The traditions of Thanksgiving have always been special for Chrissy Derrer.

It started as a little girl, sitting around the kids’ table, and continues today — now that she’s out on her own and creating a whole new set of family traditions.

"Thanksgiving is, to me, my warmest, fondest family memories," said Derrer, museum curator for Interactive Neighborhood for Kids, the Gainesville children’s museum. I was determined from the first year I was out on my own, I was going to have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

"So I’ve been doing that ever since I left home and went to college — just to have my own tradition."

And part of that tradition, inevitably, involves entertaining the younger cousins or siblings at the kids’ table. In fact, Derrer admits her younger sister only recently graduated to the adult table.

The only snag? Her sister’s 26. "She’s like, ‘I finally made it!’" Derrer said.

Derrer, along with Flowery Branch assistant principal Robin Gower, had some suggestions for parents trying to entertain their children while the turkey’s cooking and also while the kids are at their own table, waiting for the grown-ups to finish their conversation.

Overall, Derrer said, be sure to keep the games simple. "Just fun, simple little games that kids will love," she said. "Until they graduate to the big person’s table."

Before dinner starts, the children can already be helping and learning at the same time, Gower said.

"If the kids are big enough to write, they can make place cards and placemats. Let them help set the table," she said, adding that setting the table can also be a way for kids to learn reading and math.

For example, fork and left have four letters, while knife, spoon and right have five. Also, if a child makes an OK sign with their left and right hand, they look like letters.

"Left is ‘b,’ right is ‘d,’" Gower said, which reminds kids that the "bread dish is on the left, drinking glass is on the right."

She also suggested kids can do whatever is age appropriate to help prepare the meal. "Even little ones can help set the table or put spoons in serving dishes," she said. "It’s when we leave them out is when they do things that require attention. Most of the time, when kids act out it’s because they want attention."

Derrer suggested kids can do a little playing with their food — once the main meal is finished, of course.

She suggested playing "Memory" by closing your eyes and naming all the things on your neighbor’s plate. Kids can also name foods for each letter of the alphabet or make a family portrait using the food on their plate.

She also suggested kids can make up a story using the items in front of them. "You have to add a word and the word has to be something on the table," Derrer said. For example, "One day there was a turkey. One day there was a turkey who liked corn. Just kind of add to the story and you have to remember the line, so it gets harder and harder."

She suggested parents can also cover the table in butcher paper and let the kids draw once they have finished their meal.

Afterward, the family can play board games together or go outside and toss a football.

"Today kids are so overstimulated with TV and video games," Derrer said, remembering that, for her, "The funnest thing to do on Thanksgiving Day was to go outside and throw a football. And you don’t see families doing that anymore. So, it is just the simple things."

Overall, both Derrer and Gower said, there is always an opportunity for kids to learn while having fun.

"Kids love those, mixing games with learning. They don’t know they’re learning, but that’s stimulating," Derrer said. "It doesn’t have to take all this technology."