23 Last Minute Thanksgiving Ideas: Things To Do, To Eat, & To Look At

When you're short on time, look to these 23 last minute Thanksgiving ideas for quick & fun activities, delicious food & pretty things for the table.

If you find yourself facing the coming Thanksgiving holiday with a bit of angst over what the heck to do, I know how you feel. I used to feel like this a lot, even though I don't usually host a dinner. I help my mom set the table and cook the turkey, as well as provide side dishes, and I often ran around the day-of trying to collect leaves or something to make the tables look festive.

That's one of the reasons I created the week-of Thanksgiving checklist with time-management tips - to help me remember what I can be getting done in advance and the steps to take on the day itself. I was just hoping it would help you guys, too (and many of you have told me it has, yay!).

But still, there are always some things that get forgotten. Or things you'd like to add (like activities for kids) but don't have a lot of time. This is just life, right?

So I complied a list of ideas for fun activities that you can simply print out, as well as foods that are perfect for the holiday but take just minutes, and super easy ways to help your table and home look festive (more free downloads here, too!). The best part is that no one will guess these last minute Thanksgiving ideas weren't planned way in advance. It'll just be our secret.