Restaurant Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers That Fit in a Small Bag

You've ordered. The food isn't here yet. Your child is looking around the table, and you know that stretch can feel long. A few simple things in a small bag can give your child something to do while you wait.

Below are 10 restaurant activities for toddlers and preschoolers, a short packing list, and a few tips for making it work. Most are paper and crayons, so they're light, inexpensive and easy to replace.

What works best at a restaurant table?

Look for activities that are small, easy to set up and easy to put away when the food arrives. Restaurant tables are crowded, so aim for one page at a time, not a pile.

A few things to keep in mind:

• Small beats big. A half-page or a folded sheet takes less room than a full activity book.
• Quick to start. If it needs a long explanation, save it for home. Pictures that show the task work best.
• Easy cleanup. Crayons and paper are simple. Skip glitter, paint and anything that spills.
• Age matters. Our page ideas below are for ages 3 to 5. For a 2-year-old, sit together, use chunky crayons and keep it to scribbling or one simple game.
• Small pieces. Skip anything small enough to go in a mouth, and please stay close with younger children.

10 restaurant activities for toddlers and preschoolers

1. Draw on the placemat

If the restaurant gives you paper placemats or a kids' menu, there's already a drawing space. Pack a few crayons and see what your child makes. Ask them to draw their meal before it arrives.

2. A maze

A short maze with a wide path from a start picture to an end picture. One page, one crayon, one clear job. Choose a simple one for a first restaurant visit.

3. Connect the dots, 1 to 10

Numbers 1 to 10, then a picture appears. A good page if your child is learning to count. If ten is a lot, trace the first few dots together.

4. Find and count

A page with things to find and count. Pick one with just a few things to count, such as three forks and two cups.

5. Find the shadow

Pictures on one side, dark shadows on the other, and your child draws a line to match them.

6. Color by the key

A small picture with symbols and a key that shows which crayon goes where. Pack only the crayons the page needs, so there's nothing to lose.

7. I spy on the table (no printer needed)

"I spy something round." Look around the table: a plate, a glass, a bread roll. Keep the clues simple and take turns. It needs nothing in the bag.

8. Tic-tac-toe or dots and boxes (no printer needed)

Paper and a pencil. Draw the grid on a napkin or the back of a placemat. Older preschoolers can play with you. Younger ones might just like making X's and O's.

9. Draw what you see

Ask your child to draw the person across the table, the pizza or the glass. You can add the names. It's a good one to do together while you wait.

10. A "restaurant bag" they pick themselves

Let your child choose two pages and a few crayons at home the night before. The bag only comes out at restaurants, so it feels special. It's also easy to put away when the food arrives and you need your hands.

What to pack

A small zip-top bag or a folder works. Here's a simple list:

• 3 to 5 pages in a folder (not the whole stack)
• 4 to 6 crayons in a small bag or pencil case
• a pencil for you and a few sheets of plain paper for games
• a few wipes
• a clip to keep pages from sliding around (keep it out of reach of young children)

Three to five pages are plenty for one sitting. If you bring more, they're just extra weight.

If you'd like pages made for this, The Crayon Hour Travel Pack is a $7 add-on at checkout. It has 20 half-page activities that need just crayons: no scissors, no glue. Half-page sheets take up less room on a table. It's sold with a pack, not by itself.

Tips that make it easier

1. Practice at home first. Try the pages at your kitchen table before the restaurant, so they feel familiar.
2. Show the first page once, then step back.
3. Hold something back. Keep one page in your bag for the end of the meal, when you're waiting for the check.
4. Order early if you can. The wait starts when you order, not when you sit down.
5. Keep expectations kind. Some days it goes well and some days you take the food home. Neither means you did anything wrong.
6. Put it away when the food comes. Pages and crayons go back in the bag so the table is clear.

Try pages like these for free

Most of the ideas above are page types. If you'd like to try them at home before you go out (picture instructions, one clear task, black-and-white friendly), you can get 7 free pages from The Crayon Hour for ages 3 to 5. They show whether your child likes this kind of page before you pack a bag. The 7 pages are:

• a maze
• color by the key
• trace a letter
• find and count
• connect the dots, 1 to 10
• find the shadow
• cut and glue

For a restaurant, the maze, find and count, connect the dots and find the shadow pages need just a crayon. The cut-and-glue page is better kept for home, where scissors and glue are within reach. Please stay close while your child cuts.

If you'd like more variety, the full Quiet Time packs from The Crayon Hour have 48 to 240+ pages, from $17. The Travel Pack can be added to any pack at checkout for $7.

For afternoons at home, see more ideas for busy afternoons. Planning a holiday meal with the whole family? See Thanksgiving Printables for Preschoolers for kids' table ideas.

Frequently asked questions