How To Make A Fun Thanksgiving Kid Table

If your kids are frowning about not getting to sit at the grownups table, I may be able to help you out! I’ve been making Thanksgiving Kids Tables for years and years and have lots of useful ideas.

I made a little video with a few tips and tricks to make your Thanksgiving Kids Table the most coveted seat in the house.

I’d love to know: Will there be a kids table at your house this year? Do your kids ever get jealous of the grownups table?


Paper bag turkey by One Charming Party.

22 thoughts on “How To Make A Fun Thanksgiving Kid Table”

  1. Great video! At what age do you transition your kids to the big table?

    When I was growing up, I had 24 first cousins. So we sat at the kids’ table(s) until we left home because we just chose to sit with people our own age. My kids have one cousin! So we’ve integrated them into the grown-up table once they could sit still for a reasonable amount of time, around the age of five.

    What about you?

    1. At our house, it’s often a decision about space. The kid table appears once the grownup table is full.

      But this year, we’ll be having a Thanksgiving without guests, so the whole family will be at the same table — even little June!

      I prefer integrating them in as soon as possible. But when it’s not, I love the make the most of the kids table!

  2. I saw my first paper turkey in person a couple of years ago when one of my son’s teachers made one and instantly fell in love. I thought it was absolutely adorable!! Thanks for the DIY link!! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!! : )

    ~ Wendy

  3. Wait – why give the kids plastic stuff? We’ve been known to host about 30 on Thanksgiving, nearly half of which are kids. If we don’t mix them in, the kids’ table is always EXACTLY the same as the adults. (Okay, they do have funky red goblets instead of the wine glasses the adults sport, but that’s because sparkling grape juice looks a lot like white wine…) Of course our holiday dinners are a bit of a spectacle: 5 courses, no recipe ever repeated, and a different adult and kids beverages with each course. So.Much.Fun. The only exception I’ve ever made to the same-as-adults rule is a kid who’s just started big-kid food (ie not pureed everything). But they usually end up on mom’s/dad’s lap anyway. We haven’t had a broken dish yet.

  4. Love this turkey! Would be fun to pair with the Jack Prelutsky poem “The Turkey Shot Out of the Oven,” a silly poem about a turkey that is accidentally stuffed with unpopped popcorn.

  5. We’ve always had a kids’ table. I have a million cousins, and most of us now have families of our own, so Thanksgiving has grown quite a bit. There’s still a kids’ table — only it’s all of us grown ups. That’s because, luckily, there’s still no room at the adults’ table as everyone’s in good health (*knock on wood*).

  6. I remember always being so jealous of the grown-up table, and was quite indignant when I realized at some point during college that I wasn’t going to be bumped up, ever. We had a large-ish family (my mom had 5 brothers, with 2 kids each), so it was partly due to space. Later, they did make an exception for me, but not until I was married. Sigh. My nuclear family is smaller, so no kids table is necessary.

  7. Gabrielle: I have been lurking on your blog for so long! But just ADORE this new series of movies- Olive’s and these. My almost 3 yo loves them, too. Today’s Thanksgiving Kids Table video was especially sweet. I really value how thoughtful and gracious a mom you are. I hope I am like that, too. We only have one so far (and one on the way), but hope for lots more. I will do my best to remain as present and easy going as you! And I hope we have as much fun as it seems you do! Anyways, thanks for the inspirations! Cheers, Julia

  8. I’m loving your tips! My kids have permission to set their table as fancy as they want to when we have a big meal ahead with guests. It always turns out even better than mine, haha!

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