If you have kids, Thanksgiving can be a family event long before Turkey Day arrives. Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to get the kids involved–with the planning of the Thanksgiving Day meal.

Sometimes, Turkey Day can leave kids feeling a bit bored. They know it as the day when relatives visit–which is cool–but aside from that, kids can often be left feeling bored or uninvolved. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

A week or two before the holiday, sit down with your child and tell them you’d like their help planning the meal. If this is your first time doing this activity with your kids, they may be hesitant–especially if they’re a little older. But once you get started, most kids will really enjoy this.

Sit down with your kids in front of a nice stack of cookbooks or in front of a computer connected to the Internet. Then, do some brainstorming / research as to what each of you might like to see served at Thanksgiving dinner. Be sure to explain to your child that you want to include main dishes, as well as side dishes, desserts, and drinks. And don’t forget to think up some cool snacks for guests to much on or drink before the meal.  When you’ve got a nice big list written up, you can par the list to a more manageable level, depending on the length of your guest list. Then, based on the items and dishes remaining, compose a grocery list. Now, you’re ready to go to the store!

When shopping for the ingredients, have your child mark each item off the list as you go along. If some items are on sale, you can use this opportunity to discuss how to choose one product over another, and what should be taken in to account, aside from price.

Your child will likely really enjoy helping you prepare the various dishes that you have planned together. Then, when the guests arrive, your child will love telling everyone how he or she helped with the meal. And the accomplishment he feels will make him even more excited to help with other activities in the future.