Thanksgiving is a time to gather with your loved ones, celebrate life, family, and friends, and dive into an incredible meal with all the fixings. Enjoying the wonders of the season can include filling your house with laughter in the form of games and family fun, and creating lasting memories in the kitchen with the entire family.

When it comes to Thanksgiving, one of the easiest ways to build your family traditions and underscore the meaning of the holiday is to get your kids involved from the start. No matter what age they are, from food prep to table setting, from crafts to décor, engage your kids to help.

Here are four easy ways to get your kids involved in the joy of Thanksgiving festivities:

1. Have kids garnish the turkey. What would Thanksgiving be without a delicious, multi-course feast? And at the centre of that feast is always a Butterball Stuffed Turkey in my house. This turkey is so flavourful (my entire family loves it!) and minimal prep is needed. It goes from the freezer to the oven to the table with ease.I’m all about presentation when it comes to the holidays and garnishing the turkey in a way that’ll complement and decorate your dinner table is something simple your kids will love helping with. To start, place the cooked turkey on a large platter atop a bed of jumbo spinach leaves. Then have your child tuck the ends of about a dozen rosemary sprigs underneath the turkey. Have them sprinkle some fresh cranberries around, and then complete the platter with an array of lemon slices. The result? A beautiful main course centrepiece that’ll only add to the evening’s aesthetic.

2. Let the kids help dress the table. When it comes to Thanksgiving decor, colours and textures are key. Choose earth tones in fall’s favourite hues, including deep yellows, burnt oranges and every glorious shade of brown, and adorn the table with corn husks, pinecones, leaves and twigs. You can find inexpensive faux variations at your local craft or dollar store or send your kids outside to collect decorative treasures in your backyard or nearby wooded area. I love a “more-is-more” approach with my fall tablescape, where countless accoutrements are poured into the centre of the table and then spread out to create a mock table runner. And this is certainly a technique your kids will love helping with! “You’re allowed to make a mess,” is likely what they’ll hear, but I promise you, the result will be stunning! You can also have them add corn husks or pinecones at each place setting as a finishing touch.

3. Get the little ones crafting. I love a holiday DIY and Thanksgiving crafts are certainly no exception. Here is a handcrafted owl that will surely keep the kiddos entertained. They’ll love getting hands-on, customizing their own holiday character, and showing off their talents once completed. To create the body of the owl, I overlapped a variety of pre-cut leaf shapes (these are from a craft store, but you could find some online to print out). The eyes I found online (do a Google Image search for “cartoon eyes printable” and you’ll see lots of great options), and I printed them on regular paper before cutting them out. I also cut some black construction paper into teardrop shapes to be used as beaks. All of the layers can be glued together on top of a piece of card stock or construction paper, and then use a black marker to draw on the owl’s feet. This is a fun project your kids will love doing, and if you have young guests coming over, it’s a great way to keep the little ones entertained—at least for a bit!

4. Set up the kids with their own space. Give youngsters a place of their own that’ll allow them to enjoy the day independently. Bonus: You’ll also gain a bit of breathing room! Roll out some craft paper across a table. (Money-saving tip: if you’re okay with the look of white paper, you can use the underside of wrapping paper instead). Not only will the craft paper make the kids’ table look oh-so fall and festive, it’ll also make cleaning up a breeze. Dress the table with mini pumpkins and leaves, and sprinkle various craft supplies about (feathers, pom-poms, and googly eyes are always a big hit!). I found these free Thanksgiving-themed colouring placemats online, as well as some printable conversation starters. Make sure all kids have easy access to colouring tools and adhesives. Your little ones will love spending some holiday time in their own space crafting and creating!