Waiting for food at a restaurant can feel like forever to a child. A little coloring kit tucked into your bag can make the wait easy and keep meals out screen-free.
What to pack
- 4 to 6 crayons in a small pouch or tin
- 5 to 10 coloring pages, folded or in a slim book
- A small sticker sheet
- A pencil for tracing or games
- A slim pencil case or zip bag to hold it all
Keep it small enough to live in your bag permanently.
Food-themed fun
Restaurants are the perfect place for food characters. Silly pizzas, grumpy donuts and smiling sandwiches from Trace Then Color: Cartoon Food Monsters make kids giggle while they wait. Kids can even color the food they ordered.
Restaurant coloring games
- Order up. Color what you think your food will look like.
- Menu monster. Invent a monster made of food from the menu.
- Waiter’s gift. Color a page to give to your server. Many servers love them.
- Tic-tac-toe on the back of a page.
Tips
- Bring it out early, as soon as you sit down.
- Put it away when food arrives to keep the table clear.
- Restock after use. Replace pages and lost crayons.
- Choose simple pages. Busy restaurants are distracting. Trace Then Color: Cute Cartoon Animals has easy pages.
Manners matter
Teach kids to keep crayons on the table and pages away from drinks. Clean up before you leave, and take any crayons the restaurant provided home only if offered.
Questions parents ask
Don’t restaurants provide crayons?
Some do, but having your own kit means you’re never caught out.
What age is this for?
Toddlers through early elementary kids benefit most.
My child colors for two minutes and wants to leave. Any tips?
Combine coloring with conversation, stickers and simple games, and choose child-friendly times to eat out.
About Kevin Coulston
Kevin Coulston is a cartoonist and member of the National Cartoonists Society who has written and illustrated more than 100 drawing, tracing and coloring books for kids, including the Trace Then Color series. Meet Kevin or browse all his books on FirstArtBooks.com.
