Have you ever had a babysitter cancel on you? Or you wanted to go out but you had to bring your kids along? I know it has happened to us so many times! You know date night is not only fun, but also important, and yet without a babysitter, date night plans tend to fall apart. Taking children to a restaurant is usually filled with chaos rather than romance… sounds familiar, right? For this reason, we decided to create something to take with you to occupy the kids leaving you and your spouse to enjoy your date! During dinner, this Kid Date Box will save you! You will get conversation and focused attention on with spouse—no babysitter needed!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. To learn more about ’em, click here. This cute box is going to get you out there dating your spouse way more often! Trust us, this little baby is the key to more date nights out! Carisa, from Messes to Memories created the most adorable printables to make the box not only functional but so cute! Not to mention the printable games to keep inside are equally adorable and entertaining for your kids!
The Kid Date Box is just a small container filled with a few things to keep your kids entertained so you and your husband can actually talk and have a date! I went to my local dollar store and picked up a small container. Nothing too big because I didn’t want to feel ridiculous carrying it into a restaurant—and this size will fit into my large purse!
All you have to do is print the labels, cut and prepare the games, and fill it with things that would entertain your kids! Find things that you don’t mind losing, getting ruined, and that aren’t loud/distracting to other patrons. I filled our box with books and small toys, straws, stickers, a small container of play dough, a favorite treat, a few other odds and ends, and the printable games that you can download at the end of this post.
The printable games are SO cute and so easy to prepare. First, for your younger kids, the Mismatched Monsters game. Cut out each monster, and then cut along the lines that divide their heads, bodies and feet. Let your toddler mix and match to create their own monsters. My little guy LOVES this game and begs to go out just so he can play it again!
In case you also have older kids to entertain throughout dinner, we also have a printable game for older children. The Head Body Feet game is funny and gets your kids’ creative juices flowing. All you have to do is cut the printable and fold the paper along the lines. The first person draws everything from the head down to the neck in the “Head” section. The neck is faintly drawn on the dividing line to show the first person where to end, and the second person where to begin. Without peeking, the second person continues from the neck to the body, down to the beginning of the legs. A faint outline of where the legs begin is on the second dividing line. Pass the folded guide back to the first person (or a third person) to draw in the legs and feet. Unfold the paper to reveal your new creation!
We use this box only when we are going to a restaurant and that way it is new and exciting each time—not something they play with on a daily basis. Find things that are age appropriate for your child and you’ll discover that you can actually enjoy a night out with your spouse even if the kids are along!
