I’d suggest you post a picture. We need that to offer appropriate advice.

SarahS, back way, way up and take a picture, give us an idea of the room

I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but with all the clutter you have going on that empty space seems rather restful. Those dark curtains also take away from this space, and I wonder if there is another place you could hang those jackets. If your children have created some interesting art, it might be a nice idea to frame the pictures and hang them there in a nice pattern.

The clutter is Living in a house with 3 little kids. I didn’t clean before taking these pictures.

i need this to be a space that functions as well as looks nice. I’ve looked at millions of pictures on the internet of dining rooms that I’d love to have but we don’t have a formal space or a lot of space to begin with. Which is why I’m asking for help.

Do you have any art that you already own and really love? I would do a grouping of photos. Maybe a symmetrical grouping of 4 or 6, 16x20 size. I wouldn't go too small or with too many. There are also many gallery inspiration photos online. I like the idea of children art and I'm also one that likes family photos and doesn't have an issue with them in public spaces. (Some think they need to be kept in the hall or a bedroom.) I would get some posterboard, trace and cut out some different size art, use painters tape on the back and move it around to get a visual.

Looking again, I see you mentioned pictures could be a problem bumping and you may be right. You could do something vinyl, there's endless wall words and phrases you could use. That personally wouldn't be my pick but it's an option. Another option might be a large round or oval clock if you don't already have one.