It’s not uncommon to see my entire family including myself on a screen while waiting for our food at a restaurant. While it keeps everyone quiet, it annoys my husband to see us all on screens. He’s devised a series of restaurant games designed to get everyone off screens.
Restaurant Games to Get Kids Off Screens
Chopsticks Messy Backyard
This is a simple game that you can do at any Asian restaurant. Simple rip up the paper chopstick holder into small pieces and place in the center of the table. Place a napkin in front of each player. Using chopsticks, move the pieces from the center to your napkin. The player with the most pieces wins.
What Moved?
This game is harder than it sounds. Everyone surveys the objects on the table and then closes their eyes. No peeking! One person (very quietly) moves one of the objects. Everyone has to guess What Moved. The key to this game is subtlety. Some hard-to-detect things to try include:
- Turn the salt shaker by a quarter turn.
- Pull the napkin slightly out of the napkin dispenser.
- Turn the ketchup lid slightly.
- Switch the place of the salt shaker with the pepper shaker.
Numbers 1-11 Drawing Game
I have a post on my husband’s 1-11 drawing game and the video is below as well.
Table Football or Soccer using Chopstick Paper
Fold the chopstick paper holder into a triangle, tucking the last piece into the crease. This is your game ball. Now, flick the “ball” into a set of goal posts (be careful of eyes), or across the table for a game of soccer. This is not my favorite restaurant game but the kids love playing this with their dad (who is a big kid).
What are your favorite restaurant games to amuse your kids? Do you like the dot game, drawing, or hangman?
p.s. Related posts:
Learn at Home Curriculum for Gamers
Five Books to Get Your Young Gamer Reading
Staying Off Screens and K’NEX GIVEAWAY
FREE Immersive History Game about WWII Japanese Americans
My Remote Learning Plan for My High School Sophomore
Tips for Families Navigating Remote School and Work
My Favorite Graphic Novels from 2020
My books:
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This is a wonderful idea! We’re guilty of being on our screens as well while waiting for dinner. I completely forgot about the football game that we played as kids. Thank you for the reminder. We’re bringing it back!
Hi Sarah,
We are guilty as any family for being on screens at a restaurant. My husband got so annoyed that he made up these games which he forces our kids to play. They protest but then they enjoy it though the games can get quite heated!
It really makes me sad when I go to a restaurant, and I see entire families on their phones, instead of talking to each other. I also cannot stand TVs in restaurants–so annoying!!
I personally dislike when there are families who don’t even talk to each other at restaurant, so I like this post a lot. 🙂
Hi Erik,
Thanks so much! We struggle to stay off screens! 🙂
These are great games! Very clever of your husband 🙂
Hi MaryAnne,
Thanks so much! It drives him nuts to see us all on our phones! 🙂
How fun! We often congregate around the children’s menu’s and play tic tac toe or hanging with the crayons and paper once the kids have completed anything else that held their attention but we don’t allow screens at the table so I’ll need these ideas for when they are too big for the children’s menus!
Hi Mother of 3,
My 11 year old son still loves to play tic tac toe and hangman on the children’s menu and my teen girls still like to draw too with the crayons! Some things never get old! 🙂
Great suggestions! Yes, guilty, too. True confessions on the Internet. 🙂 A decade ago, while in a restaurant, I thought, “What can’t wait that people feel a need to pull out their phones?” It didn’t take many years before I, too, was on mine. Later, my husband and I made a rule – no electronic devices in restaurants or during dinner. We parents must model good communication styles and uphold the rules.
Clearly your husband is quite imaginative. I have bookmarked this to try a few!
Hi Lisa,
I’m as guilty as anyone in a restaurant on my phone but now my kids tell me to get off, which is ironic, but it does get all of us off the phones!