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Thanksgiving: A great time to get talking

Thanksgiving: A great time to get talking

We know the joke—and we’ve been there a time or two—you get stuck with a bunch of family members and awkward conversation around a table on Thanksgiving. Come on people. It doesn’t have to be that way. Think about it. Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to take some time to get to know members of your family. You may be surprised about what you find out. Maybe it’s that Grandma hitched hiked across the US while in the Army to get home for Thanksgiving. Or, Uncle Bob spends a couple of hours at the school each day teaching kids how to read. Or, that Jimmy is a genius with a computer. Our families are a great strength of humor and strength.

Now, we know how difficult it can be to break the ice with someone you see maybe a couple of times a year. (I personally think that’s why we ask the same basic—often awkward questions—because we don’t know how to get someone to open up.)

Here are some ideas for how you can use the games and activities of Effective Communication to make Thanksgiving about getting to know your family better.

Don’t separate tables into grown-up and kids. For many kids talking to adults can be scary. Especially, if they’re not sure what to talk to them about. By placing a couple of questions from our Monthly Conversation Starters or Would You Rather, it makes the whole idea of talking to grown-up a little less scary while forging a connection between generations.

Ask a single question or questions from our Monthly Conversation StartersWould You Rather, or Communication Ball to the whole entire group. You can find these printouts on our Resource: Fun Activities Page

Place a couple of out Monthly Conversation Starters or Would You Rather questions at each place. Encourage your guest to use them to with their neighbors.

In the post-meal relaxation, play the Communication Ball activity instead of turning on the TV.

Turn it into a game. Print out our Monthly Conversation Starters and give each kid a sheet. Have a prize for the first person who asks all the questions. Give each child a different set of questions so that those being asked the questions don’t have to answer the same questions.

Play Would You Rather as a group. Have someone be the caller and have the group split to different sides according to their answers. I.E. those that would rather be chased by a bear on the left, and a lion on the right.