Disclosure: Diary of a First Time Mom is proud to partner with Denny’s as a #DennysDiners Blogger Ambassador. Stay tuned for exclusive content and menu news. Although we’re being compensated in some form, all opinion remain our own.

Dear Diary,

Recently, Caitlynn announced that she wanted to pay for dinner. She ran and retrieved two dollars–money her Pap Pap gave her for…well, for being a granddaughter. I told her I had a gift card to go to Denny’s, but she insisted that she would foot the bill. And she did. She paid for the Cheese Quesadillas she ordered off the $2468 Value Menu. This was a teachable moment about ordering an item that fit her budget. She doesn’t quite understand what budget means–that’s apparent when she wants to buy everything in the toy store–but she does understand how much her two bucks can buy.

The week before we went out to dinner with my friend and her sons, one of which got into big trouble for ordering the most expensive meal on the menu–a crabmeat stuffed filet mignon! We let him know that when he made his own money, he could ordered whatever his heart–or stomach–desired.

Denny’s offers items families can afford. And you get a lot of bang for your buck. Caitlynn even had leftovers. The value menu features everything from burgers and chicken wraps to soups and sandwiches. That’s a lot of options for a little bit of money. A family of four can eat for $20 or less!

And perhaps take home leftovers. Cailtynn wrapped up food for later, in order to make room for dessert. This huge sundae, which I help her devour, is only $4

While waiting for our food, we usually play games, like Alphabet Eye Spy.  Here are a few number games you can play with your preschooler.

Count Down

I always make sure my smart phone is fully charged, just in case there’s a longer than normal wait time at restaurants. There are lots of educational apps and websites for preschoolers that you can pull up to pass the time while waiting for a table or your meal. We like PBS 123, which features Curious George Hide and Seek numbers. Kids must find the number one, the word one and one object.

Measure Up

Let your child help you measure ingredients while cooking at home, measure themselves with a height chart or measure distance with their steps.

Eye Spy Numbers

Look around. How many numbers can you find? You’ll be surprised! Eye Spy addresses, price tags, billboards and more!

Hey DFTM Fam–What counting games do you play with your little one? How are you teaching your kids about budgeting?