Tips For An Amazing Outdoor Thanksgiving

During a time of social distancing, seeing loved ones to celebrate Thanksgiving may require a bit more out of the box thinking. There is nothing quite like spending time in nature during the harvest season and a beautiful outdoor dinner feast could be the best way to spend your Thanksgiving. Whether you have a large backyard, an outdoor balcony, or even a smaller porch area, we are here with some wonderful ideas to help you host an unforgettable Thanksgiving dinner.

Embrace the weather on Thanksgiving, whatever it is. Even if it's cold… tell guests to dress for the weather, bundle up if necessary. The more coarse the weather is that day the more unique and memorable holiday it will be … the one everyone remembers for years to come. Like a costume party just go for it!

Decorate your outdoor table with whatever evergreen or other foliage you have in your yard, or maybe your neighbor's yard if you ask nicely.

Utilize your outdoor grill. Big dinners usually mean plenty of faces testing food in the kitchen and now more than ever it is important to open up space. Give your oven the day off and find ways to cook outdoors by firing up the grill for some delicious turkey and to make tasty side dishes. You can even utilize slow cookers that can be plugged in to outlets outside. Bridge the gap between indoor & outdoor to host larger gatherings with an outdoor kitchen.

Think through heating options. As the day progresses and to maintain a consistent cozy heat throughout your holiday celebration, heating options such as an outdoor fire pit, outdoor fireplace, or an electric outdoor heater would be wonderful options for your backyard area. There are a variety of different options available so be sure to find one that fits your needs based on your space and guest size.

Have outdoor entertainment. Lawn games such as no-touch football, cornhole, frisbee golf, and more can be played while maintaining social distancing and are a perfect way to burn some calories packed throughout the day. If your family loves watching football or special holiday movies, set up a TV outside.

Decorate for the season. Decorate your outdoor space for the season with hardy mums, ornamental kale, pansies, festive pumpkins, and other seasonal favorites. Add stunning fall-themed centerpieces (link to blog post) to outdoor tables to add pops of color as a perfect display for your Thanksgiving entertaining.