Tips for keeping 3- and 4-year-old entertained in long lines

[skatalite]

Hey, all! We've a big family WDW vacation coming up and it'll be the first trip where our 3- and 4-year-old girls are able to ride pretty much everything. But, as we all know, attraction lines are long, loong, looong right now. While some might continuously move and/or move faster than expected, I'm expecting we'll be standing in line for a good portion of our park days.

What tips do you have and what strategies have worked for you when it comes to keeping young children entertained in a lengthy line?

Help me, DISboards...

(And, thank you!)

 

[mrsap]

Love it! So, the Play Disney Parks app usually keeps the kids busy for while. If not, we also have played Disney Trivia or put YouTube videos on for them, too. Good luck!

 

[Bjkandma]

Go to your local dollar store (or check the bottom of your toy box). Look for the small characters (sesame street, calico characters, Disney). Fill two Zip lock bags and carry with you in a backbag. (great for restaurants, too).

not sure if you Think too young, but we would buy "word search books" and Mark each page with "A", next page "B" and had them circle matching the letter. Older wrote lower case "a" and "b" find their match. Use it to spell their names. Don't need to take whole book, just a few pages and two pencils.

Get a few of those pack n play with stickers and crayons. Just watch if going on not weather.

make two sock puppets, just a sock and draw eyes with permanent markers. They will do their own creative play.

 

[loves to dive]

We started going when my son was just shy of 3 and it was before FPs so standing in line was what you did. Frankly, I never had any problem but that was before electronics were a thing with kids. We would play I spy or make up stories about things we saw in line or just talk. I may have had an advantage as I was a single mom and took him everywhere with me from birth so he was used to entertaining himself without disturbing others.

 

[cgattis]

Look for hidden Mickeys!!

 

[princess jasmine 76]

2 people beat me, I was going to say we still play "I Spy" and look for hidden Mickey's along the wait route! Electronic devices are great too (I'm that mom lol, "here, take my phone"...) bring a portable charging block, or a charging wire and look for outlets along the way to pick up a charge here and there. You'll see outlets in all sorts of places along ride queues if you keep your eyes peeled

 

[LSUfan4444]

We just avoid long wait times...anything over 35 minutes and we just won't do it. Arrive early, mid day break and come back later. The start and end of the day are for the headliners/e-ticket attractions and the mid day is for everything else.

 

[crazylady]

When our kids were that age we just talked to them and played games like I Spy, the alphabet game., Math facts, trivia. Another game is to draw letters and numbers on their backs with your finger and have them guess what you're drawing. We would also have a snack while waiting but that's not really an option for you right now.

My kids play alot of video games but we never permitted it in the parks or at restaurants. Personally, I would try not to start that. If my kids were permitted to use their devices, I'd never see anything but the top of their heads. Rather than having to say "no" throughout the day, they just know that we don't used them.

 

[cgattis]

Another game is to draw letters and numbers on their backs with your finger and have them guess what you're drawing.

Well that’s just genius!! How have I never heard of that??!? Passing along to DD for her first-graders!

 

[princess jasmine 76]

Another game is to draw letters and numbers on their backs with your finger and have them guess what you're drawing.

I forgot about this - we do this too! So fun and feels sooooo nice on your back!

 

[BarlowFamily]

DS5 loves the Brain Quest trivia cards! We keep buying the next age up for our trips. It's easy to start and stop and then can even look through on their own.
https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Quest-...t=&hvlocphy=9008570&hvtargid=pla-435124167109

 

[crazylady]

I forgot about this - we do this too! So fun and feels sooooo nice on your back!

Definitely. It's kind of calming too.

 

[stitchfan18]

DS5 loves the Brain Quest trivia cards! We keep buying the next age up for our trips. It's easy to start and stop and then can even look through on their own.
https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Quest-...t=&hvlocphy=9008570&hvtargid=pla-435124167109

Thanks for suggesting this! We used to do Brain Quest cards in line at Disney when I was younger, just snagged a few levels off amazon for our trip.

We have a cute eye spy card game call Disney Eye Found It! (https://www.amazon.com/World-Disney-Found-Card-Game/dp/B00QIIASSC) We keep this in the car to play on longer drives. I can't say what the real rules are because I just give the kids 2-3 cards at a time and they have to look through different Disney scenes for objects. It can last for quite awhile and it's easy to start and stop.

 

[skatalite]

Everyone, thank you so much for the wonderful ideas! My girls will love many of these.

 

[tcufrog]

Wiki stix take up very little room and are great for such situations.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Whatever you do with the good ideas remember don't have something that you have to pick up and move each time line moves-

You need to remember you aren't stationary in same spot 45 minutes. It constantly moves. Old fashioned talking about Disney
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