5 Thanksgiving Drinks for Kids (and Adults)

Nonalcoholic beverages let children and teens enjoy Thanksgiving with everyone. Our Thanksgiving drinks for the family include lemonade and cocoa.

Creamy lemonade
Photo:

Jake Sternquist

Get little ones into the spirit of the season with their own Thanksgiving drinks. We gathered our favorite, easy, nonalcoholic drink recipe for kids—including cocoa, tea, and mocktails, all perfect for the holiday toast or read-aloud quotes on gratitude before the big dinner. These seasonal drinks are fun and adult-friendly, too.

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June Bug

June Bug
Andy Lyons

Most kids introduction to "mocktails" is from a Shirley Temple. Adding grenadine feels like such a grown-up thing. This fall-hued drink with grenadine takes is up a notch adding kid-friendly orange sherbet too, making it the ultimate Thanksgiving drink for kids. Perhaps the best part of all is that it only takes 5 minutes to make.

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Hot Chocolate

Hot Cocoa with Marshmallows
Andy Lyons

November through February there's not a drink a kid loves more than hot cocoa. Sure, those instant packets of cocoa mix are nice, but a homemade hot cocoa with just a bit of vanilla and marshmallows (obviously!) is better than anything poured out of a pouch or tin. Our recipe offers a few flavor variations too, for a twist on the traditional.

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Creamy Lemonade

Creamy lemonade

Jake Sternquist

We often think of lemonade recipes as a summer sipper, but lemons are at their peak late in the year. Take advantage of in-season lemons and a holiday baking staple—sweetened condensed milk—to make this creamy Thanksgiving drink for the whole family. You could garnish with a bit of cinnamon for a dash of fall flavor. It makes a pitcher's worth so you don't have to make one drink at a time.

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Hibiscus Tea

Hibiscus tea

Rachel Marek. Prop Styling: Gabe Greco

The teens in your family who frequent coffee shops for all their flavorful teas, smoothies, fruit drinks, and more will love sipping on this ruby drink. The color looks so lovely on a Thanksgiving table. For even more holiday feeling, garnish with cranberries and/or orange slices.

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Ginger Soda

Ginger Soda
Matthew Clark

Ginger is an excellent addition to the Thanksgiving table. Here a pound and a half of fresh ginger is used to create a ginger syrup which you combine with club soda for essentially a DIY ginger ale (made with clean ingredients). The syrup can be made two weeks in advance so on Thanksgiving all you have to do is add the club soda..

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