How to Set a Kid-Friendly Thanksgiving Table

I will never forget one of our first Thanksgiving celebrations at my sister’s house when we were surrounded by toddlers. The table set-up was beautiful. My sister put out her fine china and adorned the place settings with white cloth napkins. Tall and beautiful wine glasses were placed on top of a fancy tablecloth. This little family gathering included six adults, a four-year-old and three happy toddlers. As soon as the delicious meal was ready, we all sat down and talked about how beautiful the table setting looked. But to my sister’s despair, in less than a minute, there was red wine on the table and all over a few of the cloth napkins, the four-year-old was disgusted by the delicious food, and the three happy toddlers were not sitting down anymore.

Our family has grown bigger, and our gathering now consists of eight adults and seven children ranging from age eleven to four. We still insist on sitting together with the kids. But we now bring a game to the table in which each family member writes down what he or she is thankful for. We then switch papers and try to guess who wrote what. The napkins we use now are paper, and instead of a beautiful tablecloth, a simple Kraft paper runner does the trick. Here is a fun way to create a festive, beautiful and kid-friendly Thanksgiving table for your celebration this year.

Materials: Kraft paper, glitter washi tape, copper couplings, Give Thanks free printable and crayons

Start by laying the Kraft paper on your table. The runner should take up the entire table.

Set the table. Before applying the washi tape to your new table runner, set the dishes, glasses, utensils and centerpieces. We opted for colorful glasses to create contrast with our black dishes. For the centerpieces, I gathered little black and white containers I found around the house and filled them with eucalyptus. I also used three decorative items to add even more sparkle to this table setting.

Once you are happy with your table setting, it’s time to add the washi tape. Cut strips that are approximately 12 inches in length. Randomly place each piece on your table runner, mixing up the two colors.

Write names on the runner to create a personalized look, and sprinkle some crayons around the table for coloring.

Print one copy of the Give Thanks free printable for each guest, and roll them up to fit it in the copper couplings. If you have extra copper couplings left over, use them as napkin holders to create a cohesive look.

Sit down with your family at your kid-friendly Thanksgiving table and enjoy!