Everyone wants to have a family-centered Thanksgiving celebration, but sometimes in our haste to plan the perfect day, we often overlook some of the fun for our youngest guests. If you want to include your kids either in the making of centerpieces or just have some fun things on the table for them to enjoy, try the following ideas when planning your table for this year’s Thanksgiving.
Edible centerpieces-for a fun and easy way to involve and enchant the children at your Thanksgiving table consider edible centerpieces. Since Thanksgiving is a harvest celebration why not use real food? While the centerpieces can be enjoyed before everyone sits down they can then be nibbled on during the meal and after. And for an added bonus many of them can be modified so that little hands can help you put them together. Try the following ideas
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Topiaries
What you will need-
Assorted fruit (strawberries, blueberries and some types of blackberries work well also try uniformly cut pieces of melon or pineapple) or vegetables (small cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and even broccoli florets)
Small chunks of a firm cheese (optional for the vegetable topiary)
Foam topiary shapes
Toothpicks or small skewers cut down to size
Platters or cake stands for the topiaries to rest on
Instructions for preparation-
Wash and dry all fruit or vegetables that you will be using. If children will be helping it works best to position the toothpicks or skewers onto the foam and then let them place the fruit or vegetable onto it. The goal is to completely cover the foam leaving only an edible masterpiece that can then be placed on the platter or cake stand and put directly onto the table. Guests can then pull off what they want to nibble on during the meal.
Thanksgiving Candy Topiary-Many candy stores now sell seasonal specialty candy. Scout them out for fun ideas or go online and you may find some unusual ideas that would work for an edible topiary.
What you will need-
Assorted types of candy (small, soft, wrapped candies work best like taffy or fruit slices)
A few long Thanksgiving themed suckers
Toothpicks or small skewers cut to the desired length
Foam topiaries in the desired shape
Platters to place the topiaries on
Instructions for preparation-
If young hands will be helping set up this type of topiary consider placing the toothpicks or skewers in the foam topiaries and then let the kids place the candy on them. Cover the foam completely and then for a finishing effect poke in some of the suckers to give the topiary some added height and fun.
For a different take on an edible centerpiece consider making a Sugar Cookie Bouquet. While flowers are always lovely, your guests (the smallest ones especially) may hardly be able to wait to gobble down this fun and yummy looking centerpiece.
What you will need-
Several Thanksgiving themed sugar cookies (for example: turkey, pilgrim hat, cornucopia etc. *Make sure whether you bake or buy them that the cookies are fairly thick and substantial
Heavy duty florist wire
Assorted decorations for the cookies (icing, sprinkles, candy etc.)
Vase
Foam cut to the bottom of the base thick enough to support the cookies
Instructions for preparation-
For a really fun take on this type of centerpiece have your young guests decorate
the cookies for you. When the icing is totally dry insert a length of the florist wire at the bottom of the cookie (like you would for a flower). *If you are baking them yourself consider inserting the wire immediately after the cookies come out of the oven and are still warm. Then gently arrange the cookies by inserting them into the foam at the bottom of your vase. No water needed!
