10 Simple Ways To Make Thanksgiving More Christ-Centered For Your Family
Do you want to make sure you keep Christ as the center of your family Thanksgiving celebrations this year? Then you are in the right place!
Check out these Christian thanksgiving ideas are start building new traditions this year. 🙂
Simple Christian Thanksgiving Ideas
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The holidays are my FAVORITE time of year. Thanksgiving, Christmas, the cooler weather… I wish it could last all year long!
But we all know that sometimes the holidays can bring on a sense of chaos and busyness, meaning we can lose focus on what’s really important.
And that’s Jesus. Always!
Usually, at Christmas, it can be easy to get our minds back on what is important because we are celebrating Jesus’s birth and focusing on advent and what that means.
But Thanksgiving is another great opportunity to teach your kids about God because it’s all about being thankful! We can be thankful for what God has done for us, ultimately for sending His son to die on a cross for us.
So make sure you don’t let the stress overwhelm you this Thanksgiving season, instead choosing to teach your kids about kindness and gratitude instead!
Trade chaos for Christ with these super fun Christ-centered Thanksgiving ideas for families!
I’ve broken them down into fun traditions you can start together, Thanksgiving-themed printables and crafts, and Thanksgiving media such as shows and music to listen to. 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Christian Thanksgiving Family Ideas & Traditions
What better way to celebrate a holiday all about thankfulness than to make beautiful memories with your loved ones – your family!
Here are some great Christ-focused Thanksgiving traditions you can start this year with your kids, no matter how old they are…
1. Have A Christ-Focused Dinner
Ummm, what in the world is a Christ-focused dinner?
I’m not saying you have to bake everything you eat in the shape of crosses (you could if you are super talented at that though).
But rather, focus on the memories you make together as a family and be reminded of God’s grace in your lives.
As you are prepping a great fall feast, include your kids in on it! Bake fun treats with them, let them be helpers. Anything to encourage them and remind them about being grateful for what we have.
As far as Christian Thanksgiving dinner ideas, here is a great Thanksgiving charcuterie board that would be super fun to make together! We are going to try it this year. 🙂
2. Write Letters Of Thankfulness
Nothing is more thoughtful and kind than a handwritten note, especially one that expresses gratitude and thankfulness for someone or something.
There are a few ways you can do this!
One, you can each write one thing you are thankful for each day in November leading up to Thanksgiving, and then share them over your family dinner.
Another option is to do sort of a “secret Santa” type game!
Write down the name of each person in your immediate (or more!) family and place them in a bowl. Each person draw out a name and take time to write them a letter of why you are thankful for them and how much you love them!
For younger kids who aren’t able to write yet, you can have them say 5 things they are thankful for that person. 🙂
3. Serve Your Community
Serving and doing things for other people together as a family is a great way to really connect and strengthen that family relationship!
Here are some ways you can serve your community together with your family:
- Collect canned goods for your church or a local shelter
- Deliver goodie bags to your neighborhood
- Pray for your leaders – church, teachers, governoer, president, etc.
- Donate clothes and toys to those in need or to a thrift store
- Pick up trash at your local park
- Do random acts of kindness for others
- … any other ones you can think of!!
You definitely want to add a few ways to serve your community together, not just at Thanksgiving but any time of the year. 🙂
4. Do A Family Devotion Together
Spending time together as a family and doing acts of service for others is so powerful, but so is connecting with a great family devotional!
We personally love reading through a family devotion, and our favorite one to read each day together is The One Year Of Devotions for Preschoolers!
This is a great one for younger kids to help them understand and memorize short Bible verses.
A great option for families with all ages of kids is The One Year Classic Family Devotions or One Year of Dinner Table Devotions.
There are also activities included in both that would be great for family traditions this Thanksgiving as well. 🙂
This is also a great start in getting your kids to start reading through their own kids’ devotionals, and starting good, godly habits in them when they are young!
5. Read Scripture About Thankfulness
When you read the Word of God on your own, during your morning routine, or throughout the day, it focuses your thoughts on Him, right?
There is a mental shift happening when you open His Word because it’s powerful!
So why not read through His Word together with your family?!
You can read through one some beautiful bible stories about gratitude, perfect for getting your whole family in the “thankful” mindset and bringing it back to God’s Word.
It’s also a great way to teach your kids about gratitude in a hands-on way. 🙂
Another idea is to read through scripture about thankfulness, and even work on memorizing these Bible verses together as a family!
You can focus on one each week leading up to Thanksgiving, and practice saying it at the dinner table. 🙂
**Download and print off these 20 scriptures about thankfulness below and hang them up in your home as a reminder this Thanksgiving!
6. Make A Fall Family Bucket List
Creating a fall bucket list together can bring you together, and create wonderful memories to look back on!
You can even add some of the traditions, activities, and fun Thanksgiving crafts from this post to your list.
There are tons of options on this fall family bucket list – over 30 ideas – that you can even print out and check off as you do them!
Some of our favorites are:
- Read Bible stories about gratitude
- Participate in the Pumpkin Prayer Activity
- Make a fall-themed charcuterie board
- Watch an outdoor movie with a projector
- Make a homemade fall wreath together
- Go on a nature scavenger hunt
- …plus so many more!!!!
Read all about creating a fall family bucket list here with tons of Christ-focused activities + download your free printable list below!
7. Do Thanksgiving Crafts & Games Together
Now it’s time to look at some super FUN, hands-on activities for everyone!
Kids absolutely love doing these crafts and activities, so making them Christ-centered is a great way to always keep their focus on Him.
Plus, the memories you’ll make together will be so great to look back on, and you can even keep some of the things you create and make it a yearly tradition to do. 🙂
You can check out this post full of awesome Christ-centered Fall printables, crafts, and activities!
Some of our favorite ones to do are:
8. Talk About The Importance Of Gratitude
Thanksgiving is the season of “thanks” and we have SO much to be grateful for, especially as Christians.
Talking about the importance of gratitude with your kids is a great way to make sure we keep our focus on the things that matter, rather than give in to the worldview that we NEED more.
We have all we need in Christ!!
Here are some great resources for you when it comes to talking about gratitude with your kids:
- 5 Memorable Ways For Teaching Gratitude To Your Kids
- 7 BRILLIANT Bible Stories About Gratitude To Read Now
- Free Printable Gratitude Journal For Kids {6 Pages}
9. Read Books About Thankfulness To Your Kids
Reading to our kids is SO important, not just when they are babies but encouraging them as they get older too.
There are so many great Christ-centered fall-themed books to read to your kids, no matter their age – this would be a great addition to your family’s Thanksgiving traditions.
One of our favorite books to read is The Pumpkin Patch Parable – perfect for toddlers and preschoolers!
It tells shares the Gospel with a sweet story kids can understand, using a pumpkin and a farmer. 🙂
Here is a list of our favorite Christ-centered books about Thanksgiving, that are must-haves on every bookshelf!
10. Enjoy Christian Music & Shows About Thankfulness
If you’re like me then you probably enjoy listening to Christmas music to get in that Christmas spirit! Annnnnnnd sometimes even before December. 😉
Why not do the same with Thanksgiving?
Here are some great Christ-centered media options for you to watch and listen to together as a family this fall…
Christian Songs About Thanksfulness:
- Give Thanks – Seeds Family Worship (Listen on Amazon Music or the CD)
- Thank You – Hillsong Worship
- Grateful – Elevation Worship
- Lord, I Thank You – Yancy & Little Praise Party
- Jesus Paid It All – Kim Walker Smith
Christian TV Shows About Thankfulness:
- Bibleman: Wiping Out The Whiner Brothers
- What’s In The Bible With Buck Denver – here is a great list of episodes from this show about Thanksgiving!
- Theo: Love Thy Neighbor
One of our favorite ways to watch Christian TV shows for kids is through a faith-based streaming service for kids called Go Minno.
We have used this super affordable service for years and love it! It also has family devotions, music, and more! You can grab your first month FREE here. 🙂
Christian Thanksgiving Ideas For Families
I hope you and your family are blessed by these fun Christian Thanksgiving ideas!
Maybe you will find a few that you love and make it a yearly tradition.
But most importantly, I pray that you use these to point your families and kiddos back to Christ, and create an attitude of gratitude all season long. 🙂
Which of these traditions are you going to add to your Thanksgiving activities? Let me know in the comments!
