Ideas to entertain 24 month old at restaurants

[snorkelyn]

I am looking for some fresh ideas on how to keep my 24 month old busy at WDW restaurants. Everyone: Please post your favorites!

Crayons and paper work.....for the first 3 minutes!
Than I let him look through my purse and play with my phone.

 

[Disneychix]

LOL! Phone and crayons are my go-to tactics!!

We do have some board books that we take with us sometimes. Recently DS is in love with trains so we always have a toy train handy.
I still like to have cheerios or crackers with us too. We count them and play games with them until dinner comes!

 

[cel_disney]

When DS was 2 (we were there on his birthday so the same age as your little one!), I packed a few small board books, stickers, post-it notes, and some race cars and a very small spiderman toy to have in addition to the crayons (if they got us 3 minutes, we were lucky!)...everything fit in the small pocket of our backpack which was my criteria for what to bring!

We also made our ADRs (we were on deluxe DDP) such that we had at least one character meal/buffet daily (so no entertainment required really)...that made the toys more fun since we were only using them once a day!

 

[karliebug]

pipe cleaners, they are quiet and you can make all kinds of animals and people out of them.

 

[sara74]

We've been twice with our little ones - once they were 4 and 2. Then when they were 6 and 4 and 2! We have Tinkerbell bring little gifts to the room every night that are there when the kids wake up in the morning. Very little gifts that I wrap in tissue paper - so not a big deal, honestly! But the kids love the novelty of something new each day - and they are usually things that are good to keep them busy in a restaurant. I go to the dollar aisle at Michael's crafts or Target - they often have lots of Disney stuff. For this trip I bought kaleidoscopes, yoyos, bendaroos, little coloring sheets that came with tiny markers - all Disney themed (except the bendaroos) and all for $1 each. The kids love the 'gifts' from Tink, and I toss them in my bag to take with us for the day so they have something new and exciting at dinner and we have a chance to breathe! We've also done silly putty as well.

Colorful pipe cleaners were a big hit too! So much so that I had intended on throwing them out when we packed to come home and the kids insisted on keeping them!

 

[ginnymack]

Stickers!!!

Also, I will totally confess to being a bad mom and "plugging" them in. (You're welcome! ) I got the Disney Mix Max player (at overstock.com for about $40) and I used some software on my computer to "shrink" movies down and put on there. It is a bit of a pain, and takes awhile to do ( I start a video before I go to bed and let is run) but once it is done it is done. I can put 4 full length movies and ENDLESS half hour shows on a 2G SD card. The little thing runs 8 hours on a single charge and holds the charge for weeks if unused. That little sucker and a pair of headphones lives in my purse for emergencies, dr appts, older kid school programs, etc. If you have an iphone or ipod touch you can do the same thing much easier, but it is nice for them to have their own device!

 

[snorkelyn]

Stickers!!!

Also, I will totally confess to being a bad mom and "plugging" them in. (You're welcome! ) I got the Disney Mix Max player (at overstock.com for about $40) and I used some software on my computer to "shrink" movies down and put on there. It is a bit of a pain, and takes awhile to do ( I start a video before I go to bed and let is run) but once it is done it is done. I can put 4 full length movies and ENDLESS half hour shows on a 2G SD card. The little thing runs 8 hours on a single charge and holds the charge for weeks if unused. That little sucker and a pair of headphones lives in my purse for emergencies, dr appts, older kid school programs, etc. If you have an iphone or ipod touch you can do the same thing much easier, but it is nice for them to have their own device!

This will work for my 4 and 6 year old. I have a blackberry that has disney channel tv on it. But- I'm pretty sure my 24 month old would be more interested in pushing buttons. He has such a short attention span- he's not a tv watcher. But- maybe that will change in 6 months. That would be a super easy idea! And most shows are at least 20 minutes!

 

[glk2009]

We carry a Ziploc bag of toys including a Thomas the Train, a plastic alligator and an alligator flashlight. We have these in addition to coloring books, books and a little photo album of random pictures.

We also bring extra snacks, just in case.

 

[*pixie*dust*]

My DS loved his travel magna doodle when he was 2. I also brought a small set of stacking cups.

 

[Disneychix]

My DS loved his travel magna doodle when he was 2. I also brought a small set of stacking cups.

Yes, the travel magna doodle is good!
I also found little stacking jars of play-dough at the dollar store. This was fun while we waited for tables!

 

[I Believe n Fairies]

https://just51.securesites.net/item.php?id=TY-1191

A Thomas Carry Along Track was great for my kids.

I bought this when my dd was about 2, she's almost 9 and both of my kids still love to play with this. It was a lifesaver in restaurants. Pretty cheap, very portable, and fun.

 

[melifeld]

Wikki Sticks!

 

[2binak]

Before our last trip to WDW, I went to the Christmas Tree Shops store near us and found a package of 4 sets of large flashcards. Numbers, Colors & Shapes, Alphabet & First Words. Our DD is now 25 months old and still loves looking through these cards. We mostly use them in restaurants, but sometime use them in the car or at home too. The first time we go through them, we have her tell us what the object is, the next time through we have her tell us about the colors or shapes, the next time through we have her tell us the sounds the object makes, etc. They entertain her far longer than any other toy or activity.

We also have the mini magna doodle and that works well too.

The key is to hide whatever you get until you get there so that it's new and fresh. I've even hidden favorite toys a couple of weeks before vacation and then brought them out on a plane or in the car...to DD, it's like getting a new toy all over again!

 

[mugsy]

These are all good suggestions. I have a few more to add:

1. Bread! And butter! Oyster crackers! All the toys in the world will not divert a hungry two year old, and the bread basket is manna from heaven (or the kitchen) for exhausted parents.

2. Something to drink. I can garner several minutes of peace if my two year old is sucking on chocolate milk from his sippy cup or through a straw.

3. Lots and lots of table space with grab-able and throwable objects removed. That way the new toy(s) will get played with instead of sharp forks and drinking glasses (but beware the moment that the toy loses its appeal and your toddler decides to see how far it will fly through the air -- or if it will bounce if thrown to the floor -- or if daddy can catch the new toy). Also, beware the "see how often daddy can pick up the toy/crayons/napkin" game. Once or twice, and the offending item magically disappears (from the toddler's point of view).

4. If you are desperate, the "peek-a-boo with the napkin" game (on his head or on your head, or switching off) is a reliable diversion for a short time.

5. Lots and lots of patience and humor -- toddlers are unpredictable, and the ideal family meal in one location can be restaurant hell in another location, despite your best efforts. Fortunately, you will be in DW, where pixie dust is in plenty supply, children are expected to be children, and there are multiple distractions. That said -- do not take your toddler to a place without a kids' menu, like Bistro de Paris; you will receive disapproving stares from clientele and staff (and your kids will hate it). If the place has a kids' menu, however, an open invitation has been issued and a dinner or lunch there is fair game for parents (sorry, those of you who like an adult experience at California Grill, Citricos, Brown Derby, etc. -- see if you can get seated away from the kiddie clusters in those places).

 

[bellebud]

scotch tape... they make the dispenser w/ the squares already cut. or those teeny, tiny post it notes that pop out of the dispenser. kids just love sticky things on their fingers.

 

[ateam79828592]

both my 1 yr old and 4 yr old love little slinkies. i ordered an assortment of "prizes" from oriental trading - mostly cheap junk like the prizes you would get at the dentist or dr office. They are small and entertaining. i also got a lot of mcdonald's toys from ebay. maybe my kids are the only ones like the silly "junk" instead of real toys.

 

[maryloubsw]

I am looking for some fresh ideas on how to keep my 24 month old busy at WDW restaurants. Everyone: Please post your favorites!

Crayons and paper work.....for the first 3 minutes!
Than I let him look through my purse and play with my phone.

I have to bring a sack of toys to entertain my 21 mth old, but food entertains her pretty well, so after the crayons stop entertaining, I move onto bread and butter, then hopefully her food comes, then we move onto peekaboo, stuffed animals and taking her for walks. Occasionally when we were at DW she was just amazed by all the scenery and stayed still!!!

 

[starsweeper]

We always took some snacks because little ones can't wait for the meal--usually Cheerios or Gerber puffs. I also bought "board books" designed for the bath tub at Barnes & Noble--you can wipe them clean and the books aren't ruined by food and drink. Another idea is some of the small, portable Little People sets.

 

[alexensmom]

My friend bought my DS Aqua Doodles and I love them. The cards are a little smaller that 5" square and the pen is easy to fill with my water at restaurants. I keep the pen in a ziploc baggie so I can have it full if I need it in the car, etc.

 

[holden]

At 2 1/2 we introduced DD2 to safety scissors. That kept her busy for a long time! She still loves cutting. Also, those crayola markers that have stamps on the one end are good too.