Seattle offers a wide array of story times 6 days a week (Monday - Saturday) that are appropriate for babies and toddlers:
Land of Nod - University Village, Seattle – Thursdays @ 11:00 am
University Bookstore – Tuesdays and Saturdays @11:00 am
Tugboat Story time - The Center for Wooden Boats – the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month @ 11:00 am
Polly-Glot Tots – this language school offers free Spanish, French , Japanese and Mandarin story times in various locations once a month. Check out their website for times and locations.
Seattle Public Libraries –offering dozens of story times at their locations 6 days a week (yes – Saturday too!), Seattle public libraries offer baby, preschool, family and even toddler story times. In addition, the offer pajama story time and even story times in Vietnamese, Chinese and Spanish!
Soundbridge (Seattle Symphony) – the Seattle Symphony offers a musical story time every Monday at the Seattle Central Library at 10:30 am and at Benaroya Hall on Fridays at 1:30 pm.
Third Place Books – this wonderful used/new bookstore and Café in Ravenna offers a weekly story time on Saturdays at 11:00 am.
Mockingbird Books – this Greenlake bookstore and café offers story time 6 DAYS A WEEK!!! Yes that’s right folks! Monday through Saturday you can go to story time at 11:00 am at this charming bookstore.
Serendipity Café – although it’s named a café, they offer a full restaurant menu as well. This play café offers a weekly story time in Magnolia at 10 am on Tuesdays.
Little Book Worms Story Time - this new story time is located on the 2nd level of the Bravern Wednesdays at 11:00 am in Bellevue.
Izilla Toys - storytimes fluctuate so check out the website for upcoming times at this fun and highend toy store. In September 2010, their story times are Sept 13 & Sept 27th at their Wallingford branch from 10:30 am - 11:30 am; and Sept 21st at 10:30 am at their Capital Hill location.
Showing posts with label toddler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label toddler. Show all posts
Monday, September 6, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Baby/Toddler Friendly Restaurants
It can be hard to find a restaurant that is not only baby friendly but where the staff also thinks about things like putting hot plates out of the reach of little hands or offers children's play areas. Here is a list of restaurants, some expected and some surprising, that are super baby/toddler friendly:
Perche' No Pasta & Vino - Child friendly central! This restaurant is charming on the outside and in. Three levels with an open kitchen, live piano and an open air deck. The staff is among the friendliest I've ever met. From the moment you arrive you are treated like family. Every child that comes gets a balloon - they actually keep a helium pump on location! The noise decibel is high enough to not feel self conscious with a riotous two year old but not so loud as to have trouble holding a conversation. The food itself is very good. They even cure their own meats and offer a homemade prosciutto. The also have a lovely patio on the side.
Judy Fu's Snappy Dragon - Great New York Style Chinese food in Seattle. You can get dishes here you just can't find elsewhere like home made dumplings in spicy peanut sauce, flaky green onion noodles, chicken in black bean sauce and hand shaven noodles. This place is also kid paradise. There are tons of children (almost every table has at least one) and the staff are very conscientious, placing hot dishes well out of the reach of toddlers. Finally, the restaurant has the feel of being in someones home with separate warm and cozy rooms, one with a fireplace.
Serendipity Cafe - this restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a great play area for kids. You can actually sit at a table with a full lunch/dinner menu while your children play. It is a nicely laid out large space with lots of tables. They also offer a wonderful story time every week!!!
Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria - KID HEAVEN!!!! Whether they originally intended for it to be or not, this place is child heaven (which is GREAT for us!). Every time I've been there practically every table in the very large dining space has either an infant in a car seat, a baby in a high chair, or young children. The restaurant is large and looks like it can seat a lot of people. Parking is tough. They have a few spaces out front but mostly you are going to have to chance it on the street. They offer an excellent thin crust pizza as well as gelato.
Enza Cucina Siciliana - Authentic homemade Italian food in a kid friendly environment. We loved traveling through Italy with our toddler. Everyone was warm and welcoming and the food was out of this world. If you would like to eat gnocchi that is the same quality as what you'd get in Italy, come here. Everything from the bread on the table to the sauce is made from scratch by hand. The owner is equally authentic! Her charming Sicilian accent coupled with her energy - bustling from cooking the food in the open air kitchen to graciously making her patrons feel at home make this place a joy. The BEST feature of all is the children's play area complete with toy kitchen set, table & chairs, toys and books. You can sit at a table with cloth napkins while your little one plays beside you. What a treat!!!! If only more restaurants would follow Enza's lead and add an area like this!! They also offer a children's menu. Finally, from 11 am - 5 on they offer crepes including classics like nutella & banana.
Benihana - Talk about a kid-friendly atmosphere. Everything here is perfect for children. They offer a children's menu that turns into a chef hat, mock-cocktails for little ones, and a fun show performed by a chef who stands at the center of your communal table preparing the food. This would be a great place for a child's birthday party. The food is a very good value and includes an appetizer, soup, salad, vegetables, main courses, tea & desert all for one price. We got their Rocky special which was around $24 and their shrimp and steak combo which was around $26. They also offer a full sushi menu here. Make sure you have a reservation though as this place gets packed.
Wild Mountain Cafe - One of the most child friendly and charming restaurants in Seattle with a unique southern menu! We have been here for both breakfast and dinner. They are known for their eggs Benedict but have two pages of great options including tahini stuffed French toast and huevos rancheros. For dinner their honey glazed fried chicken is incredible and their catfish is the best in Seattle. This restaurant is extremely child friendly with almost all of the tables including a patron under 3 years old. The restaurant itself is located in a quaint historic house at the top of a long set of stairs. You dine at homey tables throughout the rooms on furniture as unique and classic as the home itself. The staff is warm and the music a unique blend of classic rock (think Journey and KISS). This is helpful when you have a young child as it raises the noise level a little. This is a great cozy restaurant.
Perche' No Pasta & Vino - Child friendly central! This restaurant is charming on the outside and in. Three levels with an open kitchen, live piano and an open air deck. The staff is among the friendliest I've ever met. From the moment you arrive you are treated like family. Every child that comes gets a balloon - they actually keep a helium pump on location! The noise decibel is high enough to not feel self conscious with a riotous two year old but not so loud as to have trouble holding a conversation. The food itself is very good. They even cure their own meats and offer a homemade prosciutto. The also have a lovely patio on the side.
Judy Fu's Snappy Dragon - Great New York Style Chinese food in Seattle. You can get dishes here you just can't find elsewhere like home made dumplings in spicy peanut sauce, flaky green onion noodles, chicken in black bean sauce and hand shaven noodles. This place is also kid paradise. There are tons of children (almost every table has at least one) and the staff are very conscientious, placing hot dishes well out of the reach of toddlers. Finally, the restaurant has the feel of being in someones home with separate warm and cozy rooms, one with a fireplace.
Serendipity Cafe - this restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a great play area for kids. You can actually sit at a table with a full lunch/dinner menu while your children play. It is a nicely laid out large space with lots of tables. They also offer a wonderful story time every week!!!
Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria - KID HEAVEN!!!! Whether they originally intended for it to be or not, this place is child heaven (which is GREAT for us!). Every time I've been there practically every table in the very large dining space has either an infant in a car seat, a baby in a high chair, or young children. The restaurant is large and looks like it can seat a lot of people. Parking is tough. They have a few spaces out front but mostly you are going to have to chance it on the street. They offer an excellent thin crust pizza as well as gelato.
Enza Cucina Siciliana - Authentic homemade Italian food in a kid friendly environment. We loved traveling through Italy with our toddler. Everyone was warm and welcoming and the food was out of this world. If you would like to eat gnocchi that is the same quality as what you'd get in Italy, come here. Everything from the bread on the table to the sauce is made from scratch by hand. The owner is equally authentic! Her charming Sicilian accent coupled with her energy - bustling from cooking the food in the open air kitchen to graciously making her patrons feel at home make this place a joy. The BEST feature of all is the children's play area complete with toy kitchen set, table & chairs, toys and books. You can sit at a table with cloth napkins while your little one plays beside you. What a treat!!!! If only more restaurants would follow Enza's lead and add an area like this!! They also offer a children's menu. Finally, from 11 am - 5 on they offer crepes including classics like nutella & banana.
Benihana - Talk about a kid-friendly atmosphere. Everything here is perfect for children. They offer a children's menu that turns into a chef hat, mock-cocktails for little ones, and a fun show performed by a chef who stands at the center of your communal table preparing the food. This would be a great place for a child's birthday party. The food is a very good value and includes an appetizer, soup, salad, vegetables, main courses, tea & desert all for one price. We got their Rocky special which was around $24 and their shrimp and steak combo which was around $26. They also offer a full sushi menu here. Make sure you have a reservation though as this place gets packed.
Wild Mountain Cafe - One of the most child friendly and charming restaurants in Seattle with a unique southern menu! We have been here for both breakfast and dinner. They are known for their eggs Benedict but have two pages of great options including tahini stuffed French toast and huevos rancheros. For dinner their honey glazed fried chicken is incredible and their catfish is the best in Seattle. This restaurant is extremely child friendly with almost all of the tables including a patron under 3 years old. The restaurant itself is located in a quaint historic house at the top of a long set of stairs. You dine at homey tables throughout the rooms on furniture as unique and classic as the home itself. The staff is warm and the music a unique blend of classic rock (think Journey and KISS). This is helpful when you have a young child as it raises the noise level a little. This is a great cozy restaurant.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Free Indoor Play Areas in Seattle - Updated October 2010
Kids Cove at Bellevue Square – although it is in Bellevue instead of Seattle, this incredible play area is well worth the trip. Ideal for infants to preschoolers, it has numerous climbing structures (all well-padded) and a fun and playful theme throughout. It is a huge space that is walled in with seating all around the outside for parents, stroller parking and an unbelievable array of climbing structures and play equipment. There is a children’s barbershop next door and a Gymboree facing it. Combined with the fact that it is located in one of the nicest malls in the US, this place is a winner on all counts. http://www.bellevuesquare.com/whats_new.php
REI – located on the second floor, the original REI offers a huge indoor tree house/climbing gym complete with slide as well as some options for babies and toddlers. http://www.rei.com/stores/11
Swanson's Nursery - This highend plant nursery offers lots of fun things to do with kids. Outside there is a chicken coop and playhouse while inside they have a Koi pond with Koi the size of salmon and seasonal activities including a maze made out of haystacks (Fall) and Santa's Reindeer which come to visit from November through December.
Family Works - offering free drop-in playgroups for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, this Wallingford non-profit offers free CPR and other parenting support classes as well. They even offer specialized playgroups for Spanish and Japanese speaking playgroups as well as one for children adopted from China. http://www.familyworksseattle.org/events/on-going-playgroups-for-parents-and-children
Beacon Hill Library - offers a bilingual kaleidoscope play & learn group for children 2-5 years old on Wednesdays at 10 am.
Broadview Libary - offers a kaleidoscope play and learn group for children 18 months to 5 years old Wednesdays at 10:30 am.
Columbia Libary - 0ffers a spanish kaleidoscope play & learn group for children birth to 5 years old on Thursdays at 11:00 am.
REI – located on the second floor, the original REI offers a huge indoor tree house/climbing gym complete with slide as well as some options for babies and toddlers. http://www.rei.com/stores/11
Swanson's Nursery - This highend plant nursery offers lots of fun things to do with kids. Outside there is a chicken coop and playhouse while inside they have a Koi pond with Koi the size of salmon and seasonal activities including a maze made out of haystacks (Fall) and Santa's Reindeer which come to visit from November through December.
Family Works - offering free drop-in playgroups for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, this Wallingford non-profit offers free CPR and other parenting support classes as well. They even offer specialized playgroups for Spanish and Japanese speaking playgroups as well as one for children adopted from China. http://www.familyworksseattle.org/events/on-going-playgroups-for-parents-and-children
Beacon Hill Library - offers a bilingual kaleidoscope play & learn group for children 2-5 years old on Wednesdays at 10 am.
Broadview Libary - offers a kaleidoscope play and learn group for children 18 months to 5 years old Wednesdays at 10:30 am.
Columbia Libary - 0ffers a spanish kaleidoscope play & learn group for children birth to 5 years old on Thursdays at 11:00 am.
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