How to Entertain Kids in Restaurants – No Screens
Want to have a good family dinner without whining, complaining, or screens? Well, we are not miracle workers, but every parent who loves to eat out should hide their “restaurant bag” in the car.
What’s in the bag will evolve as your kids get older (or when they get bored with suggestions), but a good mix of things they love but rarely have to play with is the key to keeping them calm and comfortable. happy while you ponder how spicy too hot a wing sauce is.
So grab your bag – a kid’s lunch bag will work great – and start filling it up.
Painting supplies
Mini coloring books, notebooks with labyrinths and word contractions, and a few crayons, markers, or gel pens can work wonders. But for some children, a ballpoint pen and a small notebook will work well to write or draw.
What needs to be arranged
Reusable sticker sets are great for restaurants. Magnetic playsets like this version of Curious George my son had are also good options. One parent on the Offspring Facebook group suggested this little set of magnetic wooden blocks : “They’re not cheap, but well made, and kids (and parents!) Love them,” says Jessica.
Things with wheels
We always add mini cars, trucks and motorcycles to the range because there is something irresistible about driving them around the table, through the menu, up the napkin holder and down the ketchup bottle.
Things to sculpt
We always kept a mini-container of plasticine in our restaurant bag – my son could spend hours tracking dinosaur footprints on the dough or creating an endless array of unusual items. But I know Play-Doh isn’t all about having a good time. For a less messy option, try a little old-fashioned claySilly Putty , WikkiStix or the Crayola Model Magic , which dries faster than clay Play-Doh, but it does not break into tiny pieces.
Fidget things
I’m not suggesting spinners (although one parent on the Facebook group recommended this kid-safe version, which actually sticks to the table ). But stress balls or other fidget toys like these from Tangle Jr. are great.
Things to eat
Food crash is one of my least favorite crises because it usually happens when I’m hungry myself and get dangerously close to Hangry Land. It’s hard to be patient with food when you’re 3 (or 36, apparently), so keep a small bag of pretzels or crackers in your restaurant bag – just something to take the spice off until they come.