5 Tips for the Kids’ Table on Thanksgiving

It’s time to prepare for Thanksgiving, that means getting the kids’ table setup too. I’m sharing 5 Tips for the Kids’ Table today in partnership with KidKraft, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I can’t begin to tell you how ecstatic my daughter was as I put together this Farmhouse Table from KidKraft.  We spent the morning last week, putting it together and she helped with every part.  My daughter has watched me photograph food and parties since she was born, so it’s only natural I guess that she wants to host parties all day long.  Of course, she host pretend parties.  As soon as I had the table together, she already had all her baby dolls in the chairs and her tea set out.  She said, “Mommy, we are having a tea party and my guests are asking for juice and cookies.”  Of course, I can’t deny her, right?  It was so adorable to watch.

I am loving this stage we are heading into with her as far as pretend play goes, she’s never been one to really play with many toys like my son did, she always wants to play with my stuff and play pretend.  She has quite the imagination and she plays pretend all day long from house to kitties and school too.

In the midst of the holidays, it means many of us will be hosting gatherings with our family.  We are actually hosting a few this year and with about 12 kids in our family, the kids’ table is vital!  Now, of those there are about 4 that are the preschool age, so this table works out perfectly for them.  Of course, you can go extravagant with the table; however, I like to keep it simple.  My kids don’t necessarily need to be overstimulated to have a little fun while waiting on dinner to be served.  I like to use a coloring sheet or construction paper as the place mat, this way they can go to town coloring while waiting.  Then, I decided to put little pumpkins on each of their plates so that they could decorate them with stickers too.

The centerpiece ended up being a few crayons and a little decor item, both very simple because you do need table space for them to eat as well.  It turned out to be the perfect spot for the kids to eat and enjoy time together.  They are all just so adorable to watch too.  I wanted to share though a few key tips to getting the kids’ table ready for Thanksgiving!

5 Tips for the Kids’ Table on Thanksgiving

• Make it a Theme – Since this was Thanksgiving for us, we went with a pumpkin and harvest theme.  It’s always a good idea to center any coloring sheets and crafts around a theme.
• Keep it Simple – Remember it doesn’t need to be extravagant, crayons and coloring pages go a long way for little ones.  I find simple to be better especially if an adult isn’t planning on assisting with crafts too.  It’s always fun to throw in a little something extra too though like decorating the pumpkins.  This is a great activity but use stickers!

• Paper or Plastic – Avoid any unwanted breaking of special dishes, stick to festive plastic or paper dishes for the kids table.

• Make it Kid-Size – Use a kid-friendly table size, such as this one from KidKraft.  Kids love when they can actually sit in a chair that is their size and easily reach the table.  They feel like one of the grown ups being in their own size furniture, so keep things their size.

• Add Kid-Friendly Foods – Make sure to add a few foods that are very kid-friendly, like mini dessert pies or a kid-friendly fancy drink.  It makes them feel like part of the celebration too!

I use each of these tips as I think through just about any part I host that involves kids, but most of all enjoy each other and don’t get too busy on the details that you miss out on the fun!

Happy ‘Almost’ Thanksgiving!