Forget the Place Cards and Put These on Your Thanksgiving Table Instead

Playing with food may not be sanctioned at your Thanksgiving table, but that doesn’t mean fun is off the menu. Readers, I have one word for you: knick-knacks.

At my table, we like to call these objects dinner table Legos: things you can play with during awkward silences, meandering stories, and those achingly long minutes between dinner and pie. Instead of stabbing at your turkey breast with a fork or quietly dying inside, you can stack terrazzo scraps, balance plastic army men, or make a clay model of the relative sitting across from you. Skip name cards and set a postcard at each place setting. Tell your guests to pick the one that speaks to them and take it home with them.

In my experience, giving dinner guests something to look at or play with makes everything a little more seamless, whether you’re hosting friends, in-laws, or the same familial crew. It can also serve as an icebreaker. I once learned that a dear friend had previously studied to be an architect after I innocently asked, “What are you building over there?”

There’s no need to go out and buy anything new here. The whole idea is to use the items around the house that you already find yourself fiddling with. Almost a year ago, I bought a pile of Barbie postcards—yes, you read that correctly—while antiquing in upstate New York. (Each one depicts a different Barbie and, as you can imagine, they are quite dated and hilarious.) Until recently, they had been gathering dust in a closet. But setting a few out on the table delivered more joy than anything I’ve ever cooked. Even better:

If you’re looking for inspiration, here are a few objects you can start with: actual LEGOs, puzzles (like these food-themed lovelies from Areaware), dominos, chalk (add a layer of chalkboard paper between you and your table first), Russian nesting dolls, Rubik’s cubes, Jenga, or Fortune Fish (my favorite thing in the world, in case you were wondering). I promise, your dinner guests will thank you for the free entertainment. So when your cousin who always starts sharing a little too much after her second glass of wine ramps up, toss her a bamboo finger trap and give thanks for knick-knacks.

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