Nibbles Play Cafe: Grown-ups Can Socialize While Kids Play!

I am always looking for new, fun, and fairly inexpensive places to take Abby, who is almost 6, and Hayden, who is almost 2. Recently we visited Nibbles Play Café in Wheeling. The concept behind this café is that children can play in the many play areas, while parents and caregivers socialize near by.

This place is small, but a lot of fun is packed into it! One good thing is that there are no separate rooms for the children to go in. The play areas are all in the same room as the tables, but sectioned off by low walls. So, an adult can feasibly sit at a table in the middle of the room, and keep an eye on several small children who are all playing in different areas,

One of my girls' favorite sections is the Pretend Play area. Here, they have a pretend kitchen with dishes and food, a puppet show window, and lots of different dress-up clothes. According to the website, the pretend area changes from time to time. Even though the main attraction in the Pretend Play area was a kitchen and food, other times it may be a grocery store, a doctor's office, etc. Abby loved playing dress up in here with some other children, and Hayden enjoyed the pretend food.

Another favorite area of both of the girls was the Art area. They have a table completely covered with paper for kids to draw on... but kids can also get smaller pieces of paper to create masterpieces to take home. There is also a large chalkboard, which Hayden loved!
Other areas include a baby area with soft blocks and tunnels to crawl on and around, a train table, a block area, and a face painting area. There is also a shelf of smaller toys and games that children can bring to their tables and play with while they eat.

Most of the staff members were very friendly. There were two in particular... an older woman and a college-aged young man... who Abby really loved. They took the time to talk with her and pay attention to her, to ask her what she was doing and compliment her on her behavior. Abby spent a lot of time drawing pictures and delivering them to these two employees. And when it was time to leave, she wouldn't go until she said goodbye to "my new friends!"

I would say that the one drawback to this place is the admission fee. They charge $5.00 per child, and $3.00 for "siblings." (I was charged $5.00 each for both girls, so I'm not sure what ages constitute siblings as opposed to regularly-priced children!) The admission fee is probably a good thing for some people, because you can bring your children there without ordering any food... whereas most places, even McDonalds, limit their play areas to customers who order food. On the other hand, if you are planning to eat a meal at the café... and the food is pretty good there... the extra admission fee can make the whole thing a pricey outing! (Families also have the option of paying $50 for a three-month membership, which would be an excellent idea if you live in the area!)My overall opinion? This was a fun place, and the kids would love to go back. But we probably won't go back often, because of the price.