Many people have fond memories of sitting at the kids’ table for holiday dinners. You can make it fun for your own children by making the table as festive as the one where the grownups eat.
The Table
The kids table can have all the mismatched cutlery and crockery you want. If you haven’t got a small table and chairs handy it could even be a picnic rug out in the backyard. The object of a children's table is that kids can enjoy their meal as much as the adults.
Lay butcher paper over the table and place some crayons and pencils in the middle for the children to colour in on. This gives them something to do while they wait for their meal.
The Centerpiece
A centerpiece will brighten the kids’ table, but you will have to make sure it isn’t breakable or hazardous. Keep it low enough so the kids can talk to each other and move around without knocking it over.
Food always makes a popular centerpiece for kids. You can use fruits or a plate of cookies or cupcakes. The kids can help decorate the cupcakes with bright colors and sprinkles.
Another option is to let the kids pick out some tree decorations and put them on the table; balls and ribbon are festive touches and not dangerous. You can add greenery and pine cones along the length of the table with red bows. It won’t take up much room, while still looking attractive.
Party Favours
Think about keeping the kids entertained while the adults finish their meal and visit when choosing party favors. You could buy mini-books to put at each place with pencils or markers for them to draw and color.
Finger puppets don’t cost much and allow the kids to play while sitting at the table. You can also provide small gifts, such as their own ornaments, that they can take home with them. They will enjoy looking at it and comparing with each other while they eat. Small travel games or pieces of jewelry make nice party gifts and are not too expensive.
Old-fashioned blackboards can be a fun alternative to keeping kids entertained at the dinner table. Anything that is different from what they usually have to play with will hold their interest.
Making the children’s table a fun place will go a long way in keeping them seated for their dinner. Involve your kids in decorating the table by making simple crafts, and the kids’ dinner table will hold even more memories in the future.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas
Love, Naughts & Crosses
These are such great ideas! I have shared on the blog linking to your shop and this post :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Kym, and thank you for stopping by oxo
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