EASY GAMES FOR KIDS: VISUAL RESTAURANT WAITING GAME

Waiting with little ones can be tough.  This is where quick, easy games for kids come in!  Check out one of Lauren’s favorites for waiting in a restaurant with kids!

Sitting in a restaurant waiting for a meal with kids can be exhausting.  We try to have that quality family time, talking about what we did that day or dreaming about our summer bucket list.

But, let’s face it.  That lasts for about 2 minutes before everyone is clambering for crayons that have fallen on the floor or playing with the salt and pepper shakers that are coated with a sticky mess from the last customers.

One day, while sitting at one of our favorite spots for a quick bite to eat, I noticed the cardboard coasters on the table and I had an “AHA!” moment.

I took three coasters (labeled with a beer logo of course – ah well…), and had my son draw a smiley face on one.  I then turned them all over and shuffled them around to see if he could keep track of the coaster with his smiley face drawn on it.  If he found it, he could be the next one to shuffle the coasters to challenge his sisters.

And guess what?  This game kept everyone occupied the entire time until the food arrived!  Hooray!

For the sake of keeping The Inspired Treehouse kid-friendly, we did cover up the beautiful beer logos on our coasters.  But it’s not necessary if you aren’t bothered by them or if you’re in a pinch and need something to play quickly!  Check out the video below to see how to play!

If you do want to create a pretty set to carry with you in your purse, just use a circle cutter to create 4” diameter cuts from pretty scrapbook paper and glue them on each side!  Voila!  A pretty little travel game with awesome visual perceptual benefits!

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Lauren Drobnjak

Lauren Drobnjak is co-author of The Inspired Treehouse blog and a pediatric physical therapist who currently practices in the educational environment. She has been a physical therapist for 18 years, with 17 of those years specifically in pediatrics. Her drive to make a difference in the lives of kids has led her entrepreneurial spirit in the direction of creating opportunities for play-based wellness and child development. She is a busy mama of 3 who thrives on chaos. To come down from the stress, Lauren enjoys exercising like she’s still 20, yoga, chocolate, a great book, browsing Pinterest, and anything crafty!

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