Make the Kids' Table the Best Seat in the House This Thanksgiving

Ah, the kids' table... the spot where, if lucky, you might corral busy youngsters for a whopping seven minutes during Thanksgiving dinner. It seems just enough time for them to smear potatoes across their face, drop their plate on the floor, then materialize at the grownups' table just as you're getting seated.

But there are ways to keep kids entertained while you eat. Here are a few tips for setting a kid-friendly table that keeps kids put, and content, so you can enjoy your meal.

Start with Kid-Friendly Tableware -- The last thing anyone wants to do during a festive meal is clean up broken glasses or dishes, so choose kids' dinnerware wisely. Plastic or disposable dinnerware is (or should be) acceptable for kids even in formal settings. One fun and attractive dinnerware option is Bambu disposable dinnerware, made of, you guessed it, bamboo. They even have sporks! Bambu is the year's hottest earth-friendly dinnerware item. Or consider using durable plastic dinnerware. Melamine dinnerware styles, like Venetian Melamine Dinnerware pictured, offer the look of better ceramics while acrylic glasses add a festive touch, without the worry.

Capture Their Attention with the Unexpected -- Make kids feel special with a creative placecard. Here we've used mini pumpkins with their name, which they can continue to decorate after the meal. Small toys or stuffed animals with kids' names or holding little name cards are good options too.

Take a Tip from Busy Restaurants -- Cover the kids' table with kraft or butcher paper and let kids draw or decorate with stamps or stickers before and after the meal. Or buy some holiday-themed coloring books and assemble your own restaurant-style coloring placemats, complete with a small bundle of crayons for each child.

Turn the Kids' Table into the Craft Corner -- If kids are old enough to use glue sticks, holiday-themed projects such as indian headbands, turkeys, wreaths, woven paper placemats or tree ornaments can keep them happily occupied while you enjoy your meal. For smaller kids, pre-cut parts from construction paper, craft foam or felt so they just have to stick the pieces together. Family Corner has some great holiday project ideas for kids' table entertainment.