While the traditional full (and sometimes crowded) Thanksgiving feast may not be an option this year, there are plenty of ways to make this year memorable and special for all ages either virtually or socially distanced. It’s a great opportunity to create new traditions or modify old ones. A social-distanced Thanksgiving will require thinking and planning outside of the box. So here’s a roundup of ideas and suggestions to help you brainstorm and get planning this year’s extra special holiday gathering.
Social Distanced Thanksgiving Basics
1. Embrace the outdoors
Take advantage of the beautiful fall weather and take the festivities outdoors. It’s much easier to maintain social distance when you’re able to spread around the backyard, field, or pasture. Picnic blankets spaced around with family units staying together. Folding tables and chairs spaced 6-feet apart for each family. Or in cooler climates, even mini-bonfires with guests bringing their own chairs.
2. Sanitizing Stations
Have sanitization products handy and available at the entrance, in the bathroom, near the food, and anywhere else you think extra germ-fighting power is necessary. Disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, kleenex, and extra masks strategically placed around the gathering should encourage everyone to maintain clean hands and spaces.
3. Individualized Everything
As much as possible make easy-grab individual servings of food. No cross contamination of shared tongs or serving utensils required. Miniature pies, pre-portioned pie slices on dishes, classic side dishes in cute mason jars, or disposable cups and bowls for salad or fruit. If you’re concerned about eco-friendliness, there are even biodegradable paper, non-plastic options out there. Possibly make silverware napkin rolls like at a restaurant or create a silverware caddies or themed baskets for each family unit to take to their table or blanket.
4. Use Disposables
Typically I’m a huge proponent of not using disposable silverware or paper plates…but tossing used plates, plasticware, and napkins will ensure no one is having to handle potentially germ-contaminated dishes. (Need to save time? You can even get them pre-rolled!) If you feel you must have the fine china and linen napkins, make sure to have clearly marked bins for dirty ones to go straight to the dishwasher or sanitizing cycle on your washing machine.
5. Send out schedule or guide in advance
In order to prevent confusion, consider sending out an order of events or some guidelines for how to maintain social distance and set expectations. A simple heads up that family units will go to the buffet together will help make the meal go much more smoothly.
6. Buffet-style Feast
Since communal tables are not advisable this year, have each family serve themselves as a unit. Organize it like a wedding reception dinner and dismiss by table or blanket to minimize close contact with non-immediate family members.
7. Team Effort
Don’t leave all the work to one person! Maybe Aunt Sue takes care of games for the kids, grandma bakes individual-servings of her famous pumpkin pie, and you, the host, take care of other logistics. Similarly, ask your guests to bring their own chairs, picnic blankets, or drinks to reduce points of contact.
8. Wear a mask
Encourage the wearing of masks when serving food, going inside for the restroom, and any moments or areas where social distance can’t be maintained.
Social Distanced Thanksgiving Decorations
9. Cute Yard Signs
Instead of place/name cards on a communal table, create a festive yard sign for each family unit so they know where to set up their picnic blankets or drop off their supplies or contributions. Other signage to consider will help guests to find their way around and minimize close contact with others.
10. Decorating Contest
If most of your family is local, have a front porch or yard decorating contest. Create a scoresheet and have everyone drive around town judging porches and have a small prize for the winning family. This would work great for Friendsgiving too!
11. Thankful for ____ craft
Have family members, including children, make a “I’m thankful for _______” ornament or other decorative item to hang on a tree or display on a clothesline for guests to peruse.
Social Distanced Thanksgiving Entertainment
12. Create a Stage
Whether a porch, deck, or a raised patio designate a place for homegrown entertainment. Have each family unit sing a song, perform a skit, or put on an old-fashioned tableau.
13. Grandparents Storytelling Time
Using the stage or another set apart location, have the grandparents entertain the kids from a safe distance by telling stories or reading Thanksgiving-themed books. Alternatively, have the kids bring a question they want to ask their grandparents. If the grandparents are unable to join due to health concerns, possibly record them reading a story in advance and project it on a screen for the kids.
14. Zoom Booth for the Immunocompromised
If you have a family member or two that can’t make it due to underlying health concerns, consider setting up a “Zoom Booth” for family members to take turns saying hello to the family member via webcam.
15. No-contact yard games
Many classic yard games don’t require physical contact! Some can even be converted to an online format for Zoom or Skype if having a virtual holiday celebration. Entertain kids of all ages with Simon Says, sack races, charades, freeze dance (spaced 6 feet apart, play music and freeze when paused, you’re out if judge sees you move after music stops)
16. Scavenger Hunt
Hide pumpkins, pilgrims, or scarecrows around yard and have guests try to find as many as possible. The person with the most wins a small prize. Or have a virtual scavenger hunt with a list of common household items (spoons, blanket, etc.) that each family has to find–first person back to the screen wins.
17. No-Contact Pie Contest
If your family is local, have each family make enough miniature pies for every family unit and drop them off on the front porches on a designated day. Then have a virtual taste-testing party and vote for the best pies.
18. Car, Bike, or Walk Parades
Have the grandkids decorate their bikes, clothes, or even the family van for Thanksgiving and have a festive parade for the grandparents that are unable to join in person.
19. Themed mask competitions
To encourage mask wearing, have a Thanksgiving-themed mask competition. Prize for best theme, most tacky, etc.
20. Recipe Swap
If there is a particular dish or dessert that would be greatly missed, have Aunt Sue or Grandma share the recipe in advance for each family to make their own version this year.
With a little ingenuity and planning great memories can still be made this Thanksgiving. No doubt this holiday season is going to look different for all of us during this unprecedented time, but we can still make a socially distanced Thanksgiving special and festive and maybe even find some new favorite traditions to add in the future.