By the time you have a toddler, you probably know the best way to keep a small child occupied is to show them something they’ve never seen before (no, not TV). And how about something that they can smush, squeeze, or secretly taste a tiny nibble of? Even better!
In our recent blog blast, SusieJ generously imparted some wisdom that must come only with being the mother of four boys. Her amazing post regarding eating out with the whole family (especially for those of you who aren’t rookies, but are dragging a larger crew around with you) is packed with tips. My favorite part, however, is the suggestion to ask the chef or waiter for some dough for your children to play with. I’ve been to a Mexican restaurant where giving the kids tortilla dough is part of their schtick, and it’s just brilliant. I’ve never thought to make this special request at a different restaurant before, and you can bet your sweet buns that I’m going to start.
The uncooked dough is smooshy and wonderful to touch, and guaranteed to keep kids busy making “doughnuts” and snakes. And if you want to get all Martha on me, you can even bake it when you get home. Or just toss it and be grateful for a relatively peaceful meal.
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Honored to be mentioned by the Rookie Mom Gurus here…
I will say that my youngest son, age four, insist that I turn his lump of dough into an Elephant every time. Thankfully, I think I’ve got that sculpture mastered… finally.
That really is a great idea and could lead to tons of entertainment time for the kids!