How to Craft a Kids' Table for the Thanksgiving Meal

Thanksgiving is around the corner, and the preparations must begin! Who's hosting? What dishes are being prepared? This occasion marks such a special time for families to gather in one place to give thanks and be together. One thing kids always look forward to at these large gatherings is their very own kids' table! But every parent knows how hard it can be to get their child to actually sit down and eat. That being said, you can make the kids' table a fun and exciting place for the children to be entertained while they eat. Here are some tips on creating a memorable Thanksgiving table for kids.



To get started, lay butcher paper down on the table you are using so kids can make a mess and color away with no worries. You can also print out Thanksgiving themed free coloring pages here on recycled printer paper, and lay these out on the table as well. Next, you can make some fun crafts for your table. You will just need a few items that you already have around the house...


Materials needed:

• glue

• scissors

• construction paper

• googly eyes

• crayons/markers

• small flower pots or clean, empty soup cans

How to make turkey napkin rings:

1) Trace your child's hand on a piece of brown construction paper
2) Cut a strip of the brown paper out to create the ring
3) Cut out multicolored feathers
4) Glue the feathers on the fingers, glue the eyes and mouth to the thumb, and glue the hand to the brown strip, loop around to make a ring, and glue closed. Then slide it over the napkin.

How to make flower pot turkeys:

I used a small flower pot, but you may also use an empty soup can. Simply rinse it out and glue construction paper around it.


1) Cut out the head, feet and feathers for your turkey and glue the head to the front of the pot, the feathers to the back, and the feet to the bottom.
2) Glue or draw the eyes and mouth on.
3) Use your cans or flower pots to hold crayons and goodies, such as trail mix, crackers, etc.


Additional ideas: You can also make pilgrim hats or headbands with feathers out of your construction paper.

Entertaining things to scatter across the kids' table include: stickers, crazy drinking straws, and various treats such as Yummy Earth organic lollipops. The key is to make it as fun as possible so you will hear cheers instead of moans when it is time to rally the kids to eat and sit still!

This post was written and photographed by Lisa Lopez