Waiting: Keep Kids Entertained!

How many times have you had to wait for something while your kids terrorise you?  This year has really tested my ability to entertain my kids while we have to wait.  We have had numerous doctor appointments that have required us to wait for over an hour.  Going out to diner can be a challenge if your kids are board!
Here are some of my secrets to keeping my kids amused.
A backpack with many zippers and pockets can be easily transported, and can keep many items organized.
What I put in the pack depends where we are going and what we are doing. 
You can pick and choose from my list of items. 

The items you do pick should be kept only for going out or waiting.  These should not be items that your kids see everyday.  The new item will keep them more entertained!  If they see it everyday, it won't amuse them.

Basics: Needed in every pack
Pens
Pencils (sharpened)
Crayons
Scissors
Carola Markers

The List:
Coloring Books
Workbooks (Age appropriate) 
Mazes (my favorite is Kumon Workbooks http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Kumon )
Design My Ride (basic car outlines, then the child designs what the car looks like- http://www.supercoloring.com/ Select the coloring page you want.  Then click the picture again, then select "No Ad Version."  It will open up another web page.  Click the "+" to enlarge, and "Print Preview" to make sure the page is fitting correctly.  Then you are set to print.
Cranium Silly Stories ( http://www.amazon.com/Cranium-Silly-Stories-Play-Again/dp/0316012068 )
Family Flip Quiz ( http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=family+flip+quiz )
Old Magazines (I have my kids search for photos-Things that start with an A: apple,B: ball, C: car.  Then I have them cut (bring scissors) and paste the photos on a sheet of card stock.)
Best Knock Knock Book Ever ( http://www.amazon.com/Best-Knock-Knock-Book-Charles-Keller/dp/0806965134/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292006679&sr=1-5 )
How to Draw Books
Highlights High Five Magazine (best kids magazine!  It has stories and poems and stickers, lot's of fun!) http://www.highlightshighfive.com/ 
Highlights Hidden Pictures  http://www.highlights.com/
Brain Quest: Question flip book http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=brain+quest 
Favorite Toy, or Stuffed Animal!

Batteries Included
Nintendo Ds: With a variety of games.
CD Player with head phones: I use my old portable CD player and bring CD's.
Leapfrog Leapster: With games. (My Favorite for a nice dinner with family!  They ONLY get to play it when we go out to eat!  They are not allowed to play it any other time!!!)
ipod, or ipod Shuffle: I actually don't let my kids use mine, I don't want to have to worry about them loosing them or causing damage.  The CD player has been enough for my kids.
Phone Games: Pull up a game on your phone and show them how to do it.
Digital Camera:  Take photos of them and then show them.  Have them make funny or silly faces. They can use it too, but I have found this can get  a little annoying. 
Portable DVD Player: Perfect if your child has to try to be motionless.


Over the summer we had to have our little 5 year old sit in a completely dark room for 40 minutes.  I had find things to entertain him in the dark.  Here is what I came up with.
"What is it?" Put items in a bag that have a specific feel: Legos, paper clip, marshmallow, plastic fork, little toys, playdough.  Don't use anything that you will have to wash your hands, keep it clean.
"What does it smell like?"  Put items in plastic baggies that have a specific smell: Oranges, apples, lime, lemon, garlic, vanilla drops, honey, BBQ sauce, candy.
Tell a story:  Pick a topic, and each person tell a portion of the story. 

No Bag No Worries
I SPY:  Find an object in the room and use one description word, "I spy something red."
Name Game: 1. Write out one persons name, and use word to make a sentence of each letter. 2. Reverse the your names and see what it spells.  3. Try to see how many words you can make out of the letters from your name.
Alphabet Words:  Name a word that starts with each letter of the alphabet. 
Perfect Sequence: Have the child follow your moves in sequence, keep adding a move.  Example: Touch your nose, child touches their nose. Touch nose, elbow, then the child touches nose elbow.  Touch nose, elbow, clap. Child touches their nose, elbow and then claps. (additional moves: snap fingers twice, tap knees, wink, blow a kiss, ect.)
Concentration:  Pick a topic like animal.  Go around the group naming different types of animals. When an animal is repeated the games starts over.
Picture Words: Draw the word into a picture.  Example: Draw a bow, with the "W" drawn as a bow.
What's Red:  Make a list of everything that you can think of that is red.  Change the color and make a new game.
Say it again: Each person make up a simple sentence.  Have each player read their sentence aloud in the following ways: 1. As if they were out of breath.  2. Didn't understand.  3. It was really funny.  4. Frightened. 5. Sad. 
Telegram Fun: Create an abbreviated telegram by giving initial letters only.  Each person make what they think it says.  Example: CISITH: can make Cat Is Stuck In Tree. Help.

There are so many ways to entertain your children.  Changing up the activities every time really helps to make any event fun.

Traveling with little ones can be challenging too.  Especially when driving long distances or flying on a long flight.  Although movies are really great entertainers for kids, they will get restless if you pull them out in the first few hours.  If your flight is longer than 2 hours you will want to plan to have something else to entertain in the beginning of your flight.  The flight usually has a drink and food, and I make my kids wait at least until they are finished with their drinks and snack.  I try to start an activity first, like drawing, coloring or a maze.  Maybe another snack that I have brought with us.  Then the DVD.  The longer you can stretch the first few hours the happier you and your child will be.  When your child starts to get really restless that's when we pull out the video.  The last few hours of a flight are hard for anyone.  The video will let them and YOU relax for the final hours of the flight.

Have fun!