Here we are in November. November Family Holidays include National Novel Writing Month, National Life Writing Month, Picture Book Month and National Family Literacy Month. The third week is both National Young Readers Week and National Book Award Week. So we’re going to see a LOT of book holidays this month. I can’t think of a better way to spend a crisp November afternoon than curled up with a book. By the end of the month, we’ll be busy with Thanksgiving and then pre-Christmas fun. Let’s go do fun stuff with our families!
November 1, 2022
National Authors Day
National Family Literacy Day
At Home Family Fun:
- Do you have a favorite Minnesota Author? If not, peruse our Bookhounds Author Directory and pick one.
- Gianna’s family started up a pen pal relationship with their favorite author. You may not get to be pen pals, but it couldn’t hurt to write them a letter.
- Become an author today. Staple some paper together (or get fancy and buy a blank book) to write and illustrate your own story.
Outing Idea:
- All 8 Metro Library Systems have re-opened for grab and go services. If you are ready to start getting back into the library habit, the libraries are ready for you, Note, though, that Hennepin County Library and Ramsey County Library are the only systems with branches that offer Sunday hours.
Read Aloud:
- What Do Authors and Illustrators Do? by Eileen Christelow
- You could also just pick a book combo from Bookflix. All the combos offer author information and literacy games after you read the books.
Dinner Ideas:
Today is also National Eat Healthy Day and the first day of Eat Smart Month. Since it is Sunday, let’s try out this kid-friendly, heart healthy Slow Cooker Greek Chicken with Lemon Potatoes from the Heart Association. Hold onto the leftovers and make some broth with the bones, we’re going to use both tomorrow (and if your family is small enough, Tuesday)!
Dinner Conversation Starter: What kind of book would you like to write someday?
Learn More:
About National Authors Day and National Family Literacy Day.
November 1-2, 2022
Day of the Dead / Día de Muertos
At Home Family Fun:
- Pull out the old family albums and talk about your own ancestors and living relatives.
- If you are comfortable pulling pictures out of the albums, you could put them up on a small table so you can remember them all day.
- Fly Kites, in the Guatemalan tradition, of sending notes to deceased loved ones or sharing messages of peace.
- Looking for a Family Movie Night? We reviewed Coco here. It is streaming on Disney+ or you can rent it from Amazon for $3.99.
Outing Idea:
- If you are planning ahead, you can visit Midtown Global Market on Saturday (October 29th) for their Dia de los Muertos celebration from 11am-2pm.
Read Aloud:
The Remembering Day / El dia de los muertos (English and Spanish Edition) by Pat Mora. This book looks long, but half the text is in Spanish and half in English, so you really only need to read half.
Dinner Ideas:
Follow any Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe you like, just make sure to use the leftovers and the broth you made yesterday. This is by far my favorite soup!
Dinner Conversation Starter: Tell your kids your favorite stories from your parents, grandparents or even great grandparents’ childhoods. We don’t want to lose these memories.
Learn More: About Day of the Dead from the History Channel.
November 3, 2022
World Jellyfish Day
At Home Family Fun:
- Learn about jellyfish on National Geographic Kids.
- Spongebob Fans could buy and play the Great Jellyfish Escape Game.
- Stef from NonToy Gifts shares 18 ideas for Jellyfish crafts.
Outing Idea:
Visit an Twin Cities-area aquarium or zoo that has a jellyfish exhibit, including:
Read Aloud:
- My 8-year-old loves the Narwhal and Jelly books.
- On Bookflix: read and watch Peanut Butter and Jellyfish by Jarrett J. Krosoczka paired with My Home in the Water by J. Patrick Lewis.
- For bigger kids: One of our favorite local authors, Erin Soderberg Downing‘s favorite read aloud books is The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin (recommended for age 10+)
Dinner Ideas
Today is also National Sandwich Day, which works well if you plan to vote in person tonight.
- If you still happen to have some chicken leftover from Sunday, you can get one more meal out of it.
- Or, if you are feeling fancy, Skippy Peanut Butter has a recipe for a Peanut Butter Jellyfish Sandwich (not made with jellyfish).
Dinner Conversation Starter: Cool fact. We learned from the book Biggest, Strongest, Fastest by Steve Jenkins, that the sun jellyfish is the longest animal in the world. Their tentacles can be over 200 feet long. That’s longer the the Blue Whale and longer than the largest dinosaur.
Learn More:
About World Jellyfish Day.
First Saturday of November: Book Lovers Day
At Home Family Fun:
I like to re-organize the family bookshelves to feature different kids books at least one Saturday each month. Of course, nothing encourages my kids to read like a perfect shelf, so I have to be ready for it to be destroyed.
Outing Idea:
After organizing the shelf, there are always books we are ready to trade out. So a Little Free Library Walk is one of our favorite Saturday book loving activities.
Saturdays are a good day to stop by and pick up any books you’ve ordered from the library.
I miss adding to my book collection at thrift stores, antique shops and local bookstores (we’ve listed all our favorite independent shops at the link). You can order online and pick up your books if need be.
Dinner Ideas:
Have a book club night! Here’s the truth about me. I don’t go to book club meetings because I’m a booklover. I can do that by myself. I go to book club meetings for the food and conversation.
Make it a simple finger food night — Veggies and dip, tiny sandwiches, roll-ups, sushi…, whatever your family likes. Then spend the dinner hour talking about your favorite books.
If your family loves this and wants to make it a regular thing. Growing Book by Book website has done the work for us, selecting books, activities and menus for a monthly family book club.
November 5, 2022
American Football Day
At Home or Outing Idea:
- Take your football game to your favorite park (or the backyard), along with warm blankets for anyone who would rather be a spectator and a thermos of hot cocoa or apple cider.
Read Aloud:
Football With Dad (Little Golden Book) by Frank Berrios
Dinner Ideas
- Gianna shares some ideas for Football Snacks and Fun at Home. Maybe incorporate one of these ideas into dinner tonight.
- Our go-to football dinner is chili – an easy meal to get going in the slow-cooker during the day and have ready to eat.
Learn More:
November 6, 2022
Name A Musical Instrument After Yourself Day
At Home Family Fun:
- Get out some beans, old plastic Easter eggs, toilet paper tubes, rubber bands, oatmeal containers and anything else you can think of and start making creative musical instruments. Then name them after yourself.
- Watch This Is Minnesota Orchestra on TPT tonight at 8pm
Outing Idea:
The Schubert Club Music Museum, located within the beautiful and interesting Landmark Center in St Paul, has a number of hands-on musical displays and and instruments for kids to experiment with. Perhaps your kids could pick out an instrument that speaks to them? Open Wednesday-Sunday, admission is FREE.
Read Aloud:
- Bigger Kids (8-9 years) John Philip Sousa (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) by Mike Venezia.
- Bookflix: Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin by Lloyd Moss paired with All About Sound by Lisa Trumbauer.
November 8, 2022
STEM/STEAM Day
At Home Family Fun / Outing Idea:
Anne shares her favorite 6 Places for Any Time Hands-On Science with Kids in the Twin Cities.
Read Aloud:
- Big Kids: Kid Innovators: True Tales of Childhood from Inventors and Trailblazers by Robin Stevenson (Recommended for ages 9-12)
- Bookflix: Bookflix has several science and math-related pairings to choose among.
Dinner Ideas
Bright Horizons has some ideas for making dinner preparations a STEM activity, including some questions you can use for Dinner Conversation Starters.
Learn More:
Bonus November Holiday: Election Day
Election Day: Election Day Fun for Twin Cities Families. Currently, Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio is a favorite with my kids – boys & girls – and I really don’t mind reading and re-reading it and we have also recently borrowed the sequel, Grace Goes to Washington.
November 9, 2022
Go to an Art Museum Day
At Home Family Fun:
The Met offers quite a bit of artwork in the public domain. Print one, like the Painting — Merry Company on a Terrace below — and play a game of I Spy. Go to the original on The Met’s website so you can increase the size as needed. You should be able to find:
- A Sunflower
- A walking stick with a face at the tip
- A hobby horse
- Pink roses
- Earrings
- A man sticking out his tongue
Because The Met allows for use of Open Access works, it could be fun to print artwork to study together and learn more about.
Outing Idea:
Minneapolis Institute of Art and Walker Art Center are good local choices. Plan ahead for visit with kids by exploring on their websites.
- Mia offers these ideas for How to Make the Most of Your Visit.
- The Walker offers these Tips for Visiting with Kids.
Read Aloud:
- Babar’s Museum of Art by Laurent De Brunhoff
- Log onto Bookflix to read/watch The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds paired with All the Colors of the Rainbow by Allan Fowler
Dinner Ideas:
I don’t know any parent who has time to make art out of their food, but these 19 Works Of Art Made With Food are fun to look at and maybe it will inspire a helper to dish out tonight’s dinner with a little extra flair.
Dinner Conversation Starter: Babar’s children have many questions about Art. “Does it have to be pretty? Does it have to be old? Does it have to make sense?” How do you feel about these questions?
Learn More:
About Go to An Art Museum Day.
November 10, 2022
Anniversary of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
At Home Family Fun:
Held at Split Rock Lighthouse, the Annual Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon Lighting is a wee bit far for an outing, so check out their social media platforms where footage of the beacon is typically provided by KBJR TV in Duluth.
Outing Idea:
- Road Trip? Again, this is not a realistic impromptu road trip idea, but if you plan to be in the area around the time of the Edmund Fitzgerald anniversary, the beacon lighting is an annual in-person event, too.
- Or not? Closer to home is the lighthouse at Boom Island Park in Minneapolis and you might find it fun to watch boats on the Mississippi.
Read Aloud:
This book made my cry: The Edmund Fitzgerald: The Song of the Bell by Kathy-jo Wargin. I think this is a shelf-worthy book considering it is a part of Minnesota history.
Dinner Ideas:
Here is an interesting article about what crews eat on a Great Lakes Freighter. It looks like you can go with anything “meat and potato”, but I like the idea of fish for this meal.
Dinner Conversation Starter: Would you want to work aboard a ship? Why or why not?
Learn More:
About this and other shipwrecks on the Minnesota History site.
Bonus November 10th Holiday:
Sesame Street Day – Pull out the videos from when Sesame Street was good! and read everyone’s favorite Sesame Street book – The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone. For those of you (like me) who don’t do voices as well as you would like, let Grover read it.
November 11, 2022
Veterans Day / Remembrance Day
At Home Family Fun:
- Most years, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs hosts a live Veterans Day event in Inver Grove Heights.
- Print a full-c0lor Teacher’s Guide from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to read about Veterans Day history, get suggestions for activities, and learn how to properly fold a flag.
Outing Idea:
- Visit one of these Twin Cities dedicated Memorial Parks to honor veterans.
- Or if you want to venture out a bit further Veterans Day is always the last FREE Entrance Day at National Parks.
Read Aloud:
America’s White Table by Margot Theis Raven. Find a PDF of the book here.
Dinner Ideas
Set your own White Table tonight.
Dinner Conversation Starter: What’s the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?
Learn More:
Learn more about Veterans Day here.
November 12, 2022
National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day
At Home Family Fun:
- Explore the Chicken Soup for the Soul website, where you can listen to inspirational and motivational stories.
- Or find a sample lesson of their lesson plans.
Outing Idea:
Go the place that lifts your soul today:
- A nature walk
- An art museum
- A sculpture garden
- A Mary garden
- A fairy garden
- A peace garden (pictured below, the Lyndale Park Peace Garden)
- A book store.
Maybe make this a one-on-one date with your child that needs the most peace right now.
Read Aloud:
- With School Age Kids. Read a story from any one of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books.
- With Little Kids: Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months by Maurice Sendak.
Dinner Ideas
Chicken Soup with Rice (or noodles or dumplings).
Dinner Conversation Starter: Share inspiring and uplifting stories from your own life tonight.
Learn More:
About Chicken Soup for the Soul.
November 13, 2022
World Kindness Day & Robert Louis Stevenson’s Birthday
At Home Family Fun:
Doing Good Together gave us some suggestions to Turn Family Movie Night into a Cozy Act of Kindness.
Outing Idea:
Can you think of ways to Give Back With Random Acts of Kindness while out on a family walk today?
Read Aloud:
- Access Bookflix with your library card to find the fiction/non-fiction pairing of Each Kindness by and Kindness and Generosity: It Starts with Me by .
- Pull out your copy of A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson (and read Fairy Bread, so your kids know why you are serving it for dessert tonight.)
Dinner Ideas
Make some Fairy Bread for dessert tonight.
Dinner Conversation Starter: One of the wonderful things about family is that you can learn to be kind to people who sometimes annoy you. This is especially true for siblings. Let’s say something kind about everyone at the table tonight.
Learn More:
“It is the history of our kindnesses that alone make this world tolerable.” ― Robert Louis Stevenson. Learn more about Robert Louis Stevenson.
November 14, 2022
National Pickle Day
At Home Family Fun:
Teach your kids how to make Refrigerator Pickles. Mark your calendar for two weeks from today to try your homemade pickles!
Outing Idea:
- Go play pickle ball (outdoors if you can find a cleared court).
Dinner Ideas
Burgers? Add pickles or fried pickles as a side to your meal tonight.
Learn More:
November 15, 2022
I Love to Write Day
At Home Family Fun:
- Write a Story. If your kids love to tell stories and write them down. Spend some time today indulging that desire.
- Draw a Story. I DO love to write! My children, not so much. I’ve recently decided this relates to the fact that my kids struggle with all things related to fine motor skills — ie. tying their shoes, penmanship, pouring milk. While I want them to get to a point where they love to write, too. I think I have to deal with their fine motor skills first. This is why I have decided to start encouraging drawing first. I like Ed Emberley’s Drawing Book of Animals because it incorporates many of the same shapes we use in drawing letters. Find his Drawing Pages here.
- Play Mad Libs. For a shorthand version of writing, play a game of Mad Libs.
- Or try these 15 Fun & Creative Writing Games from MomJunction.
Outing Idea:
- Start a Nature Journal Today. Get outside on a hike, to a park or just around your own home to observe nature and then come back in a write about what you found.
- Consider signing up for writing classes at the Loft Literary Center.
Read Aloud:
- I Love to Write! Learn to Write Reader by Rozanne Lanczak Williams.
- Bookflix: Diary of A Fly, Diary of a Spider, and/or Diary of A Worm — All by Doreen Cronin — are all available through Bookflix.
Dinner Ideas
This is also National Clean Out Your Fridge Day – Let’s do a leftovers smorgasbord for dinner tonight to make room for that Turkey that needs to defrost.
Dinner Conversation Starter: Share some of your stories or Mad Libs at dinner tonight.
Learn More:
I Love to Write Day was started by Author John Riddle.
November 16, 2022
National Button Day
At Home Family Fun:
- Play Button, Button, Who’s Got the Button? One of my favorite parlor games for when I need to occupy my children but don’t want to expend any energy.
- Make Button Art.
- Cold Weather Crafts: Activities to do at Home When You Don’t Want to Leave Your House has a button necklace craft.
Outing Idea:
Visit the Wall of Buttons at the Children’s Museum.
Read Aloud:
- Corduroy by Don Freeman
- Chapter 2 of All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor – Dusting is Fun.
Dinner Ideas
These DIY chocolate buttons from Ribbons & Glue are so cute and would make a nice dessert on their own or you could add them to the top of cupcakes, cookies or muffins.
Dinner Conversation Starter: Share this button trivia. Did you know that pre-historic people used thorns before buttons were invented?
Learn More:
From the National Button Society.
November 17, 2022
National Hiking Day
At Home Family Fun:
If you are the hibernating kind of family, you could prepare for the spring with these 7 Exercises You Can Do With Your Kids for Easier Hiking from Get Out With Kids.
Outing Idea:
If you embrace Minnesota winters, Three Rivers Park System recommends the follow parks for winter hiking:
- Baker Winter Trailhead
- Cleary Lake Regional Park
- Mississippi Gateway Regional Park
- French Regional Park
- Gale Woods Farm
- Eastman Nature Center
- Lowry Nature Center
- Richardson Nature Center
All of these parks rent snowshoes should you need them.
Read Aloud:
- Rhoda’s Rock Hunt by local favorite, Molly Beth Griffin
- Bookflix: Pair Henry Hikes to Fitchburg by D.B. Johnson with I Like to Exercise by Lisa M. Herrington
Dinner Ideas
Start testing out backpacking meals now and you’ll know which ones you want to pack next summer when you start camping.
Dinner Conversation Starter: If you could go hiking anywhere, where would you want to go?
Learn More:
About Hiking from the American Hiking Society.
November 18, 2022
High Five A Librarian Day
At Home Family Fun:
Send a virtual high five to your favorite librarian. Tag them on social media, send them a letter or an email or just send them a high five in the website’s chat-box.
P.S. Don’t forget your Toy Librarians and Art Lending Librarians! Both of these grass roots, non profit programs could probably use a little reminder of our appreciation this year!
Outing Idea:
Make it a trip to your favorite library. Wave to the librarians and yell, I mean whisper, “HIGH FIVE LIBRARY LADY (or GUY)”
Read Aloud:
- Pull out your library card again. Bookflix pairs The Librarian from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler and A Day with Librarians by Jodie Shephard.
- Chapter 1 of All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor – The Library Lady. (I know this is out of order with Button Day, but both of these chapters pretty much stand on their own.)
Dinner Ideas
Some inspired librarian(s) gathered a whole pinboard of literary-themed recipes on Pinterest.
Dinner Conversation Starter: If there was a librarian who made a difference in your life, share your experience with your kids. If not, who got your excited about books and how?
Learn More:
Read More About High Five A Library Day.
November 19, 2022
National Camp Day
At Home Family Fun:
- Now is a good time to start thinking about summer camps and summer camping. You might have to wait to the start of the new year to register for summer camps or book your campsite, but if you start looking now, you can be the first in line!
- Spread out a campsite in your living room and have an indoor camping day!
Outing Idea:
- Book a winter camping cabin at one of our Minnesota State Parks. Nearby, both Afton and William O’Brien State Parks offer winter camping options.
- Although it was early summer, Gianna shared her experience Renting an RV for Family Fun.
Dinner Ideas
Pull out those backpacking recipes that you started testing on Tuesday and try another one today.
Dinner Conversation Starter: If you could go camping anywhere, where would you want to go? Is the answer the same as backpacking?
Bonus November Holiday: National Family Volunteer Day
At home family fun:
Gianna suggests these Ways To Give Back to Community as a Family. Most of these can actually double as a family outing as we’ve listed many local charities (such as Second Harvest Heartland) where families with kids can volunteer.
November 20, 2022
National Pay Back Your Parents Day
This was meant to be a good kind of payback, but we can have some fun with it.
At Home Family Fun:
Switch rolls in fun ways today. Do mom and dad usually cook? Let the kids cook. Do mom and dad usually limit kids’ screen-time. Kids get to limit parents’ screen time today. If dad makes really bad dad jokes, kids get to do it today. Who usually controls the remote? Change it up today. What other fun ways can kids “payback” their parents?
- How Martha Saved Her Parents from Green Beans by David LaRochelle
- Kids pick, but they have to do the reading aloud today. Parents can keep stacking more books up, interrupt often and wander off occasionally.
Dinner Ideas
It’s kids cook night! Let them pick something they can make from beginning to end, while the parents just poke their head in every few minutes to say. “I’m hungry, when is dinner?”
Dinner Conversation Starter: Read this quote from Lois McMaster Bujold: “You don’t pay back your parents. You can’t. The debt you owe them gets collected by your children, who hand it down in turn. It’s a sort of entailment.” What do you think that means and what do you think of that idea. Find the longer quote on GoodReads.
Learn More:
About Pay Back Your Parents Day.
November 21, 2022
International Games Day
At Home Family Fun:
- Make it a board game or card game night.
- Break out the family video games and play togother.
Outing Idea:
- Have a family “field day” in the back yard or nearby park with fun races and contests for everyone.
- Start Here if you need ideas: 60 Fun Outdoor Games for Kids This Summer
- Visit a store like Mischief Toy Store or Games by James to find a new game. This may have to be a one-on-one visit as Mischief has limited capacity and other safety restrictions in place.
Read Aloud:
- Junie B. Jones Is Captain Field Day by Barbara Park
- Game Over, Super Rabbit Boy! by Thomas Flintham (or any of its sequels)
- Start Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (you can get this FREE for your kindle at the link or listen while you play board games for FREE from Librivox)
Dinner Ideas
- If you are celebrating with a field day, start your favorite crockpot meal, so you can come into a warm and filling dinner after a day of outdoor fun.
- Dinner Conversation Starter: Play a conversation game, like “Would You Rather”.
- If you are having a game night, go with easy — pizza. snack veggies and popcorn?
- You won’t need a conversation starter if you are playing games as you eat.
Learn More:
International Games Day was created by the American Library Association to encourage gaming events at libraries. It is held the third Saturday of November.
November 22, 2022
Go For A Ride Day
At Home Family Fun:
Try some of these virtual rides at Disneyland via Orlando On the Cheap. (They would best on the biggest screen you can use.)
Outing Idea:
The choice of November 22nd for this date is a bit unfortunate for those of us in the Twin Cities. Depending on the year, it could be too late for a family bike ride and its a few days too early for a ride around to look at holiday lights. In case, the weather cooperates, Anne suggests:
Or, start pre-planning your drive for viewing holiday lights next week.
Learn More:
November 23, 2022
National Family Week
Whatever you do today, spend some time together and keep it easy. We’ve got a big week coming up and then we’ll be in full on Holiday season.
At Home Family Fun:
Pick one of these 75 Fun Indoor Games to play together.
Outing Idea:
Pick anything from our Family Fun Calendar and do it together.
Consider planning a family photograph. DIY if you want to include it in Christmas Cards or maybe its time to have a professional photo done. Gianna has created a list of local photographers.
Learn More:
November 24, 2022
Birthday of Architect Cass Gilbert
At Home Family Fun:
Little Kids: Get out blocks and design your own buildings.
All Ages: Play a game of Jenga. If you don’t have a Jenga game, play a reverse Jenga game, taking turns adding blocks to a tower until someone makes it fall.
Outing Idea:
See some Cass Gilbert architecture up close. Examples of his work include:
- The Highland Park Water Tower
- The Minnesota State Capitol
- White Bear Town Hall
- Minneapolis Federal Reserve
- The Cass Gilbert Society has a full list here. Plus they have designed a couple walking tours.
Read Aloud:
On Bookflix watch – This Is the House That Jack Built by Simms Taback, paired with Totally Strange Buildings by Lisa M. Herrington
Dinner Ideas
It’s Tuesday, let’s be taco architects. Everyone gets to build their own taco tonight.
Dinner Conversation Starter: Fun Fact: Cass Gilbert was raised by a single mother and dropped out of high school so he could work, but became one of the most respected architects of his time.
Learn More:
November 25, 2022
National Jukebox Day
At Home Family Fun:
Break out your favorite music (this would be an awesome day to pull out your vinyl collection if you have one). Turn up the music and sing loud, dance (and maybe clean a little). You could bring home a roll of nickels to hand out and make everyone pay a nickel to pick a song. Get fancy, make a jukebox out of a cardboard box where kids can drop in their nickels when they choose the next song.
Read Aloud:
The Jukebox Man by Jacqueline K. Ogburn – The nostalgic story of a girl accompanying her grandfather as he services jukeboxes.
Dinner Ideas:
Serve some traditional diner food — like hamburgers or hot dogs with French fries and play some 50s music while you eat.
Dinner Conversation Starter: What is your favorite song right now? Can you guess each other’s favorites before they reveal it?
Learn More:
about National Jukebox Day, marking the anniversary of the first coin-operated jukebox.
Fourth Thursday of the Month:
Thanksgiving
At Home Family Fun:
Gianna has shared her family’s ideas for Thanksgiving at home here:
Outing Idea:
There is never a lot to do on Thanksgiving, but we can usually count on Como Zoo to be open (don’t forget you need to pre-register to visit this year). If that is too much to add to an already busy day, just get out for a walk around the neighborhood or play a game of football in the yard or nearby park.
Read Aloud:
Take a Bookflix break today and read along with Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp and Thanksgiving by Trudi Strain Trueit.
Dinner Ideas:
- You probably don’t need our help thinking about what to eat today. However, if you do need a place to go to feed your family, the Salvation Army produced this list last year.
Dinner Conversation Starter: I can’t really top the Thanksgiving tradition of sharing what we are most grateful for.
Learn More:
According to MNopedia, the Minnesota Turkey industry began with small backyard flocks raised on family farms and became the top turkey-producing state in the country.
November 26, 2022: National Cake Day
November 26th is National Cake Day. In my family, this happens to be a busy birthday week, so cake is quite likely. One of our favorite books to read on birthdays is A Birthday Cake Is No Ordinary Cake by Debra Frasier.
Bonus November Holidays: Friday After Thanksgiving
Black Friday/ Green Friday / Buy Nothing Day
At Home Family Fun:
Most years, it is not that hard to buy nothing if you stay home. This year may prove a little more difficult. I have to admit, we’ve gotten used to ordering whatever we need as soon as we need it. Use this day to look for Indoor or Outdoor games to play at home. We found quite a few games that don’t require purchases or special equipment: Indoor Fun at Home: No Energy, No Space, No TV, No Problem.
Outing Idea:
Avoid the crowds and opt outside instead in 2022. Each year, we gather family fun Black Friday Alternatives. We have ideas for family fun whether you choose to stay indoors, #OptOutside or Go Green.
Read Aloud:
Something From Nothing by Phoebe Gilman is a sweet book about a boy’s unshakeable faith in his grandfather’s ability to make something out of something others might throw away.
Dinner Ideas:
Buy nothing for dinner tonight. Use your Thanksgiving leftovers and pantry items to make dinner, so you don’t have to buy any ingredients today.
Dinner Conversation Starter: What are some ways we can use what we have instead of buying new?
Learn More:
About the origins of Buy Nothing Day.
Followed by: Small Business Saturday
Outing Idea:
Check out some of these local toys, toymakers and toy stores. This year may not be the best year to take the whole family, but a one-on-one shopping date with each of your kids could replace a big family outing.
At Home Family Fun:
With Smaller Kids: Play store. Get out toys, toy or real food, or even books that your child can sell in their store. If you don’t have a toy cash register, an old calculator or keyboard set on a box works pretty good. Kids can make their own money out of paper.
Any Age: If you aren’t comfortable shopping with your kids. Pour over the websites of these toy stores together to gather ideas and maybe order online.
Read Aloud:
Today is also Indies First Day. Visit one of our favorite Twin Cities Independent Bookstores for Kids while on your rounds today and grab something off the cheap racks. These bookstores also offer online ordering.
Dinner Ideas:
We can shop local and small for meals too. Many of our favorite Farmers Markets offer winter markets. Or hit up your favorite co-op for tonight’s meal.
Dinner Conversation Starter: What do you want for Christmas? What do you wish you could buy someone else for Christmas?
Learn More:
About Small Business Saturday.
Saturday after Thanksgiving:
Minnesota Holiday Light Display Kickoff. Holiday light displays traditionally start up the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Go for a drive to see what awesome displays you can find.
November 29, 2022
Birthday of Henry Mower Rice
At Home Family Fun:
Watch the Landmark Center’s Virtual Tour of Rice Park, which was originally donated to the City of Saint Paul by Henry Rice.
Outing Idea:
Then physically visit Rice Park in Saint Paul for an Sunday afternoon family walk. The holiday lights will be shining bright by this date!
Read Aloud:
I could not find any children’s books about Henry Rice or Rice Park. Depending on your children’s age and interest level you could share the information we printed below from MNopedia.
Dinner Ideas:
Serve a kid-friendly rice bowl recipe.
November 30, 2022
Remembrance Day for Lost Species
At Home Family Fun:
With little kids: Play with dinosaurs or pretend to be dinosaurs.
With bigger kids: Do some research together on extinct species. Here is a list of species we lost in 2019.
Outing Ideas:
With little kids: Dinosaurs Around Town: Find Dinosaurs in the Twin Cities
- Beaver Diorama at Bell Museum
Read Aloud:
Bookflix: Pull out your library card, log into Bookflix and watch/read along with Edwina The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems and Tyrannosaurus Rex by Wil Mara.
Local Author: Catherine Thimmesh has a few books that can tie into extinct and endangered species aimed at children reading at a Grade 5-7 level. You can go a little younger if reading aloud:
- Scaly Spotted Feathered Frilled: How do we know what dinosaurs really looked like?
- Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild
- Lucy Long Ago: Uncovering the Mystery of Where We Came From
Dinner Ideas:
Serve Broccoli – what little dinosaur doesn’t love to chomp on baby dinosaur trees.
Consider going all-organic with today’s meal. According to this list of 10 Easy Things You Can Do to Protect Wildlife, avoiding pesticides can help.
Dinner Conversation Starter: Why not read over the list above and plan ways your family can protect wildlife.
Learn More:
About Remembrance Day for Lost Species.
These are really fun ideas! I’ll interact mostly with my family in person this year, but there will be some remote as well! This holiday I’m finally getting around to cleaning my home for the company coming in. I even hired a dumpster rental company to help me out. I can’t wait for the holidays this year! This was a really great article and I’ll be using some of these ideas in December. Thanks!
We’re glad you enjoyed them.