Your favorite part of Thanksgiving might be the food, maybe football, or the pumpkin pie, but nothing beats spending time with family. I have so many memories as a child, spending time at the kids table with my siblings and cousins…mixing food items that don’t need to be mixed, laughing at the little cousin who has applesauce smeared on their face, and making memories that we all have cherished forever. We sat at the kids table well into our adulthood – when we were no longer kids, but not yet ready for the (at times boring) adult table. 

If your family is similar, and has a designated kids table for Thanksgiving dinner, I have some inspiration for you to keep things interesting for the little ones this year.

Coloring Tablecloth

Let’s start with the table itself, you can find coloring tablecloths on Amazon like this one with Thanksgiving pictures to color or this one that also has games like crossword puzzles, tic tac toe, or mazes. I also really love the idea of just getting some butcher paper, or any large plain paper you can find to cover the table. This gives the children (and even adults) a chance to be creative. Have the tablecloth set up early, so as family starts to arrive they can decorate the kids table, and this also will occupy the little ones while you are trying to get everything prepared for dinner.

Coloring Placemats

You might not be looking to cover the entire kids table, but still love the idea of a coloring activity to keep the little ones busy, and keep their table festive. If that’s the case, I suggest finding a coloring placemat that you like. You can find some options online for free, you just need to print them out, or you can find options like this with simple images or this with more intricate images as well as puzzles and mazes on Amazon. Feel free to use placemats with the tablecloth, but if both options are too much, either works just as well on their own!

Turkey Juice Box Holder

If you are looking for something cute and crafty to dress up the kids table, this is the perfect small decor piece. You can use a toilet paper roll and a few accessories to make small turkeys for the kids table, this is a festive way to “hide” juice boxes, fill with an extra napkin or two, store the crayons inside for the coloring table cloth, etc. You have the freedom to be creative with how exactly you use it, but I love this activity because it’s an easy way to accessorize the kids table!

Turkey Joke Tellers

I mean, this is the cutest idea, right? The kids table is already always loud and full of laughter, so why not add some Thanksgiving inspired jokes to the mix? Depending on the age range of little ones at your dinner table, some of the older children may be able to help assemble the joke tellers, and then also help the younger ones read the jokes. These joke tellers will look so cute on your kids table, and they are also disposable, so when they inevitably rip or get dirty there’s no harm, no foul.

Gratitude Turkey

This is a simple idea that can really be used for the entire family, no matter the age! Complete this activity with the little ones too – maybe designate a family member to do the writing on the pumpkin before dinner, or discuss what everyone is grateful for during dinner and then have the pumpkin displayed as a centerpiece for dessert time.

Find what works for your family, but be sure to talk this one through with the little ones, and then display on the kids table, so there is an immediate reminder of why we celebrate Thanksgiving and it is an activity they had a hand in creating!

Turkey Trivia

While you probably don’t need to interfere too much in how the kids table conversation plays out, I am sure these trivia cards will still be a hit. Challenge the older children to answer the trivia questions in a certain amount of time, have the younger children keep score of who is winning, boys vs. girls, kids over a certain age vs. kids who are younger, kids on the left side of the table vs. kids who are on the right side of the table, etc. Sprinkle the trivia cards around the kids table like confetti, for them to pick up and use as needed throughout dinner.

Photo Book Props

I love that this is a multi-purpose type of decor piece. Photo booth props will look so cute scattered around the kids table, and once dinner is done, take some fun family photos! Lay out the props before dinner, and have an older child organize some photos of the little ones. It is always fun to create memories and take pictures, and might as well make the pictures extra fun this Thanksgiving!

Personalized Kids Puzzles

I will say, this is probably not something you want to leave out on the kids table, because you won’t want these high quality personalized puzzles to get ruined around the food. This is, however, the perfect activity for kids to complete at the kids table before dinner while you are making final preparations, or after dinner, while you are cleaning up and preparing for dessert.

Decide on a design that peaks your child’s interest and add their name. Pro tip – get a different puzzle for all of the children, so nobody mixes up pieces. While these aren’t Thanksgiving themed, that is what makes them perfect – easy to use all year round! Be sure to order these early, so you have them in time to introduce at Thanksgiving.

There are so many ways to spice up your Thanksgiving kids table this year! I hope some of these ideas inspired you to take your creativity to the next level. As mamas, we love to make the holidays special for our little ones, and I assure you, adding a few extra flairs to the kids table will make this Thanksgiving one to remember.