DIY Gratitude Tablecloth, Conversation Starters and More Interactive Holiday Table Ideas

Thanksgiving is not just about the food! Whether hosting family, friends, a small or large group, these ideas will make YOUR Thanksgiving dinner everyone’s favorite.

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There is no better time to reflect on gratitude than the holidays and our family has started some fun traditions perfect for every Thanksgiving. Our holiday table is very interactive and not just chatting over all the sumptuous food for the season. We take time to reflect and celebrate, as well as enliven our dinner table reflections.

Gratitude Tablecloth

For the past few years instead of adorning our large antique dining table with my Great Grandmother’s linens we’ve opted for butcher paper, in white or brown/craft, covering the entire table.

There are centrally located crayons, pens, markers or pencils within reach of all diners to jot down thoughts at will. Sometimes they are notes of gratitude. Sometimes they are holiday hangman games.

Sometimes a list of Santa’s reindeer when no one can remember them all. After some wine, we never know what might be left by a guest!

If the paper tablecloth stays intact it might stay up for a few days and we build on as things which pop to mind. It becomes a fun, reflective tapestry of thoughts and silliness.

I try to find fun, cool writing utensils that can also be left at diner’s seats as a party favor. Art and craft stores can be great sources of unexpected brands or styles of colored pencils, crayons or chalk that make the table lively.

AND it makes clean up a breeze with no soaking of linen tablecloths to get those cranberry sauce stains out!

Table Talkers or Conversation Starters

We’ve also picked up a few sets of conversation starter cards which are great fun to pull out at large holiday meals. They prompt the group with a thought-provoking or entertaining question to allow diners to share things often not known by others, and get a larger dialog going. There are versions for families, ice breakers, for friends and for kids.

Sets don’t need to be purchased; you can think up your own questions or I’ve shared a number of links to lists below. The questions could be printed on separate pieces of paper, folded up for diners to select at random!

• Family Dinner Conversation Starters {Six Sisters Stuff} 
• 10 No Fail Dinner Party Conversation Starters {Huffington Post} 
• Conversation Starters {The Family Dinner Project}

These ideas are not just fun for kids. I used to lead cross-functional corporate business teams and would often start the meeting with an ice breaker question. At first glance you might shutter, imagining how awkward it would be however I’ll confess I had Vice Presidents who were aware of my practice tracking me down in the corporate hallways asking me what color I thought THEY would be!

Here were some of my team’s favorites:

1. If the person to your (left or right) were an animal, what would they be and why?
2. If the person to your (left or right) were a car (or a motor vehicle if playing with kids), what would they be and why?
3. If the person to your (left or right) were a color, what would they be and why?
4. If you could have any job in the world what would it be and why?

Holiday Crackers

This tradition springs as an homage to dear friends in Bristol England who are my son’s Godparents. Really a British-originated tradition (to be fair the UK, Ireland and Commonwealth countries such as New Zealand), the Christmas Cracker is a small tube that is filled with trinkets and fun.

It is wrapped colorfully to look like an oversized piece of candy and is also available in a mini size. Both ends are pulled simultaneously creating a large popping sound with the contents spilling out.

The crackers are filled usually with a small prize or toy, a tissue paper crown and a small sheet of riddles or jokes. Thanks to stores like Cost Plus World Market and Amazon.com they are available for almost every holiday including Thanksgiving crackers! You can find every style from turkey-themed crackers, beautiful Thanksgiving vintage crackers to more elegant Thanksgiving crackers.

I stock up to include them in all our holiday meals, morning and night for great fun and a way to fold out friends from afar into our holiday traditions.

Some Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes