Family Grounds Cafe: At the Intersection of Kids and Coffee

Caitlin Giles on 09.13.09 at 2:30 PM | 4 comments |

Caitlin Giles

One mama's take on the best family-friendly activities in Chicago.

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Wouldn't it be great if there were a place where you could get a hazelnut latte and a cranberry-orange scone and actually sit down in a chair and enjoy it while your toddler or preschooler got to play dress up, build a block tower or just run around screaming like the crazy kid that he is?

Well, there is such a place. It is called Family Grounds Cafe. This Lakeview kids-meets-coffee establishment was recently opened by a local family with three children of their own. This family saw the need for a place that gave both parents and kids what they were looking for. It is like a cross between Starbucks and the play area at McDonald's -- except that it is clean, stocked with hundreds of cool toys and no one is going to give you dirty looks if your kid throws a tantrum or loudly declares that his pull-up is wet.

Here are the details. Family Grounds appears much like a normal coffee shop at first. In fact, there is a whole separate room devoted to just being a coffee shop for those customers who don't have kiddos in tow.

At the main counter, you can get coffee and baked goods for yourself and an assortment of kiddie snacks (like milk boxes, string cheese, goldfish crackers, etc.) for your little ones. You also buy a "play pass" here for your children to enter the play area ($7.95 a child, siblings $3.95). Non-crawling infants are free with a $4.00 purchase. Kids and parents must remove shoes and don clean socks before entering the play area.

The play space is the feature that really sets Family Grounds apart. Your kid can do everything from play school to shop at the grocery store to dress up like a fairy princess. There are train sets and dump trucks and puzzles. Older kids can color or choose a book to read. The staff promised that story times were coming soon.

This is a great spot to meet up with a bunch of friends (because whose condo can accommodate ten energetic kids?). Children of different ages can each do what they want to do. And while I am certainly not saying that you can sip coffee and ignore your child, Family Grounds does have staff members who are out in the play area interacting with the kids, cleaning up, helping them decide whether to dress as a mailman or a fireman, etc.

As the weather turns cooler and outdoor play options become fewer, my guess is that Family Grounds is going to get really popular with the moms around town.

Think about this spot for your next big play group or just a rainy day when the kids are driving you batty. A hazelnut latte is waiting for you.