Ben at Little Beans Cafe

A few days ago I met my friend Sara at Little Beans Cafe. I’ve been here before when it first opened. At that time it was very crowded. And for some reason I remember the open space + all the different push cars = a lot of crying.

This time I liked it a lot better. Maybe it’s because I didn’t spend the whole time telling Ben not to ram other people with push cars, like I did the first time with Jack. Or maybe because it wasn’t so crowded that I felt claustrophobic. Either way, it’s definitely something I would do again.

There are a few things that make this pay-to-play space different than some of the others in the city. First, you can bring food and drink into the play space. How often do you wish you had a coffee while you were watching your children not share well with others? We ordered a grill cheese and ate it without having to disrupt the play that much at all. Also, they give all the kids stickers with their names on them. I found this a nice touch. Kids respond to your reprimands a lot better if you use their name first. It just makes it all a bit more friendly.

It’s open M-F from 9-6. Sat from 9-3 and Sun from 9-1. Daily pass is $12 per kid, siblings are $7. You can save money buying a 10 visit pass or yearly membership.

Don’t forget your socks!

Just another cool and different thing about living in the city. There are a zillion little parks, all different, for us to play at.

We call this place the train park – the Metra train to the suburbs travels right above it and the kids scream like crazy every time it passes…

Ahhh! The Train!

It’s small enough so that you can see pretty much spot your kids at all times. And there is only one gated entrance. Unfortunately, it’s too small for a restroom. But in the winter it’s completely sunny!

Ben in the Water Room - He was soaked!

I first visited this place when Jack was somewhere in his first year of life. I remember thinking it’s soooo amazing, so clever! I want to live here! We went a few times after that and each time I enjoyed it immensely.

I have not been back since I had Ben. So it’s been a while. But not much has changed.

Both kids had a lot of fun, but this time around I definitely enjoyed it a lot less. Unlike the Children’s Museum at Navy Pier, the Kohl’s Children’s Museum is basically one big open space. Most of the rooms have multiple entries or a single entry with no gate. I found myself darting around frantically trying to keep two kids in the same room.

Jack Decorating a Mini Willis (previously Sears) Tower

Although it didn’t bother me with just one kid, this time around the crowds in the suburbs grated on me. Why is everything so crowded in the suburbs? Isn’t the point of moving out there to have more space?

Also, in the city, you get a bunch of young energetic adults volunteering. Your kid makes a mess, they laugh and join in. Suburbs? Crabby retirees who remind you to put away all the fake groceries after you are finished playing with them.

In conclusion, it’s a great museum if you have a one-on-one coverage situation. Or if it doesn’t stress you out not to see your kids every single second.

We paid $28 for the three of us to get in this time, but the entry price can be applied to your membership cost if you buy that day. Membership was $100. Parking is free, one nice suburb perk. But I don’t think we’ll make it out there another 4 times this year so I skipped purchasing the membership.