The day after Thanksgiving is a great day to kick off the holiday season! For many, that means waking up at the crack of dawn to fight crowds at the mall to get started on your holiday shopping and score fantastic deals. If braving huge crowds and long lines isn’t your thing, here is a list of some other fun things you could be doing on that day!
10 Alternatives to Black Friday Shopping
#1: Make DIY gifts.
Spend the day crafting and making DIY gifts for friends and family. Scour Pinterest for kid-friendly crafts that they can gift to their siblings, teachers, or friends.
#2: Host a Potluck.
Invite friends or neighbors over and encourage them to bring their Thanksgiving leftovers. You won’t have to worry about preparing a full meal or eating turkey every day for the next week.
#3: Decorate.
Pull out the Christmas decorations. What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than by decking the halls!
#4: Give back.
Volunteer at a local food bank or soup kitchen. Do a random act of kindness for a neighbor. Donate a few dollars to a charity you love. This is a great opportunity to teach kids the real meaning of Christmas and take the focus off of the commercial side of Christmas.
#5: Start your holiday baking.
Try a new cookie recipe. If you plan on gifting baked goods, this is a great day to start!
#6: Get out and get active.
The average American consumes 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day. Burn off those calories by going for a hike, taking a bike ride around your neighborhood, or playing a game of catch in the front yard.
#7: Shop Online.
If you must shop, do so online! The sales are normally the same and you won’t have to line up outside of Toys R’ Us at midnight to take advantage of them.
#8: Shop in other ways.
Forget the big brand stores and shop local on Small Business Saturday. Or prepare for Giving Tuesday by finding a new philanthropy to support this holiday season.
#9: Relax.
Spend the day as a family lounging around, playing board games, or watching Christmas movies.
#10: Plan for the rest of the Holiday season.
Make a Christmas bucket list of all the holiday activities you want to experience before the big day. Help the kids write their letters to Santa or get a head start on your holiday cards.
How do YOU like to spend your Black Friday?
Contributing Sister Site and Author
About {Brigid}
Brigid was born and raised in Philadelphia and although she is a northerner by birth, she’s always felt like a southern girl at heart. In 2009, Brigid left Philly for Charleston and instantly fell in love with the Holy City and all it had to offer. She planned on calling Charleston home forever, until she met and fell in love with her husband, Don, who had other plans. After their engagement, Don’s career in the Navy led them on a four year adventure to New York and eventually Jacksonville, FL. On Christmas Eve of 2013, Brigid and Don began their greatest adventure yet when they welcomed their beautiful, blue eyed baby girl named Abigail into the world. After years of struggling to figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up, Brigid finally found her calling as “mama!” In April of 2015, she and her family moved back to the Charleston area for good! This time around, Brigid is enjoying getting to know Charleston as a mom.
