Get your kids durable tableware from the most unlikely place: restaurant supply stores. Take note from kid-friendly restaurants. They are all about stretching the dollar and serving kids in tableware that can be used and abused. In Austin, head to Acemart Restaurant Supply Store.
- Here are my top picks:
- Silverware by the dozen – $2! I especially like the dessert spoons and forks. They are perfectly sized for kids. Kids also prefer the shiny metal silverware over the plastics.
- Fast food trays – colorful, multi-purpose; great for eating or crafting. Kids are messy – it’s all part of learning. At least with trays, you can tell them to try and keep the food on the tray. It also contains much of the mess and spills.
- Durable plastic ‘training’ cups. Sippy cups and spill-proof cups may be convenient from a parent’s perspective. But the best way to teach them to use real cups is to let them practice, practice, practice. If you serve them water (or ‘bubbly water’) most of the time, then there’s no harm in a little spillage here and there.
- One-piece booster chairs (and high chairs). Durable and very easy to clean.
