12 Ways To Keep Your Kids Entertained When Eating Out

For when the food just isn't coming fast enough...

I Spy

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It's an oldie, but a goodie. In a busy restaurant, you'll never run out of things to 'spy'

Colouring In

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Some restaurants, like Carluccio's or McDonald's, provide crayons and activity packs, but if they don't, just keep some materials in your car or bag. Bonus points for a cool colouring book or sheet!

The Fame Game

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You know this game - stick a Post It Note with the name of a famous person to your head and ask questions to your fellow diners to try and work out who you are. If you don't want to stick things on your head in public (understandable!) stick them to your menu and hold it up instead.

Busy Bags

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Keep a little bag of crayons, activities and small toys in your car, and change them up regularly. That way, each time you eat out, your child will have something different to play with.

Snacks

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It may seem a little counter-productive to bring snacks to a meal, but it will keep your kids occupied whilst they wait for their food. Try a piece of fruit or nuts.

Travel Games and Toys

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Those smaller versions of games you save for the plane are also perfect for meals - think Monopoly, Scrabble or Battleship. My personal favourite is Uno.

Create Stories

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Your kids will find this super fun - take a look at the people around you and make up stories about them. Perhaps the waiter moonlights as a superhero? Or the noisy man in the booth next to you is an astronaut?

Magnetic Blocks

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So your toddler loves building but makes a mess? Magnetic blocks lets them build without the tower falling apart - quiet and tidy!

Go for a Walk

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Distract your kids from the lengthy wait for food by taking them for a walk. This works even better if your restaurant of choice has a play area!

Design Your Own Placemat

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Bring a piece of paper and pencils, and let your kids design their own placemat! They have until the time that the food arrives to complete it, and the waiter can judge which one is the best, for sweets on the way home!

What's Missing?

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Get the kids to close their eyes whilst you remove some things from the table. They have to guess what's missing, and if they can't, they'll have to do a forfeit!

Pocket Etch-a-Sketch

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Etch-a-Sketch never gets old, and you can buy a pocket-sized version!

How do you keep your kids entertained when eating out?

Let us know in the comments!