On the go
Restaurant and waiting room drawing games for kids
The wait before the food arrives, the doctor’s waiting room, the line at the post office. Quiet drawing games that need one pencil and a sheet of paper.
- Time
- 10 to 20 minutes
- Ages
- 4 to 10
- You need
- 1 pencil, 1 sheet
How to run it
Keep a pocket kit
One folded printable and a pencil in a bag or glove box means you’re ready anywhere.
Play draw-and-guess
Cut the word slips on the sheet and fold them. Take turns picking one and drawing it; no letters allowed. Everyone else guesses. Grown-ups play too.
Try squiggle swap
One person draws a squiggle, the other turns it into something. Then swap. It works on a napkin.
Draw the food before it comes
Draw what you ordered, then compare it with what arrives. Give the food a face.
Tip: Draw-and-guess works best with a 30-second limit per drawing. It keeps the table laughing, not waiting.
Keep it going: books for this plan
Each book page on FirstArtBooks shows what’s inside. The Amazon button shows the current price.
Step-by-step drawing · ages 5+How to Draw: Food Monsters
Food with faces, perfect for the restaurant table.
See it on Amazon
Trace then color · ages 3+Trace Then Color: Cartoon Food Monsters
The same idea as tracing pages. Ages 3+.
See it on Amazon
Step-by-step drawing · ages 5+How to Draw: Goofy Faces
Quick faces that fit on a napkin.
See it on Amazon
Questions parents ask
Is this quiet enough for a waiting room?
Yes. Draw-and-guess can be played in whispers, and squiggle swap needs no talking at all.