If you own a dining establishment, deciding to make your restaurant child-friendly can help you expand your potential market. Many families want to be able to dine out with kids, and having places that cater to both adults and children can mean more diners at your tables. Not only that, but it also can mean that these diners come back to your restaurant time and again.

If you’re wondering how to make a kid-friendly restaurant, we’ve compiled a list of tips to help:

• Keep Things Bright. Children tend to respond better to brighter colors, so creating surfaces with cheerful colors can help make your dining area more child-friendly. If you don’t want entirely new decor, try bright placemats or colorful plates and flatware for kids. Add some fun cartoon shapes or animal shapes, too.

• Make Your Menu Attractive for Families. Kids love classics like hot dogs and chicken fingers, but parents today are worried about childhood obesity. Budget-friendly and kid-friendly healthy choices, such as fruits and vegetables available as sides can be a big hit. To make it easier for parents to plan, be sure to post your menu online. In your restaurant, print it on fun paper with cartoon or animal characters to add to the kid appeal. You can even instruct your staff to shape kid’s menu items into fun faces or shapes on the plate to add some interest for your youngest customers.

• Have the Right Set-Up for Kids. Highchairs and booster seats are a must for kids to sit safely at tables. Changing tables in the bathroom as well as low sinks or stools so kids can wash their hands are also important. Plastic dishes are safer than glass options, and prevent broken glass if an accident occurs.

• Give Kids Something to Do. If you’re wondering how to make your restaurant kid-friendly, you need to consider other diners, too. Children with nothing to do can get bored quickly, so make sure you offer entertainment at each table. Crayons, placemats with games or coloring areas and other distractions can help keep children interested. This, combined with fast meal service, keeps everyone happy.

• Include an Indoor Playground. Of all restaurant ideas for kids, having a dedicated indoor play space can be one of the best investments to make. If you look at the most popular children’s restaurants, most already include indoor play areas. These spaces let kids work off excess energy while parents can still keep a close watch. Best of all, kids and their parents are more likely to come to a restaurant if there is exciting play equipment their kids can’t access anywhere else. If you’re looking for indoor playground equipment for your restaurant, Soft Play® has a variety of innovative choices to help you find the right fit for your play space.

When it comes to family-friendly restaurant ideas and indoor playgrounds, Soft Play is a leader in safe, durable, quality play equipment in all budget ranges. We have already helped many restaurants, schools and other businesses create fun and inclusive playgrounds. Contact us for a free design consultation and to find out how you can attract families to your restaurant again and again.