Let’s talk coffee shops!
I blooming love a coffee shop they have always been a haven, a slice of calm, a time to sit, a moment to unwind. For just 5 minutes you can relax while you hold your coffee cup, soaking up the moment or putting your worries aside or just stop and acknowledge whatever is worrying you before working out what the heck to do. They are a place of meeting, sharing, connecting with others. Where you make new friends catch up with old friends. Whatever you are feeling if you can seek out a coffee shop you will find solace and all will be ok.
But coffee shops with kids, especially a lively toddler, well that is a different ball game entirely! My need for a coffee shop has never been greater but the challenge ….. well what can I say. I know I could avoid the hassle with a take out, or make the most of the ‘soft play’ coffee, but that just wont cut it for me. Instead I thought I’d share the tips and tricks that have worked for us, meaning I can still enjoy a coffee in ‘relative’ calm even with the little man.
SNACKS;
Well this is an obvious one isn’t it! Just keep them flowing. Make sure your little one is hungry when you want to stop for your coffee fix and then break out the snacks.
Make it a shared Experience - BABY CHINO TIME;
What a great idea these are. The little man isn’t a fan of hot milk but I keep trying. He loves the idea of it until he sits down to drink. Typical! But the mere fact that he that he’s getting something like mummy is special and he loves the anticipation!
CRAYONS;
I’ve started carrying crayons round with me. Yes, where I once would have kept a lip gloss on me I now carry crayons! How times have changes. I know it’s not quite as glam but then I was never very good at that anyway. I don’t always bother carrying paper, you will be surprised what you can pick up that you can draw on when you are out and about, receipts are great for starters, napkins can work to. Then it’s over to your little artist to make a master piece.
PAINTING;
Reusable and mess free!!! Ok so this is a bit similar to the above but still worth a mention. We take this when we are planning a longer stint, maybe we are grabbing lunch as well a coffee. These are great; they are called WATER WOW. We discovered them at Christmas when he got one as a present from his Auntie. It’s been a firm hit has saved us in many situations already. We use it in the house, the car, as well as when we are about. All you need is a little bit of water to fill the paint brush and you are ready to go. It takes seconds to get him set up and ready to paint, you can hunt for objects and make up countless games with it as well.
KID FRIENDLY COFFEE SHOPS;
In the whole coffee shops are pretty good at accommodating little people but as a parent you definitely appreciate the small touches. Below are some of my top South Manchester Coffee spots to take your kids too. Let me know if you have an recommendations to add to the list!!! I’d love to hear about them.
STICKERS;
Another thing that’s easy to carry, mess free and entertains lively little toddlers while you sip your coffee. We have a reusable sticker board that is great but I also pop some normal stickers in my bag too. The little man can stick them on take away coffee cups, receipts, napkins, himself and often me. We make up little stories with the characters and objects as we go. Great fun and keeps him entertained. My top tip (stollen from my friend Ali) is to peal the sticker surrounds from the stickers before you give them to your little one. They should then be able to easily peal each of the individual stickers off with less assistance form you. We all thank you for this nag saving tip Ali!!!
Local kid friendly coffee spots
CLAY, in Poynton;
This is such a lovely spot so warm and welcoming to absolutely everyone. They have a coffee house puzzle which you can help complete, a piano and toys for the little ones to play with. The sofa area is the little man’s favourite spot. Clay is run by an amazing team of volunteers and is part of Poynton Baptist Church it is incredibly community focused running alsorts of events and drop-ins etc. I just adore the relaxed welcoming environment that they have lovingly created.
They have links with Poynton Pottery who have custom made all their crockery. Having fancied myself as a bit of a potter in the past. I was thrilled to here they even run pottery classes at Clay Coffee house. I will definitely be signing up for one of these soon!!!
The Coffee Ground, in Heaton Moore;
This one might not be an obvious recommendation but this easily makes it on to the list not only is the coffee delicious but you have the in house entertainment in Trigger the dog. Trigger can often be found doing downward facing dog in the window but he always comes to greet all the younger guests, possibly because he knows small people means SNACKS (see no1.)
Waterside Art Centre in Sale;
This maybe a bit of an out there suggestion but it’s got a little café with plenty of room for toddlers to burn off a bit of energy. It’s predominantly a theatre (which has some great things on for kids btw) but it also has an exhibition space and the all important coffee facilities. We recently went to a Postman Pat exhibition there and were pleasantly surprised that the coffee shop was open despite there not being any performance. While you are in Sale you should also check out a beautify little children’s toy shop Josh and Nelly you can even catch craft work shops there, run by the inspiring @lovetocraftmcr whose full of crafty ideas to do with your little ones (give her a follow).
Have you got any Local Kid Friendly Coffee Spots for me to check out? Drop me an email with any recommendations.
Let’s connect.
Let me know where your go to coffee spots are and what is so great about them. I’d love to check them out, we could even meet for a coffee.