Hosting is tons of fun, but man it is a lot of work! After your braving crowds at the “big” grocery store in your hood and slaving all day in what I like to call “PDC” (party day crazy) mode prepping for guests, the two-second long dinner is the worst! Here are a few ideas to keep kids seated and in turn their parents enjoying course after course without doing the up and down kid chase! Happy Thanksgiving, and even though it’s a lot of work , wow are we lucky to be able to have big families to host and feed–cheers to that!
Get kids into the fun of helping host! Using either craft paper, white school roll paper, or even butcher paper measure your table and cut enough to cover and tape the edges under! Then let kids go to town.
To have them help design the table cloth have them make thumb print turkeys (see the photos included in this post). Using washable paint in fall colors paint their thumbs, press on paper, and immediately wipe with a baby wipe (even though it says washable we know it is not always the case). Then with a thin paint brush they can make brush strokes that will look like the turkey fan of feathers in a half circle around the thumb print. Then wash the bristles and turn around so you are using the point of the handle. Dip the end of the brush in the paint and dot it to make eyes on the turkey! Repeat until the design feels finished to your liking.
For more Turkey Day fun at the table, try this tip: A great way to get your kiddos playing, laughing, and the main goal…sitting! Draw tic-tac-toe boards, hangman, and simple dot to dots in shapes like stars and swirls. When kids start to get antsy pass out some crayons and let the games begin.
Have the kids draw stick figures for all the guests attending. When your worried your table time is coming to a halt, let the kids color hair, accessories, and clothes on party friends figures!
Lindsey Peers is a local mom and the owner of the Craft Studio on the Upper East Side. Learn more about her at craftstudionyc.com!
