Having dinner out with the kids can be chaos, rushed and often seem not worth it, right? Entertaining kids at a restaurant is not always the easiest but here are my favorite NON-SCREEN TIME mom hacks to avoid getting the side eye from a table nearby and enjoying a good meal with the family.Ā
The coloring kids menu works in a pinch, but these hacks are MUCH more reliable and you don’t have to rely on screen time to keep them entertained!Ā
Obviously the experience can vary by age and the number of kids you have, so I’ve varied the options so you can adjust to your families needs. We’ve managed to make it enjoyable with 3 young kids with the tips and tricks below.Ā
Have A 'GO Bag' For Dinner Out With The Kids
THIS IS A MUST for entertaining kids at a restaurant! I have a ‘go bag’ which holds my favorite activities for my kids. I keep it in the car, or hung near the garage door so my kids know to grab it when I say it as we’re running out the door. The KEY is to have toys in there that they can only play with at restaurants. Here are 20 options to fill the bag.Ā Many work for car travel too!
10 Activities for Non-Reader Kids
I love the snap dolls or the Mr. Potato Head shown below for little hands. I throw these in one of the mesh zipper bags below so they are contained and clean up easily.
The water wow’s are great too and you can easily refill the ‘pen’ with water at your table using your straw.Ā
Have a LEGO lover? I LOVE these travel LEGO kits!Ā
Necklace kits are also a huge hit for kids of any age. I like to remove this from the container and put the parts into a small zipper bag (below).
Tegu wooden magnetic blocks are a favorite of this house. They attract and stick to each other, magnetically, to make building, stacking and creating easier. Throw them in a pencil box or zippered mesh bag below and they make great entertainment.Ā
Working on letters? This reusable kit is perfect because my youngest things it’s a book that she’s writing in. It’s just her size and easy to transport.
Lace and trace animals are perfect for hand/eye coordination.Ā
Travel Spirograph is entertainment for hours!
Wooden magnetic tangrams are so fun because they have patterns to follow or kids can create their own!
Pro-tip: These bags are AMAZING for bringing games on the go, without their box! Perfect for the snap n go dolls, Mr. Potato Head, the magnetic blocks and more. The smaller ones are great for storing markers and others things. It is sturdy and easy to keep things organized in your ‘go bag’ or at home.Ā
10 Activities fo Elementary kids
If you’re outside, the Taco Cat card game is so fun for families. It involves slapping cards, so if you’re at a nice place or it’s relatively quiet, this may not be the game to choose.Ā
Headbands is a family go-to. Even my 4 year old can easily play it. We sometimes play ‘reverse’ where you give the person wearing the card clues. This is a bit easier for kids – even a 3 year old – and can often result in laughs because they give it away too easily! I don’t bring the box, just throw the headbands and cards in one of the bags below and skip the timer. You can also download the Heads Up app, BUT all players need to be readers because there are no pictures.
Mad Libs is an oldie but goodie. If you have 2 readers, they can play together or you can play as a family. I also love this Mad Libs app you can add to your phone because it reads your mad lib story back to you, which is hilarious!Ā Ā
Brainflakes are great for 3 & up because you can increase the intensity level as you ages. There are a TON of them that come in the bin, so just have a ziplock bag or pencil box full in your go bag.Ā
We LOVE this roll the dice math game. The object is to roll the dice and then get all the numbers down on the board using 1, 2 or 3 numbers. Once you roll and can no longer ‘shut’ out a number, you loose.Ā
UNO Flip is a great twist on UNO. It often takes longer, but is fun because just when you think you might win, it can all change as you have to flip the cards.Ā
Have a spy kid in the family? These secret decoder games are fun for kids 8+ and challenge their thinking skills.
Hidden pictures was always my favorite part of the Highlights magazine and this is strictly that part! I LOVED these as a kid, so I’m happy to say my kids share my obsession.
Spot It! is a classic and they have a Jr version too so your kids can play together or with you.
Order Drinks For You, Meals For The Kids
Stagger the pace of dinner and keep their attention longer! My kids know what they want from a menu within seconds. So, we like to order our drinks and their meals immediately. We sometimes get an app too, depending on how crowded the restaurant is, etc. Then, when we order our dinner, we put in a dessert for them.
This way, their food comes out first and we don’t have to feel rushed cutting their food and trying to finish ours before the kids meltdown ;). Also, this allows us to enjoy our hot food while they eat dessert.Ā
Bring your own highchair
I know this seems silly, but my kids preferred sitting in their own high chair vs the one at the restaurant. If we were in a booth with the older kids, I would put the foldable one on the far end of the table against the wall so the youngest could see better and feel like she was participating. It also helps with controlling germs. I would keep this in my car at all times so I always had it.
Then grab the secure-a-toy so your infants favorites don’t drop to the floor 100 times!
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