Right in the middle of dressing up for Halloween and decorating for Christmas, lies the holiday of giving thanks and eating warm, delicious food. Preparing for the big meal of the day takes a lot of effort and then afterwards it takes even more to clean up. Try these instead.

Help Clean Up
Since thanks were just said about your whole life, helping mom and dad with the dishes and putting up the food can be a great way to show appreciation. Having the counters and tables cleaned after the meal can lead to space for some activities for fun and relaxation.

Movies
After a delicious Thanksgiving meal, most people like to relax. A way to spend the rest of the day with family would be seeing some movies. A popular children’s movie to watch on this day would be the classic, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

Exercising
Some families exercise after the big meal act as a way to burn some calories off. Waiting 30 minutes or an hour before running will help settle food. Some exercises that could help to burn the calories would be yoga, taking a walk, going for a bike ride (if the weather permits it), playing football with the family or cardio work.

More Food
Even though you became stuffed and full of food, there should be plenty of food still waiting for you to eat. Desserts, turkey (that was a big turkey), stuffing, vegetables (potatoes, carrots, bacon-wrapped asparagus and broccoli), bread and drinks sound like a great second course after the exercising wears you out.

Board Games
Table cleared? Good. Time to set out some board games and get cracking down to beat those bothersome family members. Old time classic games like Trouble, Monopoly, Twister, Snakes and Ladders, Candy Land and Battleship can help get rid of the lack of activity.

Going Out
Staying at home after the meal does not always calm the urge to get up and do something. Going out with family or friends for an evening of activity can help with boredom at home. Watching a new movie, shopping at the mall, going hunting (but only if you enjoy it) or going to the park list some activities that can help stop the boredom.

Make a Christmas Gift List
If you hear the Christmas jingle or tune, it’s time to be thinking about what you want for Christmas and what you might be giving or receiving. Black Friday starts the day after Thanksgiving, with loads and loads of sales, but also with loads of crazy people looking for those sales. Be safe and be careful.