How do I keep 3 year old twins busy for meals?

[lisa928]

DH and I will be sailing with our almost 3 year old twins. I need suggestions for to keep them busy at the dinner table. It needs to be something I can easily carry with me. Obviously stickers and crayons but any other thoughts. Any thoughts?

[Woodmnky]

(Forgive me if this is dumb, but my son is only 10 months so I don't know the habits of 3 yos yet)

If your kids don't put little things in their mouths you could bring some of those little magnet toys (like Kinex). I have a little set on my desk that only has 10 pieces that you can make into different things. Also I have seen travel size magnadoodles and etch a sketchs. Also, some little cars or mini dolls might help.

[cb at sea]

How about food? The waiters seem to dote on the small kids...and if you request it, they can have munchable finger foods for them when you sit down...that might keep them from fidgiting too much!

 

Some folks will bring a small DVD player they can quietly watch...

[Kerry's Girls]

For my twins at that age, the food, attention from staff and chatting about our day, etc. kept them amused until they're done with their ice cream (about when I'm working on my entree). At that point, I pull out the new little amusement I've brought for each of them for the night. At the 99 cent store there is always an aisle with little fun things - small stamps, pens/pads, post-its are a popular one with my girls, different little coloring books, etc. As long as it's new, it will keep them busy until I'm done.

 

Best,

Mia

[chipmaster]

keeping 3 year olds entertained thru a 4 course meal that could last two hours :eek: :D

 

I know not a favorite of mine or many here, nothing like a video player, but does start the bad habit of electronic entertainment :mad:

[SadieN]

Does your ship have anytime dining? We always seem to be done within an hour or so.

[Kerry's Girls]

We always do the set dining time and are always out reasonably fast. I think the waiters are used to tables with children and keep the pace up a bit. That's with two things in mind - I don't get dessert (I'm happy to finish my entree while my girls are eating their dessert) and we sit at our own table. I don't think they would put twin toddlers at a table with others - we have always been given our own. When we're done, we wander up to the buffet at some point if I want to get dessert.

 

Best,

Mia

[topspot]

If you do the little things from the dollar store, I would wrap them before we left. Unwrapping the little "surprise" will take up some time. I always did this for longer plane rides, just as they are getting ansy, I would start with OOO what's this?? Then there's the unwrapping, and the newness of the little toy or book. Best $1 (or in your case $2) spent;)

[lisa928]

We are on NCL which has the anytime seating. Yes I think an hour is about right unless we go to one of their speciality restaurants which we will probaby do without the girls.

 

As far as a video my kids do not watch any tv or movies so there is no way I am going to start. As even if it is quiet for dinner I know what I will hear when we get home.

 

I think the key is variety of small stuff to bring so maybe I will hit up the dollar spot at Target and the Dollar store.

[alj1208]

My DS, now 5, is super-active and was very tough in restaurants when he was 3. I found it was especially important to bring little toys that allow a sensory experience. A few crayons or a few cars just wasn't enough for him. Tiny packages of modeling clay or play-doh is one idea that always worked for us. One time, I brought a small rubbermaid container of coffee beans to let him stick his hands in. I also like a small lollipop at the end of the meal. How about a stick of washable glitter glue? Stuff like that was always good for us.

[Colorado Kat]

I agree to keep the meal running quickly. Sitting by yourself is good. The waiters/waitresses are great with the kids. If the waiters do their dancing/singing, that should keep the kids entertained.

[Ggdean]

What do you normally do when you out at home? If your kids can successfully do a fine dine experience (-and not Fridays) there then just add one to two more quiet activities. I avoid small toys like magnetic/lego because I will not crawl under the table when they fall. And they will. Etch a sketch, magna doodle, dry erase (I tie the markers). I also do not take out any toys until necessary. If you bring out the activites at the beginning you can run out or they get bored halfway through. Mine are 1,3&5 and they are great but it can be tough. We do the sit down 4 of the 7 nights together. The other 3 the older kids go to camp and hubby and i go with baby.

[B_Mc]

keeping 3 year olds entertained thru a 4 course meal that could last two hours :eek: :D

 

 

2 hours? We had the 6 pm seating on RCI last year and we were always leaving by 7. Perhaps we were a "quicker" table but it was never pushing 2 hours, even when they did a little performance.

[lulabelle522]

My daughter was 2 1/2 on her first cruise on Carnival and did great. The staff, as others said, really dote on small children. She ate her jello with her hands on elegant night and our waiter brought a damp napkin over and cleaned her hands for her. She smiled the entire time. They often referred to her as Princess Kylie and of course she loved that. They even picked her up and danced with her each evening when they did their little show. She also had special napkin folding demos done for her each night, her favorite being the elf shoes.

 

This cruise, Kylie is 5 1/2 and our son Ethan will be 16 months. I'm a bit nervous about Ethan because at this point he gets a bit vocal at dinner and demands num-nums. I am packing small finger foods like the Gerber puff snacks and the like to hopefully hold him over between courses. As long as he has food and drink he's pretty happy. We will however be asking for a table for 4 if we are not assigned to one so others won't have to be on our kid's schedules. 6 pm dining is close to the time we eat dinner each night at home so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

Good luck to you, and don't forget to remind yourself that they are only 3 :D Have fun on your cruise!!!

[Kerry's Girls]

I forgot what I think has been the biggest help with successful dinner is that on every cruise, from 13 months to 6 years old, my girls always take a nap before getting dressed for dinner. They usually say they're not tired, but once we they lay down in the dark cabin and shut their eyes, they're out and wake up with the stamina they need for the rest of the evening.

 

Best,

Mia

[ehough]

Ditto the cheap toy advice- we have something called "the magic bag". I fill it with small toys or books from the dollar store/dollar bins at Target, 1 per kid per day. If they are good that day, they get to pull something from the magic bag. It has two purposes- encourages good behavior and also keeps them occupied (it's nice to gradually introduce toys like that, at one a day, versus the kids being tired of everything by day 2). This time around the plan is to do the magic bag right before dinner to keep them quiet!

 

I'd also suggest some word games. A fave here is "the animal game", where you describe an animal and have them guess what you're describing (can also extend to TV shows, movies, people, etc).

[Colorado Kat]

Sorry, slightly off-topic, but this works for teenagers too. We chaperone teen church trips. For those long car rides (10-18 hours), rolls of scotch tape, aluminum foil, and long pipe cleaners can be very creative. I especially like when one of the teen boys fall asleep, and the girls put makeup on them.

[rolloman]

Plain and simple...an ipod with his or her favorite shows downloaded. I use one with a tiny little speaker that fits in the earphone jack. We would give this to my little one after eating her meal. Works like a charm.

[lisa928]

Plain and simple...an ipod with his or her favorite shows downloaded. I use one with a tiny little speaker that fits in the earphone jack. We would give this to my little one after eating her meal. Works like a charm.

 

As a promise to myself I will never do this though it may work for others. I would rather eat at the buffet every night. I don't even let them watch TV at home. I should say that they have never watched it so they don't even ask for it. They have more than enough toys and books to keep them busy at home.

 

Thanks anyway!

[Julienatul]

stickers, small toys, magnetic erase drawing boards, ipod/iohone with toddler games loaded on it, board books, playdough

[rolloman]

As a promise to myself I will never do this though it may work for others. I would rather eat at the buffet every night. I don't even let them watch TV at home. I should say that they have never watched it so they don't even ask for it. They have more than enough toys and books to keep them busy at home.

 

Thanks anyway!

 

No problem.. several of the shows are extremely educational these days, unlike the the cartoons most of us grew up with. Outside of the crayon, coloring book, not sure what you are looking for. Unless you cruise NCL, dinner service will last an hour and half. I usually ate my entree and then took the little one away from the table when she was done, sacrificing desert...but in your case with two under 3's I think that buffet actually may be your best bet.

[runnerandme]

We ordered room service for our three and five year old grandchildren about an hour before we dined. OR we took them to the kids cafe area on NCL. Then to the kid's club for them and then we ate. They loved the kids club. They did on occasion eat with us, but we still fed them their real dinner first. Then I just ordered things for them to try. They were very happy not to see "icky meat with that funny looking sauce"..for their meal. They had milk in fun glasses with lids..( i supplied the glasses). I never brought toys to the dining room for them. They don't play at the table at home. I felt it would be too noisy. The waiters, staff fussed over them and made them paper napkin flowers, etc. We had them talk to us about what they wanted to do the next day, etc. We all kept busy and dinner was over.

 

Now the first night was not as pleasant because they were hungry and waiting for food was hard..and then when the plain noodles were not the right ones, and the mac and cheese was not like mom's..etc...so we learned after that to feed them early.

[ljmandelbaum]

I find buffets way to hard with young kids. Between having to make sure they stay close while carrying their food and our food.

 

We went on a carnival cruise with my twins when they were 2. We ate in the dining room every night. We had they try different foods. Not once did we get them their food first. They ate their dessert when we had our dessert. We did not bring toys for them. I'm trying to remember if we had them color.

 

The second cruise we took was when the girls were 4 1/2. The only difference with that cruise was they sometimes left dinner early and went to the kids club. SO on those nights they did move through their meal quicker than us.

[MichelleChell]

You didn't say what line youa re going on. We took our 3 and 7yr old on Carnival last Nov and my kids had 5 dinners out of 7 with the kids club. They loved it and so did we. They actually askede to do it. You drop them off at the Windjammer with the kid staff at a certain area. They had a different menu every night and they fed your kids. After they would go to the kids club and have a blast. I know we all want dinner as a family so we found other things to do as a family and my husband had a nice time having dinner without kids.

We will be on Royal for our next cruise and they have my family dining. They will feed your kids faster then the kids club staff picks them up.