Hey everyone 
So I was at the DMV last week with my two kids, ages 4 and 7. We waited for almost two hours. My 4 year old started rolling on the floor around the 30 minute mark and my 7 year old kept asking me every five minutes if we could leave. I had my phone, some snacks, and zero backup plan 
I know this is something a lot of parents go through but I genuinely do not know how to handle it. Like what do you actually DO when you are stuck in a waiting room or a long queue with kids and you have no idea how long it will take? Any tips, games, or tricks you guys use? Would love to hear what works for real families.
Oh man, the DMV with kids 
You are braver than most soldiers out there. So here is what saved my life honestly: a small zip lock bag I call the ‘waiting bag.’ It has a tiny notebook, stickers, a mini coloring book, and a few dollar store toys that my kid has NEVER seen before. The key is keeping it hidden until you actually need it. The moment you pull out something new, you get at least 20 minutes of peace. It sounds simple but that element of surprise works every single time. My daughter once spent 40 minutes just peeling and sticking the same sticker sheet over and over.
Snacks. Just snacks. I am not even joking. Kids who are eating are kids who are not screaming. I always carry a small snack pouch with raisins, crackers, fruit pouches, and those little cheese sticks. Space them out and you can probably buy yourself an hour easy. My son calls it ‘waiting food’ and now he actually gets excited when we have to wait somewhere because he knows snacks are coming. Parenting win or parenting bribe? I honestly do not care anymore.
Okay so @Tekvanta has the right idea with the surprise bag but I want to add something nobody really talks about: PREPARE THE KIDS BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE. Like sit them down and say ‘hey, we are going somewhere and we are going to wait for a while. Here is the plan.’ Give them a role. Tell your 7 year old they are the ‘official number holder’ or whatever. Kids that age love having a job. My 8 year old once held a paper ticket for 45 minutes like it was the most important thing in the world 
It gives them something to focus on and they feel included instead of just dragged along.
My personal go to is audiobooks or kids podcasts through one earbud shared between me and my daughter. We listen together and then talk about what we heard. It keeps both of us engaged and it actually turns into a little bonding moment. Story podcasts for kids are amazing. There are ones with sound effects and everything. My daughter now ASKS to go run errands with me because she wants to listen to our podcast 
No shade but I feel like some parents overcomplicate this… You do not need a full survival kit. Just play games that need zero equipment. I Spy is underrated. 20 questions. The alphabet game where you find letters on signs. The quiet game (okay that one barely ever works but you try anyway lol). These are classics for a reason. My kids are 5 and 9 and they still go crazy for I Spy in boring waiting rooms. The 9 year old thinks he is too old for it and then somehow gets the most into it every single time
Jumping in here because @Fluxorix mentioned snacks and I need to add: SCREEN TIME IS NOT THE ENEMY. I know we all feel guilty about handing over the tablet but if you are waiting two hours at the DMV, that is exactly what the tablet is FOR. I load up a couple downloaded episodes of their favorite show, hand it over with headphones, and everyone survives. You are not failing as a parent. You are problem solving. There is a big difference 
Save your energy for the battles that actually matter.
Okay @TechRider said it and I will back it up 100%. But also let me add: download stuff BEFORE you go. Nothing worse than getting to a waiting room and realizing everything needs wifi to load 
I have a whole offline folder on the kids tablet. Games, shows, drawing apps. That thing is basically a survival device at this point. Also get GOOD headphones for the kids. The cheap ones fall out constantly and then they are whining about that instead. Worth every penny.
Something that nobody has mentioned yet: LET THEM BE A LITTLE BORED. I know that sounds crazy but a little boredom actually sparks creativity. My 6 year old once invented an entire game using just the chairs in a waiting room. She named each chair and they were ‘islands’ and she was island hopping. Kept her busy for 30 minutes and I did not do a single thing. Kids are more resourceful than we give them credit for sometimes. Not saying let them lose their minds but a few minutes of ‘figure it out’ can go a long way.
Adding onto what @Silicrypte said about giving them a job, I do something similar but I call it ‘helper mode.’ I ask my kids to help me count things in the room, remember our number, or spot when the screen changes. It sounds small but it genuinely works. Also sticker books are my absolute go to. My kids are 5 and 8 and both of them will sit quietly for an embarrassingly long time with a good sticker book. The ones where you place stickers into scenes are the best. You can find them for like 3 dollars and they are worth more than their weight in gold in a waiting room