Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve loved Thanksgiving. Part of my love stems from the holiday being an excuse to enjoy a delicious feast or two, but it also comes from being grateful to celebrate another holiday with family. My dad has ingrained into my mind the importance of the three F’s on Thanksgiving: food, family and football. So I’ve decided to curate this list based on the three F’s and traditions I’ve collected so that you can truly make the most of your Thanksgiving this year.

Macy’s Day Parade

This parade is the Thanksgiving classic of all classics. If you aren’t tuning in at 8:30 a.m. EST every year to watch giant helium balloons make their way through the streets of New York City, you better start this year. According to the Associated Press, there will be 17 giant character balloons, 22 floats, 15 novelty and heritage inflatables, 11 marching bands, 700 clowns and 10 performance groups in this year’s parade. It will be available to watch on NBC and other cable providers. My family and I always watch it while eating lunch, but you can watch it whenever as long as it’s pre-recorded or downloaded.

Football

Whether you are watching football for the intense family rivalries or just coming for the snacks, Thanksgiving Day football is a quintessential aspect of the holiday. This year, the Chicago Bears will play the Detroit Lions, the New York Giants will play the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins will play the Green Bay Packers. If you are interested in a fun fact, you should know that the Detroit Lions also played during the first in-color televised Thanksgiving football game in 1965. To get the most out of any football experience, I highly recommend those aforementioned snacks. My favorite football snacks are nachos, pigs in a blanket and even a solid bag of potato chips (because you can never go wrong with potato chips). If you are worried about filling up before a big turkey (or tofurkey) dinner, don’t be. Remember that eating and football are two of the most important — and most American — activities you can participate in this Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Day Hike

Picture this: you are peacefully walking through Fryman Canyon on a Thanksgiving morning, and you suddenly hear the sound of pounding feet and a faint “gobble gobble” in the distance. These sounds get louder and louder until you are almost trampled by a 20-person family running past you. That family is mine … on our annual Thanksgiving day hike, referred to as the Turkey Trot. Taking a short walk or hike on Thanksgiving is a great way to bond with your people and get a little fresh air after weeks of hard work. While you could just go on a casual walk with your family around the neighborhood, you could also encourage your family to participate in a Turkey Trot near you, which are organized by various cities and counties in California.

Cook with Family

Cooking with your family on Thanksgiving has endless possibilities. Most families have their own culinary traditions, but in case you don’t, here are a few suggestions. First, it is imperative that you make any type of pie. For the longest time, my Thanksgiving menu only included apple pie, until last year when I alone took on the challenge of making a pumpkin pie. While pumpkin pie is a classic, it is not the only option — bake the pie that makes you most happy. Next, let’s talk cranberry sauce, the dish that sells Thanksgiving for me. The mixture of sweet and sour topping a freshly carved turkey is the only way to go. Finally, an autumnal vegetable side dish such as honey-glazed carrots, garlicky green beans or even a sweet squash are all great ways to top off the meal. They are also quick and easy dishes to prepare with family if you don’t want to wait two hours for the food to be ready.

Arts and Crafts

Creating fun decorations is one of the best ways to enhance your Thanksgiving dinner table. What better way to do that than a fun and simple pinecone turkey? All you need is felt, googly eyes, a few pinecones, some Micheals-bought feathers and a hot glue gun. Another good craft-like activity is the gratitude jar. Grab some colorful paper, pens, markers and stickers to decorate the outside of the jar. Bring it to your Thanksgiving dinner along with small pieces of paper which can be autumn-themed shapes and colors. One year, my mom and I cut them into little leaves. Leave the papers out next to the jar and have everyone at your dinner write down what they are grateful for this year. You can save these jars and read them out at your next Thanksgiving or whenever you need a bit of positivity in your life.

So, whether you are looking to be active or are dying to try a new craft to pass the time, these are all great additions to your Thanksgiving plans. I hope you find these activities enjoyable and happy Thanksgiving!