Stokke enables eating, playing, and learning all in the same spot. Though you may want to keep the eating and playing separate.

Stokke's Tripp Trapp high chair is a classic that's been around for 37 years--in fact, my daughter recently sat in the one that I had used as a kid. How's that for longevity? The basic principle behind it remains as popular with parents today as it was in the 70's--it brings kids right up to the table. But that's not new. What is new is Stokke's Eat Play Learn Table Top, a tray that suctions to the table to give you the easy clean-up of plastic while keeping your kids entertained at the table. The tray covers a large area and has a deep rim to catch spills, but the best part are the six tray-top templates it comes with so you can swap letters for numbers for animals. The designs are all cool and understated, not the busy cartoons of many other table top mats. And while it's pretty pricey (just under $90 at Amazon), considering the durability of Stokke's other products, I'm guessing that it will last through multiple kids, if not multiple generations. Your kid can't throw it on the floor, it cleans up easily, it looks cute, and offers a fun way to practice the stuff you are already teaching. I'd say family dinners just got a lot more enjoyable for all. -Carrie Find Stokke's Table Top at online retailers like Simply Baby Furniture, Genuis Jones, and our affiiate, Amazon