Temperatures in many parts of the country have been quite warm this fall; if this trend continues, your family could be treated to bonus time outdoors together over the long Thanksgiving weekend. So get ready to throw on a sweatshirt or heavy coat if necessary, and be sure to take advantage of the last pleasant days of autumn while you still can.
Try a few new ideas for outside fun this holiday. You never know: you could start new family traditions!
- Let the kids create the Thanksgiving centerpiece – If your area hasn’t yet experienced a hard frost, chances are good your landscaping or deck planter boxes are still intact enough to offer a surprisingly beautiful and unique centerpiece for your holiday table. Send the kids into your yard to hunt for remaining flowers and herbs, tall grasses, interesting looking weeds, strangely shaped sticks and thin branches from bushes. You’ll be delighted by what their child’s-eye finds beautiful and inspiring. Take their offerings and bind the stems together with twine, then find a spot to hang the bouquet upside down to dry until Thanksgiving. While you’re busy with meal and house preparations, let the kids arrange their dried foliage in a low vase for your holiday table. They’ll be so proud of their one-of-a-kind contribution to the festivities.
- Play a friendly game of football – Nothing’s more American than passing the pigskin around in the yard.
- Let the lawn games begin! –Corn toss, bocce, croquet or ladderball are fun for all ages, and many players can participate — an added advantage on a holiday when friends or family may be visiting.
- Shoot a few baskets in the driveway – Instead of H-O-R-S-E, why not G-R-A-V-Y? Play a game of your favorite Thanksgiving dish.
- Have an outdoor fire – Enjoy your pie on your deck around your fire pit (sitting atop Latitudes Deck Stones for safety!). Get cozy with pillows and blankets, then take turns sharing what you’re each thankful for — a beautiful way to end a special day.
