What can I do at the dinner table Christmas day to make it special for 3yo and 6yo?

[frosty21]

There will just be the four of us (me, the dc and dh). We have crackers.

What else can I do so they don't just want to eat and jump down?

I am open to new traditions.

Any suggestions?

We have Christmas plates etc to make the table look really nice. We also have the tradition that if you sit nicely at the table, do a good job at eating your dinner and wait for everyone to finish without complaining Santa will maybe magic an extra present under the tree!!

Something like this

www.notonthehighstreet.com/claireclose/product/personalised-colour-in-christmas-placemats

There are also websites like activity village that have loads of printable activities for all ages

We have table presents too, to open after Turkey!

Let them eat in the sitting room with a movie on.

Nothing is going to make small DCs want to stay at the table with new toys all around.

A film might mean they at least eat something before racing back to their presents.

We have table pressies too! Opened after Turkey and gives dinner chance to settle before our pud We also have a treasure hunt but not at the table because it would get messy.

Poundland always have christmassy plates, cups napkins etc. I used to use those when the DSs were little.
How about getting some picnic wine glasses and letting them drink "wine" (or ribena!)

Give them each a disposable camera

no relatives so you can just chill.

It's lovely having family around at Christmas, but DD2 lives on fresh air and never stays at the table.

I like the Chritmas plate idea and plastic wine glass - 6yo dd1 would love!

Those colouring mats are good but I think the printables might be a better idea this year - dd2 just scribbles atm!

What table presents do you do? I would like to do that but never know what to give.

What do you do for your treasure hunt pancake?

A big no to Christmas dinner in front of the telly

We do table presents as well, however it doesn't make our boys stay at the table unfortunately!

We do table stockings. Lots of little presents to open and play with keeps DD happy.

Am going to steal the plastic wine glass and camera ideas!

Most of the supermarkets have a colouring in tablecloth. We had it last year and it was great - lasted for a few days too and everytime someone was in the kitchen another bit would get done

Table presents are things like 'racing granny' so they can play with them, craft things (make a dinosaur out of bits of wood) etc, that they have to build and can then play with.obviously not for the grown ups although the kids didn't get a look in with the racing grannies

If you let them down between courses it'll save on nagging and upset, and they might be more likely to engage the rest of the time if they feel they have a choice.

How about buying a few little 'stocking filler' type pressies and wrapping them up in a basket, then either set a timer for every 10/15 mins, or have it that you all get to call out 'pressie' at various times, and you all have to stop and have a present! Sounds a bit crazy but might work as it's just the four of you (sounds lovely and relaxing, no pressure or expectation). Little individual choc lollies/chocolate shapes, pack of colouring pencils/crayons, bubbles, mini liquer bottles & lottery scratch cards for adults...

Love the racing grannies!

Ooh bubbles are a god idea. Not sure about the chocolate, no dinner would get eaten

watching with interest. Our first year at home and keen to start traditions. Definitely going to do table presents. I've got some finger puppets and hand puppets so maybe they'll be a good idea.

I'm going to look for colour in mats and things as well. think phoenix cards are doing them

I got this Christmas colouring in table cloth to try this year although suspect BIL will be more entertained by it than 3yo DS.

I think I will order the tablecloth.

Just wondering how I could bring the pens out as a nice surprise. I know it sounds mean but they normally just have pencils and crayons as dd2 draws on everything.

DD1 will be amazed they are allowed pens

Get a load of plastic treasure coins from eBay (look like chocolate coins but are plastic) and give them little treasure chests. You control the main treasure chest. (maybe make them beforehand from little boxes or pots?). Then hand out plenty of coins - for sitting nicely, every sprout eaten, good paper hat wearing, laughing at the joke in the cracker, saying please, anything so they get lots.

Then have some table presents that they can buy from you and then they can earn more coins by playing with present at the table nicely etc. They can also lose coins if they're not good or they could use their coins to buy a 5 minute sit in front of the tv while you are clearing between courses or a go on a favourite toy away from the table (at times you approve of!) or to race ip and down thye stairs 3 times - have a timer or a well defined task so that they always have to come back to pirate central aka the table when you want them too.

you and your dh could earn coins too so that you were all in the swing of it - except yours could go towards another glass of wine or an extra chocolate for after lunch [grin ]

Our treasure hunt is set up my DP. We are given in an envelope a clue to a location in the house and there's another written clue, on it goes for many clues until the treasure is found. Usually a chocolate Santa.

My DS1 is now 8 so I am no longer in charge of reading the clues. DS2 used to just run along behind giggling but now he's 4 he is straight in there. We might do it on Christmas eve in the evening as it just gets us giddy and in a happy mood. We also do it for birthdays now - it's our family thing.

Those crackers with flutes that each play a different note are great for dinner table hilarity. Might make them more inclined to stay there!

Our table present is the very last gift opened on Christmas day as we have our main meal in the early evening. The table present is quite a main present in this house and usually something the dc really want from Santa (in the past has been a ds game or special doll) the dc have now realised the present is good and worth sitting through the meal at the table for! Lol ;)

You could put your pens in the crackers :) mini crayolas would fit 3 in each give or take

Frosty, we have table fireworks. They are tiny tiny, so you might want to 'sell' them to Dc as Elf-size fireworks, but they can be great fun. You get them from Amazon. One makes a massive wriggly smoke and ash dragon. Don't forget to be really cheesy and read out cracker jokes then take it in turns to tell the worst jokes you can think of.