Thanksgiving Kitchen and Turkey Safety for Families With Kids • Living Life as Moms | Mom Hacks, Toddler Snacks, and Kids Activities

Quick answer: for a safe Thanksgiving, thaw turkey in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, never on the counter, and cook it until a food thermometer reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours. Never leave cooking unattended, keep children at least three feet from the stove and hot dishes, turn pot handles inward and plan for allergies and choking hazards before guests arrive.

Thanksgiving brings together big meals, crowded kitchens, visiting relatives and children who cannot wait to help. It is also one of the busiest days of the year for home cooking fires and for food poisoning cases from undercooked or mishandled turkey. A little planning keeps the day cheerful. This guide is part of our family health and safety guide. It covers turkey handling, kitchen safety with kids underfoot, burn and fire prevention, allergy and choking precautions and what to do with the leftovers.

Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service guidance on turkey thawing, cooking and leftovers; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Thanksgiving food safety tips; National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Thanksgiving cooking fire safety information; Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) holiday guidance; American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) HealthyChildren.org on burns and choking. This article is general information, not medical advice.

Plan Ahead for the Turkey

A safe turkey starts days before the holiday. The USDA says a frozen turkey can be thawed in three ways, and the counter is not one of them. Bacteria multiply quickly between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which the USDA calls the danger zone.

Thawing method	How it works	Time needed
Refrigerator	Keep the turkey in its wrapper on a tray at 40 degrees or below	About 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds
Cold water	Submerge the wrapped turkey in cold tap water and change the water every 30 minutes	About 30 minutes per pound
Microwave	Follow the oven manual and cook right after thawing	Varies by size and model

A turkey thawed in the refrigerator can stay there for a day or two before cooking. A turkey thawed in cold water or the microwave should be cooked immediately. Count the days backward from Thanksgiving, and buy early. A 20-pound bird needs four to five days in the fridge.

Buy a food thermometer if you do not have one. Color and cooking time are not reliable ways to judge doneness.

Cooking the Turkey Safely

Do not wash the raw turkey. The USDA advises against rinsing poultry because it can spread bacteria to the sink, counters and nearby foods. Cooking to the right temperature kills germs.
Cook at 325 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Oven temperatures below that can let the turkey stay in the danger zone too long.
Use a food thermometer. The turkey is safe when the temperature reaches 165 degrees in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and in the thickest part of the breast.
Check stuffing too. Stuffing, whether cooked inside the bird or in a separate dish, should reach 165 degrees. Cooking stuffing separately is easier to manage.
Let the turkey rest for about 20 minutes before carving. It stays hot, and the juices settle.
Keep raw turkey away from ready-to-eat food. Use a separate cutting board and knife, and wash hands, utensils and surfaces with hot, soapy water after touching raw poultry.

The CDC points out that children under five, adults 65 and older, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness from food poisoning, so double-check anything served to them.

Leftovers: The Two-Hour Rule

After the meal, refrigerate leftovers within two hours of cooking. Slice the turkey, and divide food into shallow containers so that it cools quickly. Do not leave dishes on the table all afternoon while everyone naps.

Eat leftovers within three to four days, according to the USDA, or freeze them for longer storage.
Reheat to 165 degrees Fahrenheit before serving again.
Discard food that has been out more than two hours, or more than one hour if the room is above 90 degrees.
Label containers with the date so you know when to use or toss.

Kitchen Safety With Kids

Crowded kitchens cause most accidents. These habits keep little ones safe without keeping them out of the fun.

Set up a kid-free zone. The NFPA recommends a three-foot zone around the stove and anywhere hot food or drink is prepared or carried. Mark it with tape on the floor if that helps young children remember.

Turn pot handles inward. A child can easily pull a pot of boiling water from the stove. Use back burners when possible.

Keep hot dishes in the center of the table. Tablecloths can be pulled by toddlers, bringing hot food and drinks down. Placemats are safer when little ones are near.

Use oven mitts and clear a path. Before lifting the turkey, tell everyone to step back, and make sure no child or pet is underfoot.

Give kids safe jobs. Children can wash vegetables, stir cold ingredients, tear lettuce, set the table or decorate place cards. The best helpers are the ones with a task, so they are not tempted to wander into the danger area. Our life skills kids must know article lists age-appropriate kitchen tasks.

Keep knives, hot drinks and cords out of reach. A coffee mug on the edge of a table is a burn risk for a toddler. Appliance cords should not dangle from the counter.

Know where the fire extinguisher is. Check that smoke alarms work, and talk with older children about what to do if there is a fire.

Preventing Kitchen Fires

The NFPA reports that unattended cooking is a leading cause of home cooking fires, and that Thanksgiving is among the peak days for these fires. A few rules reduce the risk a lot.

Stay in the kitchen while anything is on the stove. If you must step out, turn off the burner or take the pot with you.
Keep flammable items away from the stove, including towels, paper bags, oven mitts, decorations and loose sleeves.
Check the oven before use, and keep the oven and stovetop clean of grease.
Keep a lid nearby. For a small grease fire in a pan, slide a lid over it and turn off the heat. Never use water on a grease fire.
Have an oven fire plan. Keep the door closed and turn off the oven. Call 911 if the fire does not go out.
Be careful with candles. Place candles on a sturdy surface, away from children and decorations, and never leave them burning in an empty room.

For more on fire safety at home, see our family home fire safety checklist.

A Word About Turkey Fryers

The NFPA strongly discourages the use of outdoor gas-fueled turkey fryers that immerse the turkey in hot oil, because of the risk of burns and fires. Spills and oil that overflows when a frozen or wet turkey is lowered into the pot have caused serious injuries. If you do use a fryer, keep it outdoors, away from the house, garage and deck, on level ground, and keep children and pets far away. Never leave it unattended. Many families choose a safer alternative, such as roasting in the oven or buying a fried turkey from a store. The NFPA also points to oil-less fryers as an alternative, though you should follow the manufacturer’s directions.

Burns and Scalds

Hot liquids cause many childhood burns during holiday cooking. If a child is burned:

Cool the burn with cool running water for 10 to 20 minutes.
Remove clothing or jewelry near the burn unless it is stuck to the skin.
Cover loosely with a clean, dry cloth or nonstick bandage.
Do not use ice, butter or ointments on a fresh burn.
Seek emergency care for burns that are large, deep, on the face, hands, feet or genitals, or any burn on a baby.

Our scald and burn prevention guide covers burn first aid in more detail.

Food Allergies and Choking

Holiday dishes can hide common allergens such as milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, soy and shellfish. Gravy, stuffing, pies and rolls may contain them. FARE recommends that families with allergic children:

Tell the host in advance about allergies, or offer to bring a safe dish.
Read labels on packaged ingredients, and check again if the brand changes.
Keep an epinephrine auto-injector within reach, along with an action plan.
Prevent cross-contact with separate serving spoons and clean surfaces.
Ask a trusted adult to sit near the child during the meal.

For choking, the AAP warns that foods such as whole grapes, nuts, hard candies, popcorn, raw carrots and large chunks of meat can be dangerous for children under four. Cut food into small pieces, and ask children to sit while eating. Our guide to choking hazards for babies and toddlers lists foods to watch.

Other Hazards Around the Table

Alcohol. Keep drinks out of reach of children, and clear glasses promptly.
Medications. Visiting relatives may carry pills in purses or coat pockets. Ask guests to keep them out of children’s reach.
Raw dough and batter. Raw flour and eggs can carry germs. Keep children from tasting uncooked cookie or pie batter.
Hot serving dishes. Use trivets and warming trays carefully.
Cords. Slow cookers and electric knives should have cords that children cannot pull.

A Timeline That Keeps the Day Calm

Most kitchen accidents come from rushing. Writing out a schedule takes pressure off and gives you slack for the unexpected. Work backward from dinner time. Allow the turkey its full cooking time plus the resting period, and plan side dishes that can be made ahead, such as cranberry sauce, pie and casseroles that only need reheating. The more you finish the day before, the fewer hot pots you juggle while guests and children fill the kitchen.

On the day itself, set out serving dishes and utensils early, clear counters, put cleaning products away and fill the sink with soapy water for dirty tools. Ask a family member to be the designated child watcher while you handle the oven, so that one adult is always free to keep an eye on little ones. Rotate the job every half hour so no one gets worn out.

Signs of Food Poisoning

Even careful cooks sometimes have a guest who becomes ill. The CDC notes that symptoms of food poisoning can include vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever, and they can begin hours to days after eating contaminated food. Most people recover at home, but children can become dehydrated quickly. Offer small, frequent sips of an oral rehydration solution, and call a doctor if a child cannot keep fluids down, has bloody stool, a high fever or signs of dehydration such as few tears, a dry mouth or very little urine. Keep a sample of the suspect food in the fridge in case a health department needs it, and tell other guests so they can watch for symptoms.

Babies and Toddlers at the Gathering

Younger children need a few extra precautions. Set up a safe play space away from the kitchen, with a gate if possible, and stock it with toys that will keep them busy. Keep purses, coats and bags off the floor, since they may hold medicines, lighters or small items that could be swallowed. Hold babies away from hot dishes and drinks, and never carry a baby while you are handling something hot. If a high chair or booster is used at the table, strap the child in and keep hot food out of reach.

Safe Cleanup

After dinner, the work is not over. Hot grease should cool before it goes into a container for the trash, never down the drain. Run the dishwasher with the heat-dry cycle off while small children are near, or open it only after steam has cleared. Keep trash bags with turkey bones out of reach of pets, because cooked bones can splinter and harm dogs and cats. Wipe counters and the sink with hot, soapy water after raw poultry has touched them, and wash dishcloths and sponges in hot water.