We're Full of Beans

Little Beans Cafe

Address: 1809 W. Webster, Chicago

Hours: Monday - Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.; Sunday: 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Admission: $12 for the first child & $7 for siblings; children under one year & adults are free

YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY!

• Offers hands-on learning? Yes
• Engages an active toddler in play? Yes
• Provides interaction with other children? Yes
• Allows children room to play without long waits? Yes
• Is clean? Yes

Bottom-line: Go! I thought I’d just cut to the chase. But if you want to know why you, read on...

Little Beans Cafe is a wonderful imaginative playspace for children. The custom-made play houses are not your usual fare. Next to the fire station is a home that is “on fire” so kids have to ride the fire truck, climb the ladder, put out the fire, and slide down the slide out of the house. The grocery store includes an ATM, mailbox, shopping carts - the works. And the play house has crown moulding, an oriental rug, and a ‘baby’ grand piano. You can see how this isn’t your usual, run-of-the-mill indoor playground. Even the play cars are Audi and BMW.

And crawlers or rollers can play safely in a fenced off area (the fence is white picket) surrounded by benches so you can easily keep your eyes on crawlers and walkers.

I liked the layout and found that there was a lot to occupy the kiddos; even more beyond the general playarea in the two back classrooms. While we were there, these rooms served as an area to take a ride on Thomas the Tank Engine and as a lounge for older kids (the six-year olds shooed my son out, which was pretty humorous).

The class list is pretty impressive, but probably a better fit for city moms. The classes include mom & baby yoga, music & movement, and spanish language. There are also a few weekday offerings, including a manicure and supervised play on Monday afternoons and family dinner night with supervised play on Friday night. I recommend checking the Little Beans Cafe website for more information on classes and other offerings.

The cafe menu is a little more expansive than usual. And you can enjoy food from the cafe in the dining area or inside the playarea, which is a nice change of pace. During our visit, the tables were full of moms catching up, chatting, and drinking lattes. It is probably one of the few places (outside of a home, of course) that affords moms the chance to let their kids play freely while they talk or work. There are staffers on-hand making sure the kids are safe and the area stays clean.

And finally, I know that driving from the ‘burbs to the city can sometimes be a headache, but I found it surprisingly easy to get to - it’s right off 90/94. And there was plenty of parking, which is shocking for the city, I know.

Again, I highly, highly recommend. Check it out with your little beans!