What Every Kid Needs to Know about Thanksgiving Day Table Manners (and a free printable!)
Happy Thanksgiving Day! We know you’re busy with preparations for the holiday, so we’ll keep it simple.
Thanksgiving Day is a great time to practice table manners with your kids. Here are some tips to get you started.
7 Quick Thanksgiving Day Table Manners Tips
- Uhh… which side does the fork go on again?! Download the free, printable place mats below to teach your kids what a place setting should look like. Even better — let the kids color them in while you’re busy in the kitchen! That’s a win-win right there, my friend.
- Put your napkin in your lap immediately when you sit down.
- Pass food from left to right (that’s counterclockwise) around the table.
- Here’s a great tip for the kids: If something comes to you that you do not care for, do not make a fuss. Simply and politely say, “No, thank you,” and pass it to your neighbor on the right.
- Wait to start eating until you’re given the “okay” by the hostess. This usually happens once everyone has been served. She may say verbally that it’s okay to eat, or she herself may begin eating, which is your signal that it’s okay to begin.
- Chew with your mouth closed — no “see-food” at the dinner table. Yuck!
- Please keep your elbows off the table and stay seated until you are excused.
Now download your free, printable place mats here and hop back to the kitchen to check on that turkey!
Click here to download your 1-Page 8.5×11 PDF
Click here to download your 2-page (LARGER!) PDF
(scotch tape assembly required :))
For this BONUS free, printable Thanksgiving Day placemat, simply enter your email address in the box below and we’ll send it to you!
(Psst – If you’re searching for more table manners tips, our Polite Kids 101 program is an excellent place to start!)
May your Thanksgiving Day be filled with family, fun, and great food!
(Linked up with more Thanksgiving ideas here)
About Aubrey Hunt
Before hopping on the crazy ride we call motherhood, I studied engineering and taught math and science to middle and high school students. Now, perhaps like you, I fill my days singing The Itsy Bitsy Spider and praying my preschooler will eat a vegetable — any vegetable!
8 thoughts on “What Every Kid Needs to Know about Thanksgiving Day Table Manners (and a free printable!)”
Comments are closed.
Fortunately my children are familiar with several of the proper manners and etiquette shared. Nice printable.
Sounds like you’ve got them off to a good start, Diatta! Way to go. I’m glad you liked the printable! 🙂
I don’t worry about things like fork settings or elbows but it’s good to teach them how to politely decline!
That’s one we’re still working on with my young kids. It’s so much easier on the ears if they remember to tell Grandma “no thank you” instead of “I don’t like it!” But it’s all about the baby steps. 🙂
This is great, even for adults! If you haven’t shared this on the Merry Monday Link Party or Ultimate Cookie & Goodies Party, please come over and link-up. This is a good learning tool.
Ooh, I haven’t! I will check that out. Thanks for the invite… I’m so glad you liked it!
Kids should ;learn table manners at an early age and when they do it’s sticks. I always went out to dinners with my children, never had a problem with manners. #thisandthatblogparty
That’s great! I’m so glad you were able to instill manners from a young age with your kids. Keep up the great work!