Ideas for occupying kids in line?

[tinkandpan]

we;ve never had to wait in line longer than 30 minutes or so... we usually play ispy, have a lollypop or something like that or just talk and take a rest. It goes pretty quickly and there's plenty to look at on most lines.

 

[everylastbreath]

You don't mention how old the child you are looking to entertain is, but last year when we had my 2 yr old GS with us, we found the best approach to the line was to move very slowly- as long as he felt like he was moving he was fine, so we just walked very slow and he didn't act up. Any child older than a toddler should be able to wait in line without being entertained.

 

[mrsklamc]

You don't mention how old the child you are looking to entertain is, but last year when we had my 2 yr old GS with us, we found the best approach to the line was to move very slowly- as long as he felt like he was moving he was fine, so we just walked very slow and he didn't act up. Any child older than a toddler should be able to wait in line without being entertained.

She will turn 3 while we are there. (If her mom and dad decide to bring them with us!) She does not like to wait. Mostly I was thinking of the line to see Mickey and the princesses. When we were there in January there were virtually NO lines for anything else, but there was still a line there!

 

[DVCJEN]

Our son has a mini Etch-a- Sketch that can occupy him for the longest time! It is great in the stroller.

Please do not take bubbles for waiting in line! They are messy and the line ques are too close for bubble blowing.

 

[Captain_Hook]

She will turn 3 while we are there. (If her mom and dad decide to bring them with us!) She does not like to wait. Mostly I was thinking of the line to see Mickey and the princesses. When we were there in January there were virtually NO lines for anything else, but there was still a line there!

In those lines you can talk about what she is going to say to the characters.

 

[everylastbreath]

She will turn 3 while we are there. (If her mom and dad decide to bring them with us!) She does not like to wait. Mostly I was thinking of the line to see Mickey and the princesses. When we were there in January there were virtually NO lines for anything else, but there was still a line there!

We didn't have that issue w/waiting for characters, because GS really didn't want much to do with them (which we were kind of glad because the lines for that were pretty long) sorry I couldn't offer any suggestions, what I would do is book a character meal and do it that way, and avoid them at the parks.

 

[myAAbatteries&aTD]

I'm always prepared for waiting in line, even though we usually don't have to wait very long (due to my unbelievable planning skills, ha-ha!)..... my kids have been younger every time so they do need something to keep them entertained if it's longer than 10-15 minutes. I take Smarties and dole them out one at a time (they don't get them very often so it's a big deal for them) or Nerds/Nerds Ropes, small snacks (that they don't get all the time)..... Small things of play-dough, pipe cleaners (clean, light, can make lots of things w/ them), travel etch-a-sketch or magnadoodles. We play I-Spy, talk about what we've done that day, look at their autograph books. I think the older they get the easier it will be (even last summer when I had the girls at 4 and 6 by myself, I didn't really need anything to keep them occupied - ds was not w/ us or I would have needed my bag of tricks!).....

 

[frtchr]

I think we get it. No bubbles. Next...

 

[rainwatter]

I second the pipe cleaners. They are also great for the airplane or car.

 

[asktriplets]

I'm always prepared for waiting in line, even though we usually don't have to wait very long (due to my unbelievable planning skills, ha-ha!)..... my kids have been younger every time so they do need something to keep them entertained if it's longer than 10-15 minutes. I take Smarties and dole them out one at a time (they don't get them very often so it's a big deal for them)

we do this, too, both while waiting and in the car on long trips. these days, the kids only want the smarties (or skittles, or animal crackers, or whatever i'm handing out) one at a time if i hand them out with a "Quiz" question...even when we're not at WDW and just on a long drive, my kids LOVE WDW trivia questions and getting a treat for getting it right is even MORE fun!

 

[FoundMyPrince]

In addition to the I-Spy and Rock, Paper, Scissors games, our children like to look through their signature books and also do the pin-trading. Some of the lines can be "stuck" for a while, and it's good pin-trading time for DD. Sometimes kids will strike up a conversation with another child, too (my DD was 6 during our last trip, but she began chatting with other little girls about their pins or rides, etc.)

Also, a little snack will help re-energize a child while waiting. I try to take small crackers, raisins, etc., - nothing to spoil their meal or rot their teeth - just something to pass the time.

 

[momamy]

DD only needs something when shes overtired. lol then its because were waiting for the bus! She loves to play with pipecleaners! she makes her own jewelry out of them!

 

[SilverMickey]

We play the ABC sign game... We look around and look for words with the letter we need next... it may be on a sign, words on a shirt, tag on a pocket book... If it is to easy to get throught he abc's we sometime make the rule that the letter has to be at the beginning of the word. This game does great in a car but has worked in lines that are way to long.

 

[Schmeck]

We play the ABC sign game... We look around and look for words with the letter we need next... it may be on a sign, words on a shirt, tag on a pocket book... If it is to easy to get throught he abc's we sometime make the rule that the letter has to be at the beginning of the word. This game does great in a car but has worked in lines that are way to long.

We play that game while waiting for a movie to start - our local theater has those trivia questions/ads/safety loops that play over and over and over... After it has gone around once, we all get a bit antsy, so we look for all the letters of the alphabet, in order too!

 

[dbmarie]

At the writers shop in DHS (MGM) they sell a disney trivia book our kids loved that and it kept them happy in the lines and waiting for parades to start.