We use placemats like you would not believe in my house!  My kids are messy eaters, as is my husband, so we have many different ones to pick from at each meal, except some festive ones for the up coming holidays.  Note to self that I need to buy some soon!

Olive Kids has the cutest personalized placemats for Fall, Thanksgiving, Winter, Christmas, and even Hanukkah! (Plenty more designs too for whatever theme you are looking for:  sports, flowers, robots, etc...)  Perfect for kids who fight over "spots" at the table, their custom placemat will tell them where to sit and where to make their own personalized mess!  Made from heavyweight laminate, these placemats are durable and will last meal after meal. 

While you are on their site, Olive Kids is one of my favs so check out everything else they have to offer, especially their bedding designs which are so colorful and fun and absolutely cozy!