10 free ways to distract your child when out and about!

Lots of kids aren’t great at waiting patiently for long and there are times when you need them to do just that!  You might be in a waiting room, in a restaurant, cafe, queue or anywhere it isn’t practical for them to get up/ walk off and run around.  
I have found that although putting the smartphone in front of them in these situations does the trick, it isn’t ideal!  So here are the alternatives:
  1. Rock, paper, scissors
  2. I spy
  3. Thumb war – you never know one day they make become a champion thumb wrestler! 
  4. Blow football – if you are in a cafe or restaurant ask for two straws, tear off a bit of a napkin, scrunch it into a ball and have fun!
  5. Clapping games such as pat-a-cake
  6. String games
  7. Tell them to count the blue (or pink or stripy or square or….) things in the room (or on the table or out the window….)
  8. Have a chat – ask them what their favourite food, colour, shape, animal, story, song, toy etc is
  9. Sing a song together (if it is practical)
  10. Play noughts and crosses

If none of these ideas float your boat there are some more ideas here!

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How do you entertain your kids when having to wait somewhere when out and about? Let me know in the comments below!

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