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How to Make a Restaurant Busy Bag for Preschoolers

This post is sponsored by Zollipops. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

If you have small children then you know dining out isn’t exactly the same experience as it was back in the pre-baby days. It’s often times chaotic, frustrating, and just plain loud. But, there are ways to make it easier for both kids and parents. It’s all about preparation and keeping them BUSY!

Today I’m going to show you how to put together a simple busy bag for your toddler and/or preschooler. No crafting or lengthy prep work needed!

First, grab a small bag to put everything in. Personally, I like to use a large pencil pouch. These are roomy enough to hold everything you need, yet small enough to toss into your diaper bag or purse without taking up a ton of space. If you have more than one child, you might want to create a separate bag for each of them…because, fighting! 

Second, fill your bag with your child’s favorite “busy activities” – some things I keep in my busy bag (as pictured above):

Healthy Snacks My kids can never get enough snacks. It doesn’t matter if they ate 5 minutes ago, they are going to ask for snacks the minute there is any downtime. So, I like to bring a few healthy snack options for them while we wait for our food. My go-to snack is usually a fruit or apple sauce pouch.

Grab & Go Play Packs We love these because they are just so easy to toss into your bag. They feature my kids’ favorite characters and include a small coloring/activity book, stickers & crayons.

Washable Markers/Colored Pencils I typically bring extra things for the kids to color with like (washable) markers and/or colored pencils. My kids don’t seem to be as excited about boring ole’ crayons anymore, so I save these for when we go out.

Card Games If you have an older preschooler who won’t throw cards allllll over the floor of the restaurant, consider throwing in a simple pack of Go Fish cards. My 4 year old is just starting to get into card games now, but they are a great way to kill a few extra minutes.

Hand & Face Wipes If you have a toddler, then you don’t need any explanation on these. Kids are messy, and napkins just don’t cut it sometimes.

Disposable Placemats I never leave home without these! One, I am a self-professed germaphobe (no shame here) and two, they make eating out fun for toddlers. I typically only use these for my 2 year old now – mainly because of her food allergies; however, they do still provide her with entertainment and she enjoys eating her food on her “special placemat”.

Small Toys This typically means matchbox cars in our house. My 4 year old, Noah, has been carrying around his cars everywhere we go since he was 18 months old. To this day, he almost never leaves the house without them.

Velcro Sticks Okay, so I lied. This one requires just a few minutes of prep work, unless you already have these lying around the house. All you need are some colorful popsicle sticks and little velcro dot stickers – kids can use these to make shapes and letters. A perfect quiet time activity for a restaurant!

Zollipops I saved the best for last! These aren’t your average lollipops, they’re Zollipops! Zollipops are supercharged with Xylitol, Erythritol, Stevia, and are actually good for your little one’s teeth! They work to naturally reduce the acidity and balance the pH in our mouths. By reducing acidity, you help fight off cavities! I love to save these little treats for my kids after they’ve finished their meal while we wait for our check. They are super excited to get a special treat, and I feel good about giving them something that is actually good for their teeth. Not to mention, we can skip the dessert menu and the begging for ice cream!

One of my favorite things about Zollipops (and their entire candy line) is that they are sugar-free! They are also dairy-free, making them safe for my little London to eat! And they are free from artificial dyes and colors! Pretty awesome, right?!

Something even more awesome about Zollipops – there is an 11 year old girl who is responsible for the creation of these healthy smile treats! Kid-entrepreneur, Alina Morse, is the brains behind this sweet operation. To learn more about Alina and Zollipops, click here.

And hop on over to our Instagram on Monday for your chance to WIN this awesome prize pack full of goodies – Zollipops, Zolli Drops, & Zaffi Taffy! Giveaway will begin Monday, June 26th and winner will be announced Wednesday, June 28th!

Have you tried Zollipops? How do you entertain your kids while eating out?

xo,

Sumer

How to Make a Restaurant Busy Bag for Preschoolers

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