This Thanksgiving, why not make the kids table the hottest seat in town? The key to an appealing kids table is plenty of activities and an easy cleanup.
Oh, and of course…if you just happen to have a teepee in the backyard, put it to good use!
If you are short on seating, create a kid-sized table using a coffee table and pillows as seating. Use packing paper as a “tablecloth” and then provide crayons or colored pencils for pre-dinner doodling. The adorable placemats (a free online printable) are also perfect for budding artists and, in the true spirit of the holiday, provide a place for kids to record their “thankful” list. As an added bonus, the colored pencils can be packaged up and sent home as party favors.
For table decor, kids can help scavenge for wildflowers or branches to fill mason jars. Add a few feathers and it becomes a simple, inexpensive arrangement.
And since the kiddos generally gobble up the feast quickly, give the grown-ups a little extra time to savor their food by keeping the littles occupied post-dinner with additional activities. Place pomegranates on the table alongside whole cloves so that the kids can make their own sweet-smelling designs in the fruit. Also, the small mason jars acting as place cards are filled with orange “pumpkin pie” play-dough for plenty of creative fun.
At the end of the evening, since all items are disposable, cleanup is as simple as rolling up the entire table top and tossing in the trash.
Happy kiddos and a clean house? Now that’s definitely something to be thankful for!
Happy Thanksgiving!
-JJ
Click HERE to see this kids table and other Thanksgiving entertaining ideas on WREG Live at 9.
Source List
- Placemat printables and jar/tag printables
- Colored pencils
- Flowers: Craspedia/billy buttons
- Play dough
- Bamboo utensils
- Favor tags
- Feathers
- Twine
- Paper