I often hear questions like “How can we get our toddler to calm down without disrupting the entire restaurant?”, or worries about potential food fights, or extremely quick meals that families have to take just to make a run for it.
Well, even if your toddler gets very impatient and fidgety while you’re waiting for your meal (and don’t we all?), your visits to the restaurant don’t really have to be awkward. There is a way to keep your child busy and entertained while you all wait!
Ages 2 and up
- Trace a handful of objects — a sugar packet, a spoon, a pen, and the like — onto a piece of paper or a disposable place mat, then have your tot match the objects with their outlines. Afterward, your child can color in the images or try tracing the objects.
Ages 3 and up
Line up salt and pepper shakers, the sugar dish, a ketchup bottle, and other objects down the center of the table. Have your child close their eyes while you hide one of the items, then see if they can figure out what’s missing. When the guess is correct, try switching roles.
My kids loved building towers with the coffee cream.
That sounds like fun, Cindy and sorry I failed to notice your comment! I think children easily come up with games by themselves. Their imagination does the trick and they need just a few items to play with. I like the coffee cream tower idea, so yeah, whatever works for your kid!
Galina