Sign Your Dinner

What can we use if we don't have colored paper or a cup to trace rounded shapes?

If you don't have colored paper, use plain printer paper and color it with markers or crayons during the 'Decorate each place card' step, and if you don't have a cup or lid to trace rounded shapes, use a bottle cap, jar lid, or coin to trace on the sheet of paper.

My tent cards won't stand up or the names smudge — how do I fix that?

To make tent cards stand, press a sharper crease when you 'Fold one sheet of paper in half' by running a ruler or the back of a spoon along the fold, and to prevent smudging when you 'Go over the pencil name with a marker' let the marker dry fully or use a fine-tip permanent marker and wait before erasing pencil lines.

How can I adapt this activity for different ages?

For preschoolers, pre-fold and pre-cut the tent cards and pre-trace the rounded label shapes so they can focus on coloring and sticking during the 'Decorate' step, while older kids can design themes, practice fancy lettering when they 'Go over the pencil name with a marker', or add laminated reusable labels.

How can we extend or personalize the finished place cards and food labels?

Make the food labels and tent cards reusable by laminating or covering the 'Cut out each traced rounded shape' pieces with clear tape, write names with a dry-erase marker, and personalize by adding themed drawings, stickers, or a small food sketch from the 'Decorate' step.