How to Keep a Kid Occupied at Thanksgiving Dinner
Getting the family together for Thanksgiving dinner can be great fun, but keeping kids occupied and interested in spending time with the family and also behaving at the dinner table can be a challenge. Keeping kids occupied during Thanksgiving can make the dinner more enjoyable for everyone. Here are some ways to be invited back for the holidays.
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Instructions
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Get the kids involved. Give children age three and up small tasks to do. They can help set the table, make place cards or placemats and help prepare the meal to stay occupied.
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Sit older kids at a separate table. Allow elementary-aged school children and up to sit at a kids' table to keep them occupied. They can chat and joke among themselves, and not bother the adults.
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Print out a coloring sheet from the Internet. Younger children may enjoy coloring a turkey or coloring in a Thanksgiving-themed coloring book. Coloring is a quiet activity that can be done at the table while the grown-ups are eating.
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Encourage older family members to interact with younger children. Intergenerational conversations can keep the kids interested and occupied during Thanksgiving dinner. It is also a great way for all of the generations to get to know each other.
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Take turns giving thanks. Go around the table and tell everyone what you are thankful for. Encourage children to express their thanks for their family, food and friends.
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Tips & Warnings
Seating children between adults can help manage the mealtime chaos. Having an adult next to them can promote good behavior.
Carefully supervise young children while eating. Family members with good intentions may feed young child inappropriate foods that can be choking hazards. Nuts, hard candy and meats with bones still attached should be avoided.
