Ditch the Digital: Creative Ways to Engage Kids at Restaurants

Eating out with your young kids doesn't have to mean handing over a phone to keep them busy. Teaching kids to sit still and cope with moments of boredom is crucial, and believe it or not, it can be fun, too! With the right tools, you can help them develop the life skill of keeping themselves entertained even in the most mundane situations. Here's a curated list of screen-free activities that can make waiting for food at a sit-down restaurant an opportunity for creativity and learning. And the best part? You just need a simple 'go-to' kit with a blank notebook, colored pencils, pens, an eraser, and a sharpener. Keep this kit in your car or purse, so you're always prepared and won't need to repack it every time.

For Younger Kids (Ages 3-7)

1. Play Tic Tac Toe

It's simple, classic, and irresistible for little ones. Teach your kid strategies for winning tic-tac-toe over time, like starting in the middle if you go first and always securing a corner if you go second. Keep score and promise a little prize for the overall winner!

2. Math Puzzles

Who's the fastest to find the 'math worm'? Draw a 3x3, 4x4, or 5x5 square, depending on your child(ren) 's math fluency. Create math worms, i.e., sequential ordering of the numbers 1 to 3 or 1 to 5, increasing by 1 hidden in the square. Fill out the rest of the square randomly and ask your child to find the math worm. Or, who can solve basic addition problems quickly? Challenge and cheer for them. Remember, this should be fun, so keep the challenging work at home if it causes your child to disengage.

3. Pictionary With a Twist

Keep the drawings simple – fruits, animals, and everyday objects are perfect. Choose something where they can match your ability to draw, and guessing is easy for them. For young kids, the goal is to master the point and structure of the game, not winning and losing. Guess and giggle together.

4. Collaborative Art

Start a scene and take turns adding elements to it. Craft a story about the scene as you draw. Scene building is like world-building for children. Need ideas? There are plenty: underwater ocean scenes, going to outer space, filling a barn on a farm, at the playground, in the kitchen, making a bakery front, in the sky, in forests and hills, or in the jungle.

For Older Kids (Ages 8-13)

1. Custom Pictionary

Create your own categories and words. Start with everyday life topics, introduce your work, and engage in current events to use this time to share who you are as a person and what you care about. Take it as a learning opportunity. Have your child pick a category and let them choose what they like, whether it's the latest singer or video game. Get to know their interests in a non-intrusive way.

2. Problem-Solving Fun

Introduce more challenging arithmetic problems or use a phone to check answers to make sure they're a teaching moment. Or Google (or ask ChatGPT) some sample SAT questions on the fly and write them down on paper. Kids as early as middle school can take pre-SATs, so they're ready before you know it!

3. Mini Sudoku-like Games

Design a grid and fill in the numbers together or challenge them to solve it by themselves. Find it too challenging? Here's an alternative: Create a 3x3 square and randomly fill the square with any number of your choosing. Ask your child to fund the sum of each three-number combination. Ask them how many combinations there are.

4. Hangman With a Vocabulary List

Not just for spelling—expand their vocabulary with challenging new words. If you need ideas for words, here are a few to get you started: coincidence, achievement (i before e except after c), superfluous, cornucopia, serendipity, and our personal favorite, hors d'oeuvres. Oxen is also sure to keep everyone guessing, becoming a quick favorite.

5. Speedy Letter Writing

Pick a topic and have them write a letter in less than 1-3 minutes. Start with 1-minute rounds and then increase accordingly depending on engagement. It's a fun way to encourage expressive writing. Do it with them and see who wins. The goal is to get as many words on paper as possible that properly reads without consecutive words being the same. Note that it can be nonsensical and completely mundane, like: "A bird went on a hike and had a nap on a farm. It thought it was nice to hang with the horse, who was busy eating hay. The cow didn't like to share, so the horse left the barn, and the poor bird followed the horse out of the barn."

6. Freeform Doodling

Let them express themselves with abstract shapes, comic strips, or whatever their imagination conjures. Doodle alongside them to let them see what is on your mind and how you like to pass the time by when you wait. Set an example that quiet time waiting can also be a good time. Not all silences need to be filled.

Raising children capable of entertaining themselves without a digital device is a rewarding challenge. Simple tools like pen and paper allow them to kill time effectively and foster creativity, problem-solving, and patience. So, resist slipping the phone across the table next time you're at a restaurant. Instead, reach for your trusty creative kit and watch your kids' imaginations flourish—right there between the appetizers and main course!