I’ve never been much for the stay at home part of stay at home mom.  We love to go do things.  We don’t go go go as much as we use to, but when we are out, there is a decent chance we will stop and eat somewhere.  That means taking a 1 and 3 year old out by myself.  Not a problem for us!  I was blessed with 2 mostly well behaved kids.  Charlie is a bit more rambunctious than Maggie, but we make it work.  Keeping kids entertained on the go, especially toddlers requires some planning.

Talk to them about it beforehand.  Let them know what you are going to be doing and what you expect from them.  Setting clear expectations before you sit down, can alleviate a lot of problems.

Make sure they have something to drink.  Maybe it’s just my kids, but as long as they have something to drink, we can usually make it work.

Ask for crackers or something.  I do not do this every time we are out, but sometimes they get antsy and giving them something small helps a lot.

Read a story.  Don’t have one with?  Make one up.

Bring them some quiet toys or a quiet time activity book.  We recently received some on the go quiet activity mats for the kids from Jeni Lynn Designs for review.  They were super helpful and the kids really enjoy playing with them.

We received a car wallet and a chalkboard roll.  They are both really handy activity mats that roll up to fit into the diaper bag.   Or, your kids can carry them in themselves.

The car wallet can hold 6 matchbox cars in the pockets and has a little road for them to drive on.  When your food arrives, Stick the cars back in the pockets, roll it up and use the velcro strap to keep it closed.  By folding the road half over the car pockets when you are done, the cars are secured and won’t fall out as you carry it.  Or, you can just flip the entire thing over and discuss the colors on the print.  We are cool like that.  Jeni is pretty awesome and sends 2 little cars with your purchase.  This 9 x 16 activity mat will keep your kids entertained for hours for $16, and I’m willing to bet you already have the cars!

The chalkboard roll is a 10 x 14 mat with fabric on one side and a chalkboard mat on the other side.  The chalk side has a pocket to store chalk in, as well as the fabric square to erase it.  If you feel so inclined, you can flip it over and use it as a placemat when the food arrives, but honestly, it’s just way too cute to let it get food all over it!  When it’s time to put it away, just roll it up and tie it shut with the ribbon attached.  My kids are obsessed with this thing!  They love chalk, so this doesn’t come as a shock to me.  And, at $10.00, it’s affordable and will get a ton of use!

Jeni Lynn Designs is one of my favorite Etsy shops.  Last year, I had the opportunity to review her car seat ponchos and we loved it so much we bought our son one too.

Between November 15 – 22, 2-13, you can win a $25 gift certificate to Jeni Lynn Designs!

How do you keep your little ones entertained when you are on the go, whether it is out to eat, the doctor’s office, or just waiting somewhere?

*Disclosure:  I received the car wallet and chalkboard roll complimentary for the purpose of this review.  All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and only influenced by my experience with the product and company.*