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View Full Version : in need of some suggestions for good restaurant toys...



nfowife
01-13-2007, 10:54 PM
So, I've realized that if I want to be able to bring DD to a restaurant, drs. office, etc., we are at the point where I need more than snacks to keep her happy and busy. So I'm trying to put together a travel "toy" type of kit to have in the car for these situations. I bought a skip hop saddlebag to put stuff in, and so far here is what I've come up with to keep in it:
-quiet activity book from dry creek designs (though she is still a bit young for this)
-a few other small board books (she loves the 97 cent foam covered ones at walmart)
-a small FP doodle pro
-a small aquadoodle type of book w/water pen that is reusable
-a few small dollhouse dolls (have an extra set from her fisher price dollhouse that she loves)

Is there any other cool thing I could get? This is probably enough, don't you think? She will color with crayons at home for a bit, but after a while she gets bored and starts either chewing on the crayon, or scraping it with her fingernail and eating it from there. She's almost 21 months, btw. Thanks for any suggestions!

shilo
01-14-2007, 12:54 AM
mine is in a soft-sided lunch box from tjmaxx. i keep a small magnadoodle, a thomas engine, a small puzzle, a small sticker book, some crayons, a few tiny board books, a small sewing measuring tape (the kind that you can pull out and then push the button and it self winds back in - another brilliant idea from some smart mama on these boards), a cell phone (ask your local store for a mock/demo model that they don't need anymore and scrub it in your sink :)) and a small set of keys on a carabiner. opening and shutting the gate on the carabiner seems to entertain him as much as the keys themselves at times. the keys are from a local locksmith shop where i get my keys made - they ground down the pointy bits on several different types/colors, etc from their box of 'mis-cuts' for free :).

hth, lori
Sam 5/19/05 How lucky I am that you chose me.

alexsmommy
01-14-2007, 10:12 AM
My only suggestion if you eat out frequently would be to rotate to toys occasionally. At that age, if we had a weekend where we ate out more than once (which for us meant we had out of town guests), I definately noticed he was less enthralled with the toys the second day. I had ones that stayed in a diaper bag and another small bag in my car as an alternative.
Alaina
Alex Feb '03
and #2 in early summer '07

neeleymartin
01-14-2007, 11:36 AM
rotating the toys is a GREAT idea. i also like the busy books that are sold on lilianvernon.com. just went there to add a link and i can't find them. you may be able to find elsewhere. the set has two books. they are made of fabric and have fun stuff to do on each page. buttons, snaps, velcro. i will keep looking and post if i find.

friends also have these and agree that they keep kids very occupied.

neeley

nfowife
01-14-2007, 11:53 AM
Yeah, I had those books in my shopping cart. The next day I looked for a LV discount code, found one, and went to buy them. They are now out of stock and it doesn't look like they will be back in stock anytime soon! I haven't been able to find them anywhere else! But the quiet book from dry creek is the same idea. I do have stickers too, and a sticker book that I forgot about- DD LOVES stickers.
We don't eat out much, only when we have family in town. I will add on an old cellphone I have lying around too.
We'll see how much I can shove in the SH saddlebag! I'm also going to put a bunch of the tabletoppers and disposable bibs in there since I always seem to forget to bring them with me and I don't really need them in my pantry.

DrSally
01-14-2007, 12:06 PM
I used the sewing measuring tape idea too for holiday plane ride, it was a hit!!

DrSally
01-14-2007, 12:07 PM
I need to find these, they sound great!

neeleymartin
01-14-2007, 12:48 PM
ebay has a similar type of book right now.

search for:
Soft Play MY FIRST BUSY BOOK Soft INTERACTIVE Book *NEW

kristenk
01-14-2007, 02:23 PM
Playmobil!

That's been DD's restaurant toy forever (along with some others). I'd get the little individual packs at Target or wherever. Not a full set, just the ones that had one person and a few accessories. I'd open them up and assemble whatever had to be assembled and put away things that were either too small or that I didn't want her playing with (the ranger came with a rifle and some small pieces that I didn't want her to have; the horse, yes, the other stuff, no). She likes for them to talk to each other, etc.

ETA: *Definitely* rotate toys!

cstack
01-14-2007, 03:34 PM
This is a great use for the Take-Along Thomas stuff. The engines are smaller, so take up less room, and they're less expensive, so if they get lost or left behind it's not as big a loss.

Jen841
01-15-2007, 12:48 PM
The Cheerios books are a hit with both kids right now (3.5 and 16 months.) I have to bring two with us.

E (16 mos) is happy to just have a pen to use (with supervision of course.)

J loves the Cheerio books, coloring and his magnet sets (farm scene you 'decorate' and Thomas book (TJMaxx)).

Matchbox cars and Viking trucks are saviors in church with both right now too, as well as a calculator (AKA computer.)

Baby Einstein flash cards have been a hit for J for years now, as well as the deck of cards that gets smaller and smaller over time (but neither cares.) Putting the cards in and out of boxes is the entertainment factor for the most part. J will now hunt out letters and numbers which adds a new element to this 'old' toy.

It fascinates me the things that are so trivial that entertain them. They played almost and hour last night with my old plastic measuring cups and spoons I donated to the toy collection after I got to retire them due to receiving new ones for Christmas.

lilycat88
01-15-2007, 03:00 PM
Post-its. She can stick them on whatever or draw on them and they come off with no damage. THat's been our restaurant toy of choice since about 18 months.

traciann
01-15-2007, 03:18 PM
I second the flash cards. but another idea is i got the mickey mouse shaped paint samples from home depot and my DD love to hold, and play with them. you could punch a hole and put them on a jump ring to keep them together. we also have a small bead maze in our bag too.

i think rotating toys is a good idea as well I need to remember that.

traci

calv
01-15-2007, 03:32 PM
i always have the car stashed w/a few new/surprise toys like leap frog or the FP laptop.

ALso what are the bags that we all got before xmas. The peek-aboo bags. Those are a huge hit for us!