Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love the traditions that come with this annual feast, they warm my heart and their memories last throughout the year. I always enjoy Thanksgiving because it brings together two of my very favorite things, food and family. I am a self proclaimed “foodie.” I love being in the kitchen with my mother and sisters preparing the traditional meal along with a few family favorites and then enjoying it around the table with everyone we love.

This year as our company gathers together around the dinner table we will have just about as many kids as adults to seat. There really aren’t enough of us to break into an adult table and a kids table so I have decided that we will all sit around the same table this year. I know this decision may cause me a little more work as a mother but I am excited to give it a try.

While trying to decide how best to keep the kids engaged and pleasant during the meal I found some great tips online. I have also brainstormed a few of my own. The Family Fun website is also a great resource for family and holiday entertainment. Here are a few ideas you might try.

Printable Thanksgiving Activity Placemat
If your kids enjoy coloring, mazes and spot the difference activities, this might be a great option. Print the activity sheet and place it at each child’s seat with some crayons. It might buy a few minutes of quiet time.

Bag of Fun
Try keeping a bag of fun under a small child’s seat with quiet activities. Things like
stickers, crayons, small notebooks or a quiet book may be helpful to keep children under the age of 5 in their seats a little longer.

Get the Kids Involved
My children love to be included in anything that seems grown up. So I plan on having them help with the preparations for the day. This way they will take pride in the meal and sharing it with others. I have also planned some dinner table conversation topics that the kids will be able to join in on.

Entertainment
Have the children put on a show. The options for this are endless, maybe a skit or puppet show with a thanksgiving theme would be appropriate. Have them sing a song they know for your company. My children will be playing their upcoming piano recital pieces for our company. This way they are getting a little extra practice playing in front of others and have something to look forward to.

These are just a few ideas to help entertain and include your children during the Thanksgiving celebration. If any of you have ideas that work well at your table please share them in the comment section. Happy Thanksgiving!