Foodie parents, I feel you.
Being a parent of a young child and a foodie sometimes makes it challenging to find an eatery that can satisfy my foodie cravings while keeping my kid happy. I had heard about the Circus Playcafe in a Parent and Tot magazine and was instantly impressed with their concept. It seemed like a dream come true: an 800 square feet play area next to a cafe where parents can relax but still be able to keep an eye on the kids while they play. We set to out to try the Circus Playcafe for the first time this past weekend.
The Story
The Circus Playcafe is owned by husband-and-wife team, Toby Manson and Anuk Harvey, who are parents of two young daughters. Play cafes are not novel ideas and can be found in Australia, Japan and US cities including Portland and San Francisco. However, in Metro Vancouver, there is nothing comparable. Some cafes in Vancouver have small play areas which is free but to have an indoor playground is something special.
While parents like myself are used to “temporary” indoor playgrounds like a community centres, the one at Circus Playcafe is complete with fixed structures. The entire playground is a place of discovery with lots of nooks, slides, and toys to enhance social and cognitive development. The space was designed with the idea of supporting children’s development through play.
Circus Playcafe Menu
On the menu are baked and prepared in-house goods like muffins, paninis, croissants and more. Coffee is by Continental on the Drive. The kid’s can enjoy bento boxes with fresh fruits and veggies. Menu is available on their website.
Admission Prices
The admission prices depend on age: under 6 months (free), 6 – 14 months ($4), 15 months – PreK ($7). Additional children are $4 and you get 20% admission one hour before closing. The cafe is free to enter.
Our Experience
When we arrived at the cafe, I went to the self check-in station where I printed the parent and child labels. For first-timers, you can register for KidCheck ahead of time at home. The next step was to take the labels to the counter to pay for the admission. The staff also put in the end time as there is 2.5 hour limit.
The indoor play area does not allow shoes but you can’t go in bare feet either. My son had socks on which was okay, but I didn’t have any on (it’s summer afterall). My tip for other ladies is to bring a pair of socks.
The Circus Playcafe is beautiful, clean and bright. My son instantly took to the indoor playground and my husband and I set out to enjoy our time at the cafe portion. I found the cafe music choice enjoyable and interesting: it was 70s-disco centric. For example, they played “Dancing Queen” by ABBA and “More than a Woman” by the Bee Gees. The noise level from the kids side was surprisngly low. It’s noisier at a busy Starbucks. I think it was because the kids were enjoying themselves and keeping busy.
I ordered the following items:
- grilled sourdough sandwich (zucchini, feta, red onion, hummous) with salad ($9.80)
- drip coffee ($2.50)
- cheesy quesadilla with fruits ($5.50)
The grilled sourdough sandwich was good but I thought that there wasn’t enough hummous. Perhaps they could had a few more pieces of zucchini as well because it didn’t seem like there were many slices. The salad with tomatoes and sunflower seeds was refreshing.
My son enjoyed the cheesy quesadilla. I appreciated that the fruits were fresh and sweet.
We spent nearly two hours at the Circus Playcafe and my son was very tired after that. He fell asleep in the car soon after we left which is perfect.
Overall Impression of Circus Playcafe
Lovely and enjoyable experience at the Circus Playcafe. Parents can relax and enjoy food and coffee while kids play in an engaging environment. Happy baby, happy mommy. Rating: 4.5/5
Website: www.circusplaycafe.com