Are you looking for something fun to add to your Thanksgiving Dinner? Look no further! We have a few free, darling printables that are sure to bring a full harvest of giggles and gratitude to your day!
Last year I was chatting with my neighbor while I was waiting for my daughter to slowly gather her things and head home with me. I noticed a little framed print on the entry table and so did my first-grader. It was a cute Turkey Name Generator! You figure out your “Thanksgiving Name” by finding the first letter of your first name. Then the month you were born tells you what your last name is.
My daughter got such a kick out of it that I thought it would be fun to create our own! We printed this Mommy Convos version out this morning and my two oldest daughters (ages almost 8 and 6) thought it was so hilarious. They wanted to figure out everyone’s name we could think of! Even my two younger daughters got entranced in all the giggling. At the end of the night, we were quizzing each-other: “Who is Whippy Wampanoag?…”
We have a couple of download options: the pink one is available here, and the teal one is here!
All of the names are fun to say, but some of them may have you scratching your head…” Where does Wampanoag come from?” Well, let me tell you all the ones you may not be familiar with:
- Wampanoag was the tribe of Native Americans that would’ve been present at the First Thanksgiving.
- Wrestling was one of the most popular boy names at the time of the pilgrim’s immigration to America.
- Massasoit was the leader of the Wampanoag tribe.
- Tillohash is a popular Native American name for the tribe native to my own area — Paiute Indians.
- Succotash is a food dish consisting primarily of sweet corn with lima beans- Native American cuisine!
The rest of the names in the turkey name generator either stem from Thanksgiving foods, too much food, or old-fashioned names that would’ve been popular at the time of the first Thanksgiving!
In addition to our turkey name generator, we also have a gratitude journal sheet that you can either prepare ahead of your Thanksgiving festivities or use is as a family activity with family and friends. It is always great to reflect on the blessings we have been given and all the things we are thankful for during the holidays, and what better way to do that than to write them all down!
Download the Gratitude journal here or the full Thanksgiving printable packet here.
Decor:
I’m hosting for my first time this year and here’s what else I’m planning:
The banner is easily recreated if you want to copy me! Just choose a fave font- this is “cinzel” on google docs. Then type the words you want in size 200, then cut to the shape you like. To make it super-easy, see if a crafty-friend could cut them for you on her Cricut! The white fabric bunting is so versatile, so even though it involved some stenciling and cutting, it was worth it! I used a cereal box to make the shapes the same size (I cut a couple a stencil from the cardboard) and hot glued the fabric to some twine! Anyway- TJMaxx has some fun pre-made banners in their clearance section sometimes, so check there if all the cutting sounds like too much!
5 Frugal Tablescape Ideas:
I like to keep things inexpensive- and so here are a few ways you can do just that, but make it feel special!
- Mismatched votives (thrift store/yard sales are great for these) with lit candles
- Spray paint gold leaves: my fave! (can you say basically free?!)
- Yard clippings for some fresh greenery (yard work AND decorating in one big, fun swoop!)
- Ask your friends if they have anything you can borrow this year! I borrowed a ton from my sister-in-law that was just sitting this year- people usually love to see their things get used! I love having the chargers so it feels really fancy, but we can still use paper plates. Win!
- Iridescent onion table scatter 🙂 A month or so ago, I noticed my onion drawer had such pretty shimmery fall colors! So- we used them for a preschool art project… And they bring a little color and nature to the table- so why not?! In my “practicing”, I noticed less is more with these- just at the very end.
If you are looking for more ways to decorate on the cheap for Christmas… head here for 7 ways to decorate for the holidays on a zero dollar budget!
And I thought it would be fun to let people get creative and have a turkey molding contest! I got the clay and supplies at Dollar Tree. We’ll set that by the Turkey Name Generator for a “fun spot”.
The whole point…
I LOVE the reason for our celebration- to give thanks for all we have. There is such power in gratitude- I find it challenging to articulate just how real and immense this power is. I feel like you have to “try gratitude out” for a longer stretch of time than just one day to recognize it, but each and every time you manifest gratitude in your life, it helps you! So- we will have a cousin take a minute and share some thoughts about gratitude before we eat- the most important part, I think! Okay… Actually the pie is the most important part! Either way, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! Print out the turkey name generator and gratitude printables and let your kids have a blast or provide name tags and everyone is more likely to enjoy a good chuckle!
-Jennica
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