Fun and Practical Ideas for the Kids’ Table at Thanksgiving

How to Create a Fun and Festive Thanksgiving Kids’ Table

A full house for Thanksgiving dinner makes for a festive occasion but also creates some logistical challenges—like where to seat the kids. Sitting through a long meal with adults can be tough for many children. One fun and effective solution is to create a special kids’ table just for them.

Here are some great ways to set up a welcoming and entertaining spot for your youngest guests this Thanksgiving.

Kid-Proof Table Settings

Make the table child-friendly with these options:

  • Use colorful, unbreakable dishes, cups, and utensils.
  • Opt for Thanksgiving-themed paper tableware.
  • Protect the table with a vinyl tablecloth or cover it in brown craft paper for creative doodling.
  • Cut placemats from the craft paper, label each with a child’s name, and encourage them to decorate their own mat—great as a keepsake!

Festive Holiday Decor

Set the scene with fun, seasonal decorations:

  • A pumpkin centerpiece carved with a Thanksgiving theme and lit with a flameless candle
  • Small “Mayflower” dishes filled with condiments like gravy and cranberry sauce
  • Paper napkins folded into festive turkey shapes
  • Scattered colorful fall leaves across the table for a playful touch

Provide Fun Activities

Keep kids entertained while adults enjoy their meal:

  • Thanksgiving-themed word searches and crossword puzzles
  • Holiday coloring books and crayons
  • Games like “Pin the Feathers on the Turkey”

Serve Kid-Friendly Holiday Fare

Offer a variety of kid-approved menu items to ensure they enjoy their meal:

  • Turkey nuggets and ham cubes
  • Marshmallow-topped yams
  • Carrot sticks and buttery rolls

Fun Thanksgiving-Themed Desserts

  • Turkey-shaped sugar cookies
  • “Cornucopias” made from sugar ice cream cones filled with colorful candies
  • Pumpkin cupcakes

Let the kids decorate their own cupcakes by setting out orange, brown, and white frosting, cake decorating tools, and a variety of sprinkle toppings.

Keeping the kids busy and happy this Thanksgiving with their very own table leads to plenty of time for you to enjoy delicious food and quality conversations with friends and family.

Julie Bawden-Davis

Julie Bawden-Davis

Julie Bawden-Davis is a bestselling journalist, novelist, blogger, and YouTuber. A prolific author, Julie writes in several genres. She enjoys creating page-turning suspense served up with a dose of romance, garden books that turn any brown thumb green, and spiritual books meant to enlighten and inspire. Widely published, Julie has written 45 books and more than 4,000 articles for a wide variety of national and international publications. She lives in Southern California, where she enjoys sunny, blue skies most days and year-round gardening. Julie gains inspiration from being surrounded by plants when she writes.