Trivial Turkey Pursuits: A Little Thanksgiving Fun

Merriam's turkey, our local wild variety

You may be planning for a smaller Thanksgiving celebration than usual this year, just your immediate family or perhaps with a close neighbor with whom you spend a lot of time anyway. But that doesn't mean that it can't be fun, especially for everyone who isn't watching football. Some of these activities can even be done by telephone or whole face-timing.

Let's think about the younger children first. I've recently read that some grandparents have been teaching the youngsters to ‘Bob for Apples’ at Halloween or Thanksgiving. Yes, I did that as a child, too; but I would like to suggest a version that is easier, safer, and a lot less messy. (Younger children should probably not play either version of the game because they might choke on a piece of apple or knock out a loose tooth.) We did this in a one-room schoolhouse with children from 1st to 8th grades. It can be done outside on a clothesline or in a garage or indoor playroom with an easy-to-clean floor. You need a stout line that will give each child elbow room to compete. If possible. you need apples with stems attached. An adult might arrange that with a nearby orchard. If not, you can use a skewer to pierce the apple, thread a stout string through the hole, and anchor it at the bottom with a button or a piece of heavy cardboard. Take into consideration the heights of the children playing the game and hang each apple at the right level for biting into. The children must keep their hands behind their backs at all times. The idea is to eat bites of the apple as it swings on the end of the string. The child whose apple falls off the string first, or the one who has eaten the most of the apple at the end of a specified time, is the winner and gets a prize. An adult should supervise this activity.

A paper-plate turkey

The idea of making keepsake placemats that we suggested in our "Fun with Felt" post (October 10, 2020) is still appropriate. It can be done in advance on paper and laminated if you choose. Another idea is to make a turkey from a paper plate that can be hung up as a keepsake. Don't make realistic turkeys. A cartoon turkey in vivid colors is best and makes it easy to make each one a bit different. A larger version of this with cut-out ‘feathers’ (or real ones) can be used for a game of "Pin the Tail on the Turkey". Check with your local stores to see if any have appropriate pumpkin or turkey pinatas, too. If you are fortunate enough to have snow for Thanksgiving, (I'm writing from a place with severe drought and smoke from forest fires) the children can make "snow turkeys" just as well as "snow angels" by bringing their arms together above their heads a number of times.

Here's a Thanksgiving trivia game that older children, teens, and adults can play. It only requires pencils and paper. If they are playing for a prize, you may want to have a time limit and have duplicate prizes in case more than one person reaches the same number of correct answers. (The answers are at the end of this post.) This one can be played over the phone, too, without prizes.

Thanksgiving Trivia

1) What politician decided to change a day of fasting and thanks for a good harvest into three days of feasting with Native Americans?

2) What President refused to make Thanksgiving a national holiday because he felt it violated the first amendment to the Constitution?

3) Which President made Thanksgiving a national holiday to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November?

4) Which President changed Thanksgiving to the third Thursday in November so that there would be one more week for holiday shopping to help the economy?

5) When did live zoo animals march in the Macy's parade?

6) Which President was the first to "pardon" the turkey meant for his Thanksgiving dinner?

7) Which President pardoned the turkey in the presence of a future president who had the same last name?

8) When did the aerial balloons first appear in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade?

9) What President not only pardoned the turkey, but also sent it to Disneyland to be the Grand Marshall of their Thanksgiving Day Parade?

10) What cartoon character has appeared as a balloon the most often in the Macy's parade?

Thanksgiving Alphabet

This is another activity that can be done in advance and shared over the phone or slipped into a Thanksgiving greeting card. The idea is to write the letters of the alphabet in a vertical column on a sheet of paper. Each participant writes something he or she is thankful for that begins with each of the alphabet letters. (You would be amazed at how many people are thankful for Zebras!) The lists can be read aloud and — if desired — a prize can be given for the most complete list or the one voted the best by the group. It is an opportunity to "count our blessings" during these troubling times.

Thanksgiving Word Search

Fit these words into the puzzle:

                   Bradford                    Mayflower
                   celebration                   Pilgrim
                   cranberry                    Plymouth

duck pumpkin

fish seal

goose swan

harvest Thanksgiving

lobster tribe

maize venison

Massasoit Wampanoag

You have probably noticed that nowhere in the word search is the word "turkey". That's because there is no evidence that turkey was eaten at the First Thanksgiving.

Play "MAIZE"

This is a take-off on bingo. This takes some preparation. You will need large index cards with plain backs. Draw or print the game design on the cards. You will need one or more cards for each player. The markers should be pieces of candy corn; this is important because of one of the rules. (If candy corn is not available, any small edibles like peanuts or raisins could be substituted, but it takes a little of the fun out of the game.) Each player will start with the same number of candy corn markers. You will need to write or print the word "Free" on each card. Traditionally, the "Free" designation goes on the middle square, but you are going to print it on a different square on each card. The caller's numbers can be printed on paper or cardboard and placed into a jar or other container that can be shaken before each call and then placed on a surface so that a "MAIZE" call can be verified. Some small prizes, simple or silly, should be available. If you are planning an online session with family or friends, you can mail or e-mail their "cards" and the rules to them ahead of time. Then, when everyone is in place, you can be the caller. It just takes a little prior planning.

Now for that extra rule. The winner of each game must then ‘consume’ all of his or her used candy corn markers. (They don't have to be eaten, but they cannot be used again.) The losers for that round will leave their markers on their cards as the caller begins again. Since there is a limit on the number of markers, there is less likelihood of one player winning all the rounds, and marathon sessions are unlikely, so no one should get bored or frustrated.

Another version of the paper-plate turkey

The paper plate turkey is a design idea that you can use for several other purposes: a turkey puppet, a turkey potholder, a beanbag to toss, a stuffed toy, and, with a bottom drawstring, a gift bag. I'm sure you can think of other uses for it. It can be made with felt or other fabrics or simply drawn and colored on a cloth or plastic bag, depending on what use you choose for it to have. If you plan to make the turkey more than once, make at least one copy of the whole pattern before you cut the first one out.

If you are making a puppet, there are a couple of things to consider: I have small hands and most of my puppets will fit the children who are most likely to choose them. I put stuffing at the top of the puppet so there is something solid for their fingers to settle into, but you must sew in far enough, through both layers, from the sides toward the center to keep the stuffing from coming out. I don't use buttons or "wiggly eyes" in case there are toddlers in the house who might chew on them and choke. In the case of puppets, the front of the turkey is on the palm of the hand. If you have pets, especially dogs, there should be a safe place to keep the puppets away from them. A stuffed toy or a beanbag should be completely sewn together at the bottom. A gift bag only needs a yarn drawstring, tied in a bow, near the bottom edge.

Answers

Thanksgiving Trivia

1. Governor Bradford, in charge of Plymouth Colony
2. Thomas Jefferson
3. Abraham Lincoln
4. Franklin Roosevelt
5. In the first parade in 1924
6. Harry Truman
7. George H.W. Bush
8. 1928
9. Barack Obama
10. Snoopy

Word Search Puzzle

I know that this will be a very different Thanksgiving Day for many of us, but think of the many ways we have now to keep in touch with family and friends, even though we may not be physically together for the celebration. Let's try to keep this as pleasant and positive as we can, especially for the children. I know I have many things to be thankful for. I hope you do, too.