How to Make Eating Out with Kids a More Pleasant Experience

Hungry kids and long waits for food to be delivered to the table is enough to make many adults shudder at the thought of even attempting to go out to eat.  What is needed is a way to keep the kids distracted during their wait.  Many restaurants have gotten smart and provide kids with crayons and a placemat to draw on but this does not always occupy them the entire time.  I have started taking along an activity kit that helps fill the void especially at places that don't provide crayons.

I purchased a small zippered bag from a dollar store along with several other items.  Here is what I include in the bag:

• a mini pack of uno cards
• a ziplock bag of legos
• mini puzzles from Five Below
• colored pencils
• stickers
• magnet games
• a small drawing pad 
• a mad libs book
• bendaroos
• travel size games such as connect 4, tic-tac-toe, memory etc.
• I spy cards
• mini books of mazes or other puzzles from dollar stores
• some fruit snacks in case the kids really can't wait to eat something
• antibacterial hand wipes

These items can and should be adjusted  according to the age of your child and varied from time to time and will help make the entire dining out experience more pleasant for all involved.  What sorts of thing do you bring along when you go out with your kids?