Olly Olly Play Cafe
Address: 321 Park Avenue, Glencoe, Illinois
Hours: Monday - Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Admission: $12 for one child; $6 for each additional sibling
Monthly passes available
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, but safety is a bit of an issue
The suburbs don't have the myriad play places of the city so we were delighted to learn about a brand new kids space: Olly Olly Play Cafe.
The boys very much enjoyed playing pirates, and princes, and chefs. As always, we arrived right when it opened & pretty much had the place to ourselves. I can't even imagine how we would have managed if it had been crowded. It's a tight space.
The boys played in the castle playhouses a bit. Racing up the stairs and down the slides. And then fell in love with the pirate ship playhouse. They ransacked the treasure chests and steered the ship. Again, it was great because they had it all to themselves. If other (older) kids were there, I would have been very concerned for my toddler's safety.
Safety was a bit of an issue in general. There were cleaning products within a child's reach and unlocked and easily accessible in the bathrooms.
We had to make an emergency run to the bathroom for a massive blowout, and was shocked to find it absent of any changing tables. So we made do on the bathroom floor. It was a little a gross. But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
Overall, it reminded me of a daycare setting. And there's nothing wrong with that. It was very nice. It had a plethora of toys, games, playhouses, costumes, etc. And it is in a great location; even though parking is a bit sparse as well as limited to two hours.
Again, my boys had a big time. And I walked away thinking it is an ideal place for a well-behaved, potty-trained five year old girl.
