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Ikea is a fun shopping experience for Moms and kids alike.
Ikea may be best known for catering to college kids, but they are making a big step toward focusing on much younger ones as well.
Besides having terrific prices on a variety of items for everyone in the family, Ikea has made a concerted effort to make shopping enjoyable and easy for Moms with small children. It is a great way to beat the heat and keep the kids entertained without busting your budget. They have upfront family-friendly parking spots, strollers, and family bathrooms with nursing areas and free diapers. Ikea has made it easy for Moms to relax and hang out with their kids. Here is a blueprint on how to have a a fun day at Ikea:
EAT
In their restaurant, Ikea offers bottle warming stations, kid friendly flatware, baby food, bibs, high chairs and booster seats. They feature a children's menu with items for $.99 or three for $2.49. Items include macaroni and cheese, pasta, peanut butter and jelly, yogurt, and organic apple sauce. Meals for adults are very reasonable as well, and tasty too. (Try the $1 cinnamon roll for dessert!) They also have a convenient tray holder that lets Moms stack trays for several kids on top of each other and roll it to the table. This is very handy if you're also pushing a stroller. If you're lucky, you might be able to snag a seat near the TV corner which plays kid-friendly movies.
PLAY
After lunch head to the Children's Ikea department with the three and under crowd. You can check out the kids accessories while you let your little ones out of the stroller to play with all the toys. On a recent visit, there was a slide, a tent to climb in, train tracks, lots of stuffed animals, and a variety of fun chairs to try out. While you're there take a look at the art supplies and wooden push toys. Drop the older children (potty-trained and above 37 inches) off at the supervised play area and ball pit. You can leave them in a capable hands for about 30 minutes of whine-free shopping.
SHOP
Ikea is known for deals and steals though at times the quality can be questionable. However, that doesn't apply to many of their toys and children's items. They are currently featuring a sturdy art easel with chalkboard on one side and dry erase board on the other for only $14.95. Eating tools. storage bins, and decorations like rugs and shelves are definitely worth checking out. And if the kids are good, you can find lots of toys for under $5 to give them something to take home.
Enjoy!
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