Top 10 Ways to Occupy Your Kids in a Restaurant without using Technology
Our company’s mission is to get families to reconnect on the basic level. We want to encourage you to create a healthy balance between the driving force of technology and quality human connections.
How do you do that when you are exhausted and heading to a restaurant after a long week? Our solution - play simple games with your kids and laugh.
Here are our Top 10 Favorites:
Tic, Tac, Toe - this can be done on any napkin, scrap paper or the kids menu. Teach your kids the tricks of the game, but don’t be afraid to beat them!
Coloring - just about every restaurant has a menu to color.
Rock, Paper, Scissors - our boys absolutely love to play this game and have, at times, made their own variation.
Dot Game or Complete the Square - here is another game that can be played on any napkin, scrap paper or the back of the kids menu. Draw a grid of dots (approx. 20 to start). The first player draws a line by connecting two dots. Each player takes turns connecting lines until a box can be made. Once a box is made that players writes their initials in the box. When playing with younger players only allow one box per turn. However, when playing with older kids the play stops when no more boxes can be made. The player with the most initials at the end wins.
Would You Rather - most adults will remember this as a funny game from college, but it can easily be replicated with your kids. Would you rather be a veterinarian or a police officer? Would you rather eat peas or carrots? Would you rather play battleship or monopoly?
Sugar Packet Slide - Fold over the short end of the sugar packet. Use your finger to flick the folded edge so that the packet slides across the table. The goal is to get as close to the edge with out going over. When the packet reaches the edge, the person sitting across from you is to move their finger from below, up towards the sugar packet. If when moving their finger upwards it causes the sugar packet to flip up, you get a point. Game is played to 11.
Hang Man - this is a timeless game. Team up if you have younger children who are unable to write. One person picks a word and then draws a line for each letter of the word. When letters are guessed incorrectly, one aspect of the hang-man is drawn. Remember to write those letters down as well to help remember what was guessed. (Any object can be drawn instead of the hangman) Hint: best hangman word ever is Syzygy.
Disappearing Game - this is a great memory game. Take several objects from the table and place them in the center. Then have your kids close their eyes, no cheating, and remove one object. Can your kids guess which object was removed?
Favorite Game - each person gets a turn to ask a question. What is your favorite color? Number? Animal? Food? Make sure you take time to find out why it is their favorite. It is a great way to learn more about everyone and see how they grow. We play this often at home too and their colors have definitely changed over the years.
Alphabet Game - There are two versions of this game: (A) each person at the table gets to pick a letter then each person needs to come up with a word that begins with that letter. (B) The most famous version is “We are going on a trip and I am going to bring…” starting at the letter A and go all the way through the alphabet. Be creative and think of other scenarios - for intstance “We are going to the zoo and I see…” or “We are going to the beach and we are going to bring…”
Are you ready for some good ole fashion family fun? Please make sure that you put your phone away and off the table. Don’t be afraid to disconnect from everything outside and be present with your family. It will be hard the first time so set goals for yourself - start with not looking at your phone for one round of any game you choose. The next time you go out try two rounds and really strive to have the phone gone from the table. You got this! We believe in you.