Read Mumsnet users top tips for keeping their DC entertained during dinner

[EllieMumsnet]

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Trying to keep your children entertained and not act like wild animals throughout meal times can feel like a bit of a struggle sometimes, especially if you go out as a family to a restaurant. Whether you have to make sure your children don’t throw food around or stay in their seat throughout the entire meal, Frankie & Benny’s would love to know what your top tips are for keeping your children entertained during meal times.

Here’s what Frankie & Benny’s have to say: “Launching this half term at Frankie & Benny's, we're giving away a free Squishie with every kids' meal. You're going to need to head down to your nearest restaurant to collect all ten before they’re gone! If you haven't heard about Squishies, they are cute foamy toys that you can squeeze to you hearts content, before watching them magically re-inflate. There are 10 different adorable Squishies up for grabs at Frankie & Benny’s, tick each one off on our Squishies Passport as you collect them!"

Do you only choose family friendly restaurants to eat out at? Perhaps for meals at home, you cut their food into interesting shapes to ensure there’s an element of fun? What about playing games at the table and if so what kind of games do you play? Or maybe you bring colouring and toys along with you to restaurants?

Whatever your top tips are for keeping your children entertained post them on the thread below and everyone who does will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thank you and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

Colouring, and books to read whilst waiting for their food to come out. Or games like eye spy

Small talk. Seriously I encourage the kids to attempt small talk whilst they wait for their food to come. I want my family to have good conversation skills too. We tend to discuss everything. No topic is banned. My family love to eat dinner at our local pub because it’s family friendly. We also order from the kids menu.

I always chose family friendly restaurants and let them chose what they'd like to eat themselves. The better menus are the ones that allow them to chose each individual item, such as a main, carb side, veg side etc. For DD (7) and SS (11) we chat, play games such as I-Spy, make up quizzes and if the restaurant provides colouring/activities we will complete those too. For DS (1) we take a toy that sticks to the highchair, some smaller toys and I almost always end up with a balloon too! My children have always been well behaved in restaurants, I think paying them attention and listening to them goes a long way!

As far as possible we go to family friendly restaurants like frankie and bennys or more informal places that are quick/ self sevice I quite like places where you go up and order the food/pay in advance-saves faffing when you want to leave. I usually have bits and bobs in my bag to entertain our dcs with but its always appreciated when crayons ect are provided. We do usual stuff like play I spy or 20 questions while we wait for food to arrive.

We choose kid friendly venues and have taught them from an early age about sitting quietly at meal times. They are pretty chilled out kids and love a good colouring in placemat!

Avoid places that seem to think eating food and being a soft play playgroup are one and the same?

I don't entertain and/or keep my child occupied while waiting for food because a) she won't die if she's bored for 5 minutes b) I have no intention of lugging the contents of an early learning centre around with me.

As others have said, we just talk to each other.

I don't think meals need to entertaining. We talk to the kids and enjoy our food. If one of them ran around or threw food they'd be punished (losing screen time at home).

Why do kids need entertaining constantly nowadays, especially during meal times?. I am a firm beliver if a child can not sit in a restaurant and eat a meal without trying to run around or needing to be 'entertained' with gadgets, toys etc then they are not ready to be sat in a restaurant.

I really liked the puzzle/dot to dog/fill in the missing letter/spot the difference activity placemats that places had when my DC small
Yes we may just sit and chat but at busy times or long waits these were v good

I always admired the way that French people just seemed to include children at the family meal - no special food or concessions (aware this may have been an illusion). In any case, that is what we have always done. Meal time i about conversation, comments on food, being together. OK- we did use to like Pizza Express/Wagamama colouring in sheets - but it was always rather the same. Luckily we didn't eat out too much. My DD - who is a teenager - would love a squishie!

I don’t always Pick family friendly restaurants as my children are always wanting to order food from the main menu instead of the children’s menu. We don’t eat beef so always try to look for restaurants serving lamb. It’s our favourite meat. I think it’s important not to let children have gadgets at the table and engage with conversation instead. This is entertaining enough for my boys. When we go out to eat with other kids we try to go somewhere that has colouring activities and play area.

We love Frankie & Beny’s 💋

Conversation - it's what we did at the table when I was growing up!

I think it's good to do the puzzles and colouring that many restaurants provide for children but I don't think they should be allowed to play games at the table and stare at their screens - it doesn't teach them that mealtimes are social occasions - I guess I'm old school!

We choose family friendly restaurants and find colouring passes enough time before the food arrives.

We eat out quite regularly as a family. Normally go for family friendly places, but if we are meeting grandparents who've picked somewhere less child focussed, take books, colouring and felt tips. In a dire emergency (like grandparents and childless uncles wanting a 3 hour meal), both dh and I have games on our phones. They aren't allowed to run about or be silly in restaurants.

We normally take a suctioned bottomed toy like a Ferris wheel to stick to the high chair.....my DS is under 1. Failing that lots of snacks he can either push round the tray or eat if he likes. Always good to have a small bit of carpet he can crawl about on too as he's not one to sit.....not to every restaurant goers liking though otherwise friendly staff always help 😊

Top tip: don’t eat at Frankie &Bennies where they regularly take over an hour to serve you very mediocre food.

when eating out ask for the kids foodbto be brought out with the starters

We carefully select our restaurant and have some small toys and colouring in pens with us . We have taken our children regularly from a young age so they know what is expected of them.

Don't plan to stay there for too long. Adults might enjoy a leisurely meal with 3 courses and coffee but young children will find that too difficult.
I usually let DD bring some small toys and I also make sure she is included in the conversation so she doesn't feel left out.
Best of all is if you can find a nice country pub with a play area and great food like we have locally then everyone's a winner.

Small items you can fit in your bag - a puzzle book, mini jigsaw, fuzzy felt. Things that can be tidied away quickly and not leave a mess.

DD(6) has been eating out with myself and DH since she was tiny so it's something that she's used too. We don't particularly look for 'child friendly' places, we go wherever it is we fancy eating. She know's there is a way to behave when eating out and it's not a weekly occurance so when we do go there is still novelty to is. But whilst we're out we'd do things like look over the menu and chat about that, what we might have next time etc. As a family we talk about our day/what were going to be doing in the next couple of days, just general chit chat. I occasionally have a small notebook/pen in my bag so if there is a really long wait she can doodle but DD is deffo a talker and that easily fills the time between ordering and food coming. If places give out a little kids activity pack then that keeps her quiet too but we don't particularly feel that we NEED these.

We pick child friendly restaurants, often ones that provide colouring sheets & crayons and are used to having families in.
We always take some small (quiet!) toys plus a game like Dobble or Top Trumps.
Once the good arrives that's usually enough to keep the little ones quiet & entertained!

Colouring or activity books always go down well, but our favourite was a restaurant in Paris where the table cloths were white paper and crayons were provided. I'm not sure who enjoyed that more, the adults or the children.

My top tips would be to pick a family friendly restaurant, take an iPad/kids tablet,crayons and a colouring book. At home we sing at the table or pretty much everywhere around the house. My 1 year old loves the wheels on the bus, but I wouldn’t recommend that in a restaurant with other people about. 😊😂