Whether the children sit at a specially designated table or with everyone, having a few activities planned during the meal will go a long way toward keeping everyone happy. Find inspiration for easy fun that is sure to keep your kids happy during your special holiday meal here:

   1. Fun Drinks. Set out special colored glasses—plastic would work well—and outfit the kids with fun straws, umbrellas, fruit, and ice cubes with holiday gummies frozen inside. The kids will be delighted with the fun drinks. They can even help make them before dinner and make re-fills too.

   2. Crayons. Place holiday-colored crayons on the table with plain white napkins at the kids’ place settings. Ask the kids to draw their favorite holiday scene on their napkins for added decoration and fun.

   3. Trivia. Have a ready-made holiday trivia game at the table. This works especially well with older kids, but you can also ask very simple questions to include the little ones too. For example, if this is a Thanksgiving meal, create a series of questions around the history of the holiday, traditions, etc. to keep them guessing.

   5. Charades. Children often have a hard time sitting still at the dinner table for long periods of time. If the meal is long, have them take mini-breaks from the table. If you see your child fidgeting, ask them to get up and do a charade for the rest of the guests (such as a turkey for Thanksgiving or a reindeer for Christmas). After they are done, they can be seated again. This quickly breaks their monotony and also helps keep them at the table.

The holiday meal is an annual tradition. Make sure to include some activities for the kids so they will enjoy it too!

This is an excerpt from an article by Lisa Kothari, Party expert at Peppers and Pollywogs.