How to Entertain Your Kids in a Restaurant

Going out to eat with kids is always a dilemma: does the convenience of good food I don't have to cook outweigh wrangling the kids through an evening out? Believe it or not, it is possible to have both an enjoyable meal and kids who behave through it with these toys and games. While most restaurants recognize the importance of a kids' meal and even supply crayons and a placemat to color on, many children bore of this quickly, especially if you've been to that particular restaurant before. Before you start pulling out things like shiny keys and rattles made of Tic Tac boxes, stock up on these restaurant toys and keep them smiling all the way through dessert.

Robot Activity Placemats
4 Placemats for $2.99
These disposable placemats feature friendly robots on the front and puzzles and games on the back. Kids will enjoy the novelty of the illustrations (what restaurant features robots?), and when their restaurant-issued placemats get boring, the games and activities will continue to entertain them until the food arrives.

Wikki Stix
Kits range from $3.25 for 24 regular stix to $19.95 for 144 three foot stix.
Wikki Stix are non-toxic, free from allergens such as latex, gluten, or nuts, and completely free of lead. These sticks are made of yarn, coated in a colred wax, and can be posed into just about any shape imaginable. They can be reused again and again for endless fun creations. They're easy to transport in a purse or a bag, so keeping these with you to stave off kids' boredom is easy and will keep them entertained for hours.

Travel Blokus
$18.95
There are lots of travel games on the market for kids, but this game is highly addictive and different every time you play. Kids 5 and over will enjoy this seemingly simple challenge of getting all of their pieces on the board while blocking their opponent. The nice thing about the travel version of this great game is that it's only for 2 players and can be played for 10 to 15 minutes, which is the time it takes many restaurants to deliver your food. You may want to buy two sets, though, since you could find yourself trying to wrestle it away from the kids to play it yourself.

Secret Agent Write and Wipe Activities
$10.50
This spy kit can be written on again and again with the special markers contained with the 17-page book. Games like hangman, mazes, story fill-ins, and crossword puzzles will keep kids busy for quite some time. The best part is that unlike traditional activity books, you can simply wipe it off and start all over again, so the fun never ends.

Mad Libs
$3.99 and up
Mad Libs is a classic game that's been cracking kids up for decades. As long as you have one kid in your party who can read and write, or you're willing to get in on the fun, this game is silly fun for all ages. Each page tells a story, with many blanks left for you to fill in such as noun, verb, or adjective. The bonus of this wacky game is that kids also learn the parts of speech, a boon for developing readers. These classic books now come in almost any theme imaginable, so all kids will find one that they can relate to. Just beware that the tables around you may be wondering why your party can't stop laughing. And if you're looking for more fun, Mad Libs now has an ap for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.