This past week, my sister was on vacation and asked me if I’d be interested in taking the kids to Tyler’s Tenders. Besides doing some puzzles and playing with playdoh, Kayla and I didn’t have any plans for the day, so I said yes. Tyler’s Tenders is a train themed restaurant in Indiana. We have one in Illinois too, Choo Choo Johnny’s, but it’s not quite as nice. My nephew, Alex, is really into trains.
Coin operated ride
Kayla and I met my sister and nephew there for lunch. If you sit at the counter (instead of at one of the booths), a toy train comes around on a track and brings you your food. The kids get a kick out of seeing the train coming down the train with their diner style baskets of food. And as a plus for the adults, the food is actually pretty good. I got a panini with homemade chips, and I was impressed. The chips alone is a good enough reason for me to go back.
The restaurant has high chairs that attach to the counter so young kids can eat at the counter too. The counter has bar stool seating. If you want a train to serve you your food, you must sit at the counter. The kids enjoy it.
The kids had a blast looking at the trains and pushing the buttons to make them move. There’s a coin operated train ride for little kids, and there’s also a real kiddie train ride that goes around an indoor track. The kiddie train ride only costs a $1 per ride. It departs every 15 minutes. There’s a little clock that counts down till the next departure. The kids love watching the clock countdown.
Kayla having fun pushing the buttons.
Push the buttons to make the trains move around the track.
Alex and Kayla on the coin operated train together.
Kayla and her cousin on the kiddie train ride.
Kiddie train ride on an indoor track.
Kayla ringing the bell on the train.
There’s also an arcade next door. We avoided going in there though. We figured most of the stuff is geared towards older kids, and I wasn’t in the mood to try to get Kayla to leave after going in there. The arcade is in it’s own section.
If you’re ever in the Schererville, Indiana area, I suggest checking out this restaurant. It’s a fun place to take kids who have a love for trains, and it’s an awesome mid-week field trip.
* Check out my blog’s Facebook page. Don’t forget to Like the page when you visit. 🙂
Early Childhood Homeschooling Made Easy 