There comes a time when every parent wants to infuse their child’s day with a little excitement. On these days, the park, DVDs, and crafts seem so blah.
You consider a trip to Chuck E. Cheese, but you don’t have the money, time or energy for a whole afternoon with the Chuckster.
You can enjoy Chuck E. Cheese (or your family’s fun spot) without the huge time commitment or busting the family budget. It’s all a matter of resetting your child’s expectations.
The first step is to get your kids to understand that this is a fun spree, not a fun day.
You might say something like, “Kids, I want to do something special for you today. We don’t have a lot of time. If you think you can manage it, we’ll go to [enter fun place] for 30 minutes. Let’s see how much fun we can have in that amount of time. Are you up for it?”
Chances are you will get an ecstatic ‘Yes’ to that last question, even if your child falters later.
Older kids may question the 30-minute limitation, in which case you can get as candid as you find appropriate. Because mommy is exhausted but still wanted you to have a fun activity today. Because dad’s head will explode if he has to endure three hours of skee-ball.
Now that the kids have consented to a fun spree, you can use any combination of techniques to shave off time and money. Here are some ideas:
Check the Chuck E. Cheese website for money saving coupons.
Go in as soon as the place opens.
Purchase tokens ahead of time. Long lines or malfunctioning token machines can stall your visit. Drop by and pick up tokens in advance.
Set a budget or amount of tokens per child.
Play non-ticket games only. Direct your kids to the non-ticket games and you can cut hours from your visit. If they do play ticket-producing games, plan to use the tickets to get a prize on another visit.
Skip the food. Plan to eat before or after your visit. Help your kids fight pizza-itis by packing a fun snack for the ride home.
Give the kids a 10-minutes left warning.
Save extra tokens for the next visit. There is no rule that you have to spend every last one.
Take pictures of the kids in action. This will help remind them just how much fun they can have in a half hour.
Now it’s time to head home and assess the visit. Did the kids have fun? Did you stay within budget? Were there time wasters that you will avoid next time?
Your family might find that a short visit to a fun spot can be quite satisfying.
To my readers: What are your tips for family fun in a flash? Where do your kids like to let loose? Has your child ever spent too much money in an attempt to win a prize?
Disclaimer: Obviously, this is not a sponsored post. Chuck E. wants to hang out with your family for as long as possible. And I don’t blame him. You’re fabulous.
This is an awesome tip and it’s a great way to still have fun and save money. Not sure my kids would go for this but it will be something that I will try for sure. LOL. Thanks for sharing.
Rob recently posted..What Would Your Kids Say About You
Thanks Rob. I was recently able to get in and out with my toddler in 25 minutes. I know it will get tougher as she gets older. I’ll enjoy it for now.
Those are some great ideas. We haven’t been to Chuck E Cheese in a LONG time, in fact I think two of our three kids have never even been there. Parents seem to use it as a place to babysit their rotten kids for them. But then again, I could totally waste 3 hours of my day playing skee-ball
I love skee-ball too. At Chuck E’s I’m so busy making sure the kids aren’t getting into trouble that I rarely get to play.
Thanks for swinging by Cat.
This is a great idea, especially for after school!!
Thanks Hanan.
Nicole Robinson recently posted..How to Visit Chuck E. Cheese in 30 Minutes Flat
I can’t tell you how appropriate this post was for me! We had a family birthday party at Chuck E Cheese last weekend, and I will fully admit that I was dreading it. I wasn’t dreading the party itself, nor was I dreading getting to spend time with my family, it was the inevitable meltdown that occurs when we try to leave the place! We ended up only being able to spend 2 hours at the party – due to the need for FOUR new tires on our new Honda and needing to pick the vehicle up no later than 5pm. The kids were fine with the time limit. No meltdowns, no begging for more tokens, no whining about everything. It was great!
We tend to stick close to home. We all like our home and neighborhood. If we do go out, it’s usually to a family-friendly pizza joint that has an enclosed play structure, no games, no money needed. It’s like a little date for my husband and I!
Jennifer recently posted..Composting Toilets – Not Such a Crappy Idea!
Thanks Jennifer. It’s great that you guys got to enjoy a whine-free trip to Chuck E’s. Your pizza joint sounds like a winner. I need to find my family a hangout spot like that.
Sometimes turning things into a competition and making a game out of it is even more fun to kids than staying all day. My daughters haven’t met Chuck yet but I love these suggestions and will definitely be referring back as they get a little older.
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom recently posted..Preserving Precious Baby Memories with #DreftLaundry Detergent
Thanks Kelly. Once you go Chuck, you never go back. On our recent trip, the kids were following Chuck E. around like he was a rock star. Too funny.
Hey, don’t knock 3 hours of Skee-ball. If I have enough tokens, I’m going for it!
But seriously, these are good tips. You can have a lot of fun without all the cheap prizes and the not-so-great food and just enjoy the games. Have some friendly competition between parent and child and encourage lots of laughter!
Mandi recently posted..This Is NOT What You Want To See In Front Of Your Child’s School
Thanks Mandi. I think I could make some big time money if I open a skee-ball park for adults only. Any investors out there?
I recently took my son to a birthday party there & the second Chuck E showed up, my son freaked out & screamed bloody murder until I got us back out the door. THAT was fun. That said, these tips would totally work for the places he’s not totally terrified of- we always have issues trying to leave the park. Thanks for the tips!
Shell Fruscione recently posted..Wordless Wednesday: “Howdy, Partner!”
Those are awesome suggestions! My daughter is a huge fan of “countdowns”. I’m going to try this with her!
Katie recently posted..Girls Crochet Headbands: A fashionable review and giveaway!
Thanks for the wonderful tip ahead I really appreciate you for sharing this! By the way chuck-e-cheese is really fun and of course will surely love there.
Shane Curtis recently posted..Brisbane The Worlds Fastest Growing Mature City
These are great tips. We recently had our first baby, so this isn’t an issue for us yet, but Chuck E. Cheese is definitely on the “take him when’s he’s older” list. I love your suggestions! (And the disclaimer cracked me up.)
One other tip I thought of is that if pizza IS in the budget, tell your kids it’s the finale and get it to go. They can eat it at home away from the lure of more games.
I actually love to visit ChuckECheese…we make it an HOUR!
trisha
trisha recently posted..I let my kids stand on the couch. Sometimes.