Who needs a tablet? How to keep your children busy in a restaurant

For the little ones

Sticker books

Decorating pages with stickers. The function of a sticker book sounds unimaginative at first. But the cool thing is many stickers are reusable so children can do this again and again. Every time they visit a restaurant they can create a different picture.

Motor skills games

Opening buckles, closing zippers, untangling knots. Sliding the puzzle pieces into the right place. Or tying shoelaces. Motor skills challenges like these will keep your child out of mischief.

Painting books or placemats

Painting in restaurants is a classic. Child-friendly restaurants often already offer their young guests colouring books and crayons. Unfortunately, still far too few places do this. Yet it’s so simple.

Diggers, Schleich animals and other toy figures

Again, the simpler the better. A few of their favourite figures or vehicles won’t weigh your bag down and are often enough to keep children happy. Even if it’s just for a few minutes to enjoy your own food in peace.

Puzzle fun

Puzzle blocks are another form of entertainment suitable for a very young audience. Bandolino are also great, handy learning cards. Children use a string to answer the task on the card by connecting the pictures. A solution check is on the back. Alternatively, you can go for busy books – a popular favourite.

For the big kids

Puzzle fun

Puzzle books for schoolchildren are more challenging. They include maths, writing, reading and searching. There’s even a kids version of Sudoku. They won’t get bored with those.

Reading and learning

Reading’s always good. But not all children want to read a book in a restaurant. Nor do they want to learn something. It’s not fun and it’s not cool, after all. However if it’s disguised as a tricky quiz that needs to be solved, they’re usually all over it.

Brain teasers

Here, too, you need a lot of brainpower. And time. In the IQ puzzle, you connect pieces to each other and, depending on the level, on top of each other. The aim of Chicken Shuffle, for example, is to slide the hens over their eggs but your direction of movement is restricted. And everyone knows the Rubik’s Cube, where you rotate the coloured squares to match each other.

Crafts

Crafts in a restaurant? Yes! Of course, only if there’s little material involved, so the neat bistro table doesn’t become a chaotic work surface. Folding origami, stringing beads or tying loom bands works. For small craft materials, it’s best to ask for a deep plate.

Advanced skill games

Take a playground classic to the restaurant: Cat’s Cradle works by creating specific shapes with a string around your fingers. Four hands are required. The geoboard is also for solo players; instead of string, rubber bands are used for the figures. Spin Master requires a little more skill – you move a small ball through the track to the finish.