Want to throw a great Friendsgiving?
I have hosted ours for several years now and I’ve learned some wisdom along the way in my years of hosting. Here are some friendly tips I thought I’d share, though it’s okay if your Friendsgiving looks different than mine in the end.
As long as you’re surrounded by some of your favorite people then you’re sure to have a great Friendsgiving!
Food
It’s always a good idea to get the food figured out ahead of time. There should definitely be messages sent ahead of time to figure this out. I typically provide the fruit and veggie trays for the party. That’s just something I have learned that is easy for me to do and doesn’t take up too much of my time (see the below point about cleaning!). Our friends typically bring the rest of the food for our Friendsgiving celebration. Turkey, a side, rolls, and dessert are usually what you’ll find. If I feel like it, I will typically buy food ahead of time and serve it at our mealtime too. I think there’s no such thing as too much food!
Kids
If you’re hosting Friendsgiving and you’ve invited the kids, it’s a great idea to put on a favorite kids’ show/movie. Bonus points if you have a space nearby the adults but still a separate space for the kids. In my house, we have a sunroom just off the main living room and we’ve got a good-sized TV mounted back there too. We also have a small picnic table that is perfect for seating kids during mealtimes. Having the TV back there helps the kids have their own fun space to be in and allows the adults to have their own space too!
Games
My friends and I bring games to Friendsgiving but there are no expectations to play any of them. If we get time we will definitely break out a game or two. But sometimes we get caught up just talking to each other and we don’t get a chance to play games. We all know this is possible and our feelings don’t get hurt if we don’t get to play a game.
It helps being on the same page as everyone about everything – this is part of what makes Friendsgiving so great. Getting together with the same like-minded people makes for a great celebration.
Cleaning
If you’re hosting Friendsgiving, there’s always the dreaded task of having to clean your whole house before guests come over. I say get the whole family involved. I talk with my husband ahead of time and we decide who is doing which tasks. My kids are little, but my oldest is 7 ½ and I will straight up pay her money for helping me clean. She gets 50 cents per room that she cleans and she also knows how to do the dishes, which earns her 50 cents as well. Cleaning goes by a lot quicker when everyone’s helping. Even my 3 year old can catch on and start putting toys away in their bins. Every little bit helps!
However you organize it, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving celebration this year!
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