We love our restaurant backpacks and have been using them for years. They hold toys and activities that have proven successful at keeping our kiddos busy when eating out. We also use them for the occasional doctor's appointment or any event where there is a long wait.
We use Fjallraven Mini Kanken backpacks that have held up really well. They are small sized which are adorable on toddlers. Yet even now, it is still plenty big for our eight year old. The smaller size makes them easier to store in the car and not take up a ton of space at a restaurant. But there is plenty of space for notepads or small books.
Here is what we have for each of our kids' backpacks based on their age and interests. I go through and clean them out every few months, reassessing what we have and if anything needs to be switched out.
We have gone through phases of the types of things we keep in here. When I had less children we had things like mini white boards and mini chalk books. But with four kids, I have figured out what works for us that is less messy and requires less parent facilitation.
This is also a great place to put all those little toy prizes they get from things. I personally don't like keeping these around the house. So these backpacks are a perfect place for them. My kids get so excited to find a treasured surprise from some prize they received or remember an event we went to.
The key for us has been not letting them use these backpacks any other time. If we let them use them in the car or whenever they wanted, these items would be less interesting come restaurant time. Keeping them completely separate keeps the interest high. Or it would require me to change things out more often.
Here is a break down of what I recently packed for all my kids (ages 1, 3, 5, and 8).
Three Year Old Boy:
+ Notepad
+ Crayons and Crayon Holder
+ Cars (goody bag cars from Target, Hot Wheels, and Cat construction toys)
+ Mini Etch A Sketch (from Dollar Tree)
+ Sticky Hands (from getting as a prize)
One Year Old Girl:
+ Extra Sticky Disposable Placemats (I usually keep a few of these in my bag but keep extras here in case we run out)
+ Crayons and Crayon Holder
+ Notepad and Stickers
+ Mini Etch A Sketch (from Dollar Tree)
+ Cars (goody bag cars from Target, Hot Wheels, and Cat construction toys)
Eight Year Old Boy:
+ Notepad
+ Crayons and Crayon Holder
+ Cars (goody bag cars from Target, Hot Wheels, and Cat construction toys)
+ Mini Etch A Sketch (from Dollar Tree)
+ Sticky Hands and Squishies (from getting as a prize)
Five Year Old Girl:
+ Notepad
+ Crayons and Crayon Holder
+ Cars (goody bag cars from Target, Hot Wheels, and Cat construction toys)
+ Mini Etch A Sketch (from Dollar Tree)
+ Squishies (from getting as a prize)
+ Rainbow Scratch Paper
We don't go out to eat as much these days as we used to. But when we do, these backpacks are life savers. It is so nice to be able to look at a menu, enjoy a meal, and have a conversation with my husband while sharing the table with all of our kids!
