a younger crowd or the young at heart, watching a SpongeBob movie or binge watching some episodes might be fun. If you could get your hands on the coveted recipe, Krabby patties would certainly need to be on the menu.

3. Conduct Taste Testing Experiments.

Do you have any die hard Coke or Pepsi fans you’ll be spending Thanksgiving Day with? Can they pick out their favorite cola in a blind taste test? What if you introduced RC Cola to the mix or a sugar free alternative? The possibilities are endless. Maybe your guests would rather find out how Breyer’s Double Chocolate Brownie ice cream stacks up to Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie. I know I would!

4. Flip the Script.

This year flip the script by asking guests to bring a dish or be more involved in the cooking and planning of activities. Everyone contributes in some way. They can decide or maybe you provide some suggestions for what would be really helpful.

This may also be the year to introduce new menu items instead of the standard fare.

Or, perhaps this is the year for a Friendsgiving instead of traveling most of the day to spend with extended family.

5. Get Crafty.

For those creatives out there, this one’s for you! Again, the sky’s the limit. The trick is selecting an activity that all skill levels can enjoy. This might be the time to switch gears a bit and start looking ahead toward the winter Holidays. From Christmas ornaments, to wreaths and snow globes, the possibilities are endless.

What about you? What nontraditional activity will you give a try? Please share in the comments below.

Traditional Thanksgiving and Fall Printables

For those of you not quite committed to a nontraditional Thanksgiving Day, I have a collection of Thanksgiving and Fall Printables on my Etsy shop that you might be interested in.