By Pam Molnar

Through the eyes of a child, Thanksgiving is a letdown holiday. Sandwiched between the candy rush of October and gift giving holidays of December, it seems like more of a holiday for the adults. To make matters worse, the kids are seated at a separate table, shushed during the football game and sent from the room just as the conversation gets good. This year, let’s make this holiday more kid-friendly.

As a child, I loved watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on TV. Since 1973, the Charles Schultz classic has entertained millions of kids on and around Thanksgiving Day. How many of us fantasized about eating jelly beans and popcorn instead of our mother’s green bean casserole? This year, make the kids’ table the best one in the house by recreating Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving. Entertain the kids with crafts, games and of course, Chef Snoopy’s famous Thanksgiving meal (Jelly beans, popcorn, pretzels and toast). It will be a Thanksgiving they will never forget!

Decorate the kid’s table with a disposable green table cloth. Add some white tape lines and you have recreated the ping pong table where Snoopy served his guests. While I am sure the kids would count Jelly Beans as a vegetable, this mom believes that the kids have to eat everything on their plate from the traditional family meal before participating in Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving. The kids will rush through their dinner, so when they are done, allow them to watch a screening of the A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. This will give the parents an extra half hour to eat in peace. When the movie is over, move onto the crafts:

Charlie Brown Shirts – Purchase solid yellow shirts at the craft store along with black felt sheets. Make a template of the zigzag pattern from Charlie Brown’s famous shirt. Have the kids trace it on the black felt, cut it out and hot glue it in place. Make one zigzag for each side of the shirt.

Chef Snoopy Hat – Gather two 8 ½ by 11 sheets of white paper, a sheet of black felt and parchment paper for each hat. Read these assembly instructions. When the hats are made, trace and cut out Snoopy ears from the black felt and hot glue on the inside of the hat. 

Mini Football Pillow – Use brown or NFL printed fabric to a make a tie-closed pillow. Make a template in two sizes – 22” and 17”. Trace the larger template onto the fabric and cut out two ovals. On the cut pieces, trace the smaller template on the back side. Have the kids cut 1” strips from the large oval edge to the line of the smaller oval. Then tie the two pieces together with the strips, leaving a couple open at the end to stuff with filling. When stuffed, tie the rest of the strips together. For an added touch, use white felt and hot glue to create the football stitches.

Games:

Popcorn Eating Contest – Popcorn was a staple at Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving. To play the game, give every player a small bowl of popcorn and two pretzel rods. On go, the first person to finish eating his bowl of popcorn, using only the pretzel rods to pick it up, is the winner.

Jelly Bean Separation Anxiety – Place a handful of jelly beans in front of each person. The players have to separate the jelly beans by color into piles or paper cups. The first one to separate all their jelly beans is the winner.

Pin the Football in the Goal – A spin on Pin the Tail on the Donkey, this game is one for all ages. Create a goal post out of paper and stick it to the wall. Cut out miniature footballs for the players to pin. Blindfold the players and see who can get their football in the goal.

Charlie Brown Trivia – This is a good game for older kids who have seen the movie “a million times”. Come up with your own questions by watching the movie ahead of time or use our questions below.

Happy Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown!

Charlie Brown Trivia!

Who was the first guest Peppermint Patty invited?

Who helped Snoopy prepare dinner?

Was Sally part of the Thanksgiving meal?

What did Snoopy and Woodstock eat when everyone left?

What were Snoopy and Woodstock wearing?

Who is Sally supposed to write her essay about?

What are the only things Charlie Brown can cook?

Who says grace at Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving?

What time is Charlie Brown supposed to be at his Grandmother’s house?

Who got the bigger piece of the wishbone at the end?

Pam Molnar is an avid party planner and mother of three. Parties at their house include good food, laughter and of course, games. Follow her on Etsy at Pam’s Party Printables.