Creating a Kid Friendly Thanksgiving Table

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Hello world! Well it’s about time to start thinking about Thanksgiving tablescapes. One thing is for sure, I always make room for my kiddo’s when thinking about how to style.  With them in mind, this year, I decided to start with the fresh items we found on the farm while we were pumpkin patching. By doing so, I don’t have to waste any decor from Halloween. Those items might include uncarved pumpkins, acorn squash, and/or gourds.  Allow the kiddos to arrange those on the dinner table (they get excited about those little projects.)

TriDecorNext, I choose my color palette. Even though it’s Thanksgiving, you can pick non-traditional colors. It’s even more fun to have your children help with the selection.  Since our family used fun dark colors last year we will be using bright fall colors this year; yellows & oranges. Those colors are my boys’ favorites. They even helped in choosing the exact tone of each color.  As a fun “field trip”, we went to Lowe’s and they selected a few sample color templates. While there we were able to grab a few glass vases that are great for table decor by adding just a few fresh flowers.

Creating a Kid Friendly TableThen, think DISHES! Specifically kid friendly dishes. There is nothing worst than having a nicely styled dinner table that children can’t enjoy. A great idea to incorporate elegance into the tablescape while staying kid friendly is to use chargers at each place setting and festive paper plates on top. Chargers can be found at any craft store such as Michael’s or Hobby Lobby, but even Target and Wal-Mart have a great selection. Again, you can allow your children to get involved with selecting charger styles. They can be plain and plastic or decorative with embellishments. Chargers are placed under dinner plates to add the extra WOW factor to the table setting.

The tablecloth selection is just as important. Based on your set budget you can pick a nice plastic or paper tablecloth to match the other decor. If you have room to splurge, using a linen tablecloth will add a touch of class. Again, think kid friendly either way.

Finally, it’s time to fully set your table. Give each child an assignment in the three step process so that they understand what all of the prep work was about. If you have more than three children they can work in groups:

  1. Start off with placing the tablecloth on the table.
  2. Stage the fresh decor and vases on the table. Be sure to make the centerpiece the focal point. Then the other item should be staged around. Remember to give the children a chance to do all of the staging, even if this makes it less “perfect” in the end.
  3. Finally, place chargers on the table one for each guest. Then, place paper/glass plate on top. Arranging the remaining tableware (utensils and cups) can be a lot of fun to involve the kids in as well.  Set up a “sample” place settings for them to follow as a guide.

Allowing children to help with Thanksgiving  table setting gives them greater appreciation and thankfulness for all one does to make Thanksgiving celebrations a success.  And as an added bonus, for the picky eaters in the bunch, they just might become more excited about the meal they helped create as a result!

We would love to see pictures of your kid-decorated Thanksgiving tables this year.  Feel free to post photos on the Cincinnati Moms Blog Facebook page!

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