To take a small pot of play dough to a cafe

[meepmoop]

Hello,

I'm meeting my friend for coffee this morning with my DS whose 20months

He's used to being in cafe's and is generally happy to sit there as long as there's food and some toys.

I was wondering if it would be weird to take a small pot of play dough and a couple tools for him to play with. I would also take a mat so it's not smushed into the table.

It's not a formal place just wondered if it's a no no

Good idea

Totally fine!

I would, it’s a good idea (provided its fresh stuff not dehydrated crumbling crap like my poor deprived dd has )

Absolutely fine! We find sticker books great (particularly Usborne) and I've seen others have success with Lego.

I'll bear the play dough in mind myself when we next eat out. Enjoy.

Not a bad idea, just make sure that none of it gets smushed into any carpet

Nooo!

This is exactly the kind of thing that seems like it would be fine and then does get smooshed into the floor/table/person next to you's hair.

Not weird at all. I used to do this for church with my son as he didn’t like the crèche but it meant he’d sit for a while.
Aqua doodle travel mat is also good. And Duplo.

Aw good I was expecting to be told i would be very inconsiderate if I did.

No carpet just wood floors so should be able to pick up any stray bits. Brand new pot to so hopefully no crumbling

I would check with the cafe before you get it out.

My children have always been super messy with play dough, not sure I would take it. I have always taken colouring and still spend far too much time picking crayons off the floor!

But if your son plays with it without getting it on the floor then go ahead.

It's only a tiny pot so shouldn't go to far but maybe I'll check first

Former waiter here - it'll be fine. We'd much prefer toys like this and lego to the parents who allowed their little darlings to smear the contents of the butter dishes across a plate glass window. When very courteously asked to bring the children back to the table, they explained that they liked the little ones to be free to explore their space and respond spontaneously.

Window was eight feet wide. They managed to fill the bottom 30 inches all the way across.

Depends how messy your DS is. I couldn’t have done this with DD even with the very best of intentions it would have ended up every where and it’s a bugger to get out of wood floors if it gets smooshed in.

I wouldn’t. That shit gets everywhere.

Stickers, colouring books, activity books, small toys like cars/figures would all be preferable.

I've got colouring, figurines and some books with me to so maybe I'll use it as a last resort.

He's not grasped sticker books/activity books yet but they'll be my go to when he's older