bestillandwrite Have you ever wanted to eat our at a proper sit-down restaurant, but were too nervous to bring your toddler? I’ve been there. For ages I avoided eating out, because I thought it would be too hard, but then I decided enough was enough. And with a little practice, we figured out what to do. Learn more about How to Entertain Your Toddler At a Restaurant below.
1. Coloring Placemat
Some restaurants will give you a kids menu with some crayons, and that’s lovely, but not everyone provides such entertainment. We always have a couple of these disposable coloring placemats in our bag just in case. The mats stick to the table and work well for both a plate and coloring page.
2. Play-doh or Play Sand
Play doh or play sand is a great way to distract your little one while you wait for food. We get the tiny play-doh containers and usually throw it out afterward. (If food gets in the mix then it’s just not worth saving, you know?) I’ve also found Play-doh is easy to share with other kids at your table and is a good group activity.
3. LCD Drawing Pad
We have this thin LCD drawing pad that stores easily in the bag and can be used to entertain our daughter at dinner. We usually end up passing it around to take turns drawing a picture, per her request.
4. Fidgets
We have these little magnetic men and a small fidget of some kind in our restaurant bag. These are particularly handy if the chairs or table are made of metal.
5. Snacks
There’s nothing worse than sitting with a hungry toddler and waiting for the food to arrive. I always have some crackers or a pouch in our bag for such emergencies.
6. I Spy
On our last vacation we brought an I Spy book to dinner. It was entertaining for my daughter, seven-year-old nephews and the rest of the adults in our group. I Spy is a tried and true classic. You could even play it without the book by “spying” things around the restaurant.
7. A Show
\There’s no shame in allowing your little one to watch a bit of their favorite show while you have a conversation with your family or spouse. No shame at all.
Thank you for reading about How to Entertain Your Toddler At a Restaurant. I hope they will help you on your next trip. For more travel content, be sure to check out the additional posts below:
How to Overcome Post-Vacation Blues
Optimizing Your Evening Routine at Disney World
Essentials for Your Disney World Park Bag
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Safe Travels,
