5 ways to make the kids table special at Thanksgiving
If you’re inviting children to partake in the Thanksgiving feast, the meal itself is only part of the equation. You’ll also have to find ways to keep them entertained at the kids’ table while the adults enjoy some turkey and vino nearby. If you add a few extras to the kids’ table settings, this shouldn’t be a problem. Here are five ways you can give your children’s table a boost this Turkey Day.
- Stock it with coloring books.
If your Thanksgiving guests include smaller kids, a simple spread of coloring books and some crayons or markers might be all it takes to keep them engaged throughout the entire feast. Find a few coloring books that depict Thanksgiving turkey, pumpkin pies, and other festive things or portraits, then set one or two coloring books at each place setting with the necessary coloring tools. - Add table games.
Does your kids’ table consist of older children with a competitive streak? Then keep them busy with games instead of coloring books. Cover the table with craft paper and sketch out a tic-tac-toe board between every two youngsters, providing them with dried beans of different colors or paper X’s and O’s to play. You can also print out Thanksgiving bingo cards and let kids lead the game. - Create edible place cards.
Formal Thanksgiving sit-downs typically include place cards. Don’t leave the kids out, but create place cards that double as a pre-dinner snack. Create a turkey place card out of a simple plastic cup and fill it with your pint-sized guests’ favorite candy or a small snack like popcorn, just enough to hold the kids over until dinner is ready. - Assemble a snack mix station.
If you like to get your guests in on the cooking, you might end up with a table full of hungry kids not-so-patiently waiting for their meal. In order to keep the kiddos happy, set up a station where they can create their own snack mixes. Include salty and sweet ingredients, like pretzels, peanuts, and chocolate candies. Provide small bowls or cups and spoons or scoops so that kids can mix up their own snack to enjoy as the grown-ups continue cooking the feast in the kitchen. - Provide supplies to make thankful turkeys.
With a few materials you probably already have on hand, like construction paper and glue, plus a handful of pine cones from outside, you have everything you need to make Thanksgiving Day turkeys. Create one of your own for the kids to use as an example, then give them all the materials they need to make their own. Challenge them to write the things that they’re thankful for on each of the turkey’s construction paper “feathers.” They can also jot down their names and use the thankful turkeys as place cards.
17 Activities to Make the Thanksgiving Kids’ Table More Fun [Country Living]
Setting Up the Perfect Thanksgiving Table for Kids [HGTV]
31 Thanksgiving Table Setting Ideas for Kids & Adults [The Good Stuff]
30 Fun Thanksgiving Kids Table Ideas [Happiness is Homemade]