Thanksgiving is a time for spending the holiday with loved ones, sharing stories around the table, and appreciating the special moments of being together. At Campus Rec, we are all about promoting wellness and belonging. With Thanksgiving around the corner, this is a great opportunity to incorporate physical activity, mindfulness, and a meaningful connection with family traditions to promote wellness. Here are some fun and beneficial activities that both support the body and mind during the holiday season.
- Movement & Physical Wellness
Movement and physical wellness activities for Thanksgiving can be enjoyable and family-friendly, offering a perfect balance. Begin the day by going for a refreshing morning walk or run to energize your body and clear your mind- setting a positive tone for the day! To make things more festive, try going on a gratitude walk with your loved ones by sharing something you’re thankful for along the way. This improves mindfulness while also encouraging exercise. Another holiday-themed physical activity is incorporating a short yoga session with poses that promote reflection and relaxation. Allow your body and mind to be in touch with the holiday season by focusing on thankfulness while you stretch and breathe. Fun activities like backyard football, frisbee, or even dancing while preparing food can keep you moving while creating happy memories. Thanksgiving becomes more than just a meal when movement and physical activity are combined; it becomes a celebration of well-being, thankfulness, and community.
- Gratitude & Care
‘Tis the season to be thankful for family, friends, and the opportunities to grow, give, and embrace gratitude in everyday moments. Some activities to practice giving thanks this year are journaling, my personal favorite. Write down at least three things you are grateful for this year and reflect on all of the milestones you’ve accomplished, no matter how small or big. Journaling can help keep you grounded and transform reflection into a caring and gratitude exercise. Other ways to practice gratitude are keeping a gratitude jar. Throughout the day, you and your loved ones write down on a small piece of paper what you are thankful for, place them in a jar, and then read them aloud at the table. This simple activity creates presence appreciation at the meal by serving as a collective reminder of the good things to be thankful for.
- Social & Emotional Well-Being
Thanksgiving serves as a yearly reminder that wellness goes beyond our physical health; it can also be found in the relationships and acts of gratitude we create. One of the ways to promote social and emotional wellness during break is by practicing mindful breathing. Before taking a bite off your plate, take some stress off by taking a minute to practice guided breathing or a moment of silence. This simple yet effective activity supports emotional well-being while also reducing stress from daily responsibilities. Another great way to promote social and emotional wellness is by acts of kindness- whether it’s volunteering or donating at a food bank, helping clean up after the meal, or reaching out to someone over the phone to express how grateful you are to have them in your life. These are just a few examples of how Thanksgiving can flourish into a time of thoughtfulness, appreciation, and create a meaningful connection beyond just food and tradition.
- Fun & Creative Activities!
With incorporating all kinds of wellness into the holiday this year, don’t forget the most important thing is to also have fun! To make this year a memorable Thanksgiving, gather friends and family to engage in fun games and activities! Host a holiday-themed trivia game by combining Thanksgiving facts with fun family memories, or play Thanksgiving Bingo using cards with symbols, meals, and traditions. Wanna get more in tune with your creative side? Nothing screams fall like pumpkin painting! Instead of carving a pumpkin, use paint, glitter, or stickers to create your very own pumpkin while having fun with the people you love. An oldie but a goodie that is perfect for the whole family is creating Turkey Handprints. You can either trace your hand on a piece of paper or put paint on your hands and place them on a piece of paper to decorate them as turkeys- a perfect craft for keeping memories of this experience alive. Thanksgiving continues to be a celebration of happiness, bonding, and well-being with these fun and creative activities, rather than just a holiday meal. You can create lasting memories that boost your mind and body by combining festive traditions with thoughtful moments.
With these activities promoting all different areas of wellness, you can embrace Thanksgiving as an opportunity to recharge, reconnect, and recommit to wellness in all its forms. Be sure to check us out on IMLeagues and all of our socials @campusrec for upcoming wellness and fitness events after break. From Campus Rec to the students and staff of the University of Rhode Island, remember to “Be Active. Be Well. Belong” over Thanksgiving break!
By: Aaliyah Holford
Major: Communications
Graduating May 2029