Thanksgiving is one of those fun holidays where the kitchen gets a good workout. Growing up in my family, Thanksgiving was always a time to be grateful for your blessings… AND to run around like mad trying to get all of the food prepared! For as wonderful a holiday as it is, it can often be stressful and challenging and the last thing we are thinking of is ways our children can help. Yet if we take the time to slow down and let our kids help with some simple parts of the preparation, the sense of accomplishment and pride they will have will be worth the effort (and mess). Plus they are even more likely to try food they help prepare, even if it’s something new and different to them. Below are ten ways kids can help prepare your Thanksgiving feast and one of my favorite recipes perfect for a kid-friendly Thanksgiving!
TEN WAYS KIDS CAN HELP PREPARE A THANKSGIVING MEAL
1. Wash and peal potatoes (and sweet potatoes): Toddlers LOVE scrubbing with a vegetable brush and older kids are great at pealing.
2. Roll pie crust dough: Even toddlers can help with this.
3. Mashing potatoes: Give them a large spoon or potato masher and let them go to town!
4. Tearing bread for stuffing: Let them rip and tear the bread into pieces (children are 
especially good at this) to dry out for stuffing.
5. Juicing the lemons: Whether it’s for cranberry sauce or apple pie, kids love squeezing.
6. Measuring: Kids love measuring and can be surprisingly accurate (with a little help).
7. Cracking the eggs: They love this (be prepared to pick out a few shell pieces).
8. Whisking: If there is whisking to be done kids have your back.
9. Timing: Let kids help you set the timer and give updates.
10. Read the recipe: This is great practice for early readers.
