With three neurodivergent children, eating away from home can be a challenge. At busy places like Silverwood, we must consider possible sensory overload from the busier environment; loud noises and even unfamiliar food can be overwhelming. Neurodivergent children often experience heightened sensitivities to sensory stimuli, including taste, texture, and smell. Foods that are strong, textured, or aromatic can be particularly challenging. If you also have a neurodivergent child, you, too, understand the challenges of dining away from home. When visiting Silverwood, ensuring our children have access to sensory-safe food options has been crucial in enhancing their comfort and enjoyment during a visit to the theme park.
Planning Ahead
Before heading to Silverwood, it’s helpful for parents to plan their food options. Silverwood allows guests to bring in certain food items, which can be a great way to ensure your child has access to familiar and safe foods. If you do plan to dine at the park, knowing in advance what foods are available that your child may like and where to find them can make mealtimes run smoother.
This blog will highlight some of the many great food locations available at Silverwood that offer typical sensory-friendly food that most neurodivergent kiddos enjoy!
Sensory-Friendly Food Options at Silverwood Dry Park
- Kidz Kafe
Located in Critter camp in the heart of all the kiddie rides, Kidz Kafe offers a variety of sensory-friendly fare:
– Kids lunch box (includes PB&J, applesauce, fruit snack and juice)
– Hot dogs: A hotdog can be a safe option available with customizable toppings
– Sub sandwiches- ask for it plain it your kiddo is not a fan of condiments
– Snacks like popcorn, chips, nachos, ice cream, and cotton candy are available
- Chuckwagon All You Can Eat
Located just past Thunder Canyon, this outdoor option provides a buffet style, all-you-can-eat option, allowing families to select from an array of options and get as much or as little of each as desired!
Some of the food options at Chuckwagon include:
– Hot dogs: choose your own condiments or take it plain.
– Pulled pork sandwiches: assemble yourself with the option of having plain pulled pork or bun-less.
– Chicken: unfortunately, no chicken strips here, chicken is served on the bone but is easily cut off into bite sizes for those who aren’t a fan of chicken in that form.
Chuckwagon also provides multiple side options making it easy for kiddos to find something they’ll enjoy! Sides included: watermelon, baked beans, corn on the cob, cornbread, salad, potato salad, and Mac and Cheese! Also, make sure to snag some of the prepackaged Grandma’s Cookies for an after-dinner treat!
We loved the Chuckwagon, as it allowed our kids to easily pick and choose what they wanted to eat. One had mainly Mac and Cheese (their preferred Safe food), while another wanted plain pulled pork, and for our third, a plain hot dog and lots of watermelon was more her thing! Of course, we, as adults, loaded up on our favorites too!
- Country BBQ
Located in the Country Carnival area, Country BBQ offers All American BBQ and burgers and provides a nice shady covered dining area.
Some of their options include:
– Pulled pork sandwiches (again can be requested without sauce if needed)
– Chicken strips and fries (a very popular item for many neurodivergent kiddos)
– hot dogs and burgers (toppings added yourself if wanted)
- Theater of Illusion Pizza
Located on Main Street inside the theater you can order pizza while you watch the magic show or whenever the pizza mood strikes! Theater of Illusion offers both family sized pizzas and personal sized pizzas, giant pretzels, breadsticks, popcorn and nachos providing a great array of sensory safe food options for picky eaters! Tip: get there early if you plan to watch the show as the line for pizza can get quite long and we know it’s especially hard for these littles to sit still and wait! You can sit at the tables inside and they’ll bring your pizza to you when it’s ready so you can sit and enjoy the show!
- Caselli’s Pizzeria
If you’re on the other side of the park near Country Carnival and the famous Corkscrew roller coaster and get a pizza craving, Caselli’s Pizzeria is another great pizza option offering personal size pizzas, giant pretzels and nachos as well!
Sensory-Friendly Food Options at Boulder Beach
- Rapids Grill
Brand new and providing the quickest food option yet, this is probably my top go-to place to take the kiddos to eat for lunch. Laid out with two quick grab-n- go style lines, this place I have yet to see a wait at!
Many of the items on the menu are sensory friendly options:
-Burgers, hot dogs, corn dogs
– chicken strips with fries
– Kids souvenir lunch box (pb and j, fruit snacks, apple sauce and juice)
They also have a variety of sides, salads, and desserts!
- Sapphire Kitchen
Did I give you an option for pizza yet? Just kidding, I know I did! But if your pizza loving kiddo is hungry in Boulder Beach at Sapphire Kitchen is your place to go!
Along with Personal pan pizzas, cheese-filled breadsticks, watermelon cups, and salads are available. They also offer a Teriyaki Chicken Bowl, Orange Chicken Bowl, and Huli Huli Pork Bowl for those in your group who want to try something different. Making it a good spot if your kiddo wants pizza, yet again, but you are all pizza-d out! Our kids loved choosing their own pizzas while I enjoyed a delicious Pork Bowl!
Sensory- Safe Sweet Treats
A visit to the theme park wouldn’t be complete without a sweet treat. Silverwood offers many options for some wonderful, sweet treats and traditional theme park fare.
Some of our sensory kiddos’ favorites include:
- Ice Cream
I have yet to meet even a neurodivergent kiddo who doesn’t enjoy ice cream, but as the saying goes “you meet one neurodivergent kid, you’ve met one neurodivergent kid!” So, I’m sure there’s some out there who aren’t fans! For those who do love ice cream, Silverwood has you covered with many ice cream options and also different ice cream flavors and textures!
Silverwood has two Ice creamery Locations: one over by Country Carnival, and their South Creamery by Roller coaster Alley. Both these locations offer hand scooped ice cream and milkshakes! Though, if soft serve is more your kids’ style, Boulder Beach has you covered with Boulder Beach Swirl! Available in basic flavors like vanilla and chocolate, which are generally well-tolerated by sensory-sensitive kids.
For those who are texture- sensory seekers, there are several Dippin’ Dots locations throughout the park. One in Boulder beach, Country Carnival and Coaster Alley!
- Sugar Shack
Wanting sugary carbs? Hit up Sugar Shack with its carnival favorites including Elephant Ears and Funnel Cakes! Sugar Shack’s Funnel Cakes come in a variety of flavors and toppings. For those who are averse to the texture of fruit toppings, they offer a fun option topped with fruity pebbles and ice cream! Or you can even order it with just powdered sugar or plain! These are big enough for the family to share! If you can, make sure to hit them up before 5 pm to get them 1/2 off!
As you can see Silverwood has many dining options that offer a variety of sensory- safe options for our Neurodivergent kiddos! Whether it’s the simplicity of plain chicken strips and French fries, the familiarity of PB and J, or cooling down with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, sensory-friendly food choices are available at almost every area of the park to help make your visit as smooth and enjoyable as possible!
Meet The Conductor
Hi I’m Chelsea!
I’m a stay-at-home PNW mom to three wonderful, neurodivergent kids! Our life is very busy, but always an adventure! I also run my Instagram account @TheBlondeSpaniard .
Here, I share about all things family, travel, home decor, as well as local eats, events and activities!
Our family loves the great outdoors, and you’ll often find us fishing, camping, kayaking, hiking, and making unforgettable memories together. One of our favorite places to visit is Silverwood. I grew up exploring Silverwood, and now, I’m excited to create new memories there with my own children and share about those moments and tips and tricks of tackling Silverwood with neurodivergent children with all of you!
If you’d like to follow along on our adventures and enter fun giveaways (including Silverwood tickets!) you can follow along here!
Comments (2)
So many good food options!
love the pizza but can’t beat the creamery for a treat!
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