Visit to the play and learn cafe in minnetonka.

Play-area for toddlers and "bigger" kids.

Since it was rainy all morning, today was a perfect morning for our first visit to the Play and Learn Café in Minnetonka. It's a supervised play-area and foodie café for parents with kids age 6 and under, that also offers enrichment classes, children's events and activities, and birthday parties. We have heard so much about this place since they opened earlier this year, and have been so excited to get back to Minnesota for our first visit. I was honestly so impressed with everything from the food and play areas, to the children's activities and cleanliness of the bathrooms.

A look at the front of the Play and Learn Café. This is where you walk in, order food,
and can sit and enjoy a cup of coffee, snack or meal from the Café.

Linna playing with a doll house in the play-area.

Busy kiddos in the play-area. Love the smaller and shorter slides for the little kids,
but they have a bigger, tunnel slide for the "older" kids.

Our 3-year-old busy tending to the cash register at the grocery stand.

The Play and Learn Café was pretty busy when we arrived this morning around 10:45 a.m., but it wasn't crazy or chaotic. We were greeted by the owner, Sara, and another staff member, Mary, and they told us how the process worked (even though it was clearly displayed on the wall when we walked in. It's $5/child to play, but our 3-year-old played for free since we ordered $20 worth of food/drinks during our visit.

A view of the infant play-area gated off from the bigger kids' play-area.

Linna playing with the pulley system on the playground.

After we put our socks on, Linna ran into the play-area to explore all the fun toys they have set up. She loved the cash register and grocery store set-up, as well as the sand play-area and playground. She also like watching the babies play in the infant-area from behind the gates (the infant area is now completely separate from the older kids' play-area). After Linna became comfortable playing on her own, I was able to walk over to the Café to order lunch. I liked that I could watch Linna playing, while I ordered our food and drinks. I ordered a vanilla latte (very good), a small beet, goat cheese, and candied-walnut salad (delicious), and a sun butter/jelly sandwich (the Play and Learn Café is peanut-free) with yogurt and sprinkles, and a milk for the 3-year old (she loved her meal). We were given a letter ("N") and asked to find a table, and a staff member brought our food/drinks over to our table. Linna got to write on the chalkboard wall with chalk while we waited for our food. Once our food arrived, Linna would take a bite of her meal, and then run off and play, while I enjoyed my latte and watched her play from behind the Café wall. The play-area staff did a nice job of keeping the toys in their appropriate areas, while playing with the kids. Since we visited on a Monday, Linna got to participate in the weekly Usborne Books Storytime at 11:15 a.m.

Play and Learn Cafe's new menu. Yum!

Our table next to the chalkboard wall.

Usborne Books Storytime... Every Monday at 11:15 a.m.

Linna adding sprinkles to her organic yogurt.

My yummy goat cheese, beet, and candied walnut salad. So good!

I was pleasantly surprised by how clean the staff kept the Play and Learn Café. Even the bathrooms were spotless when the Café was really busy. There was a seat in the family bathroom for kids to sit while their grown-up uses the potty, as well as a changing table for infants. I am so happy that we decided to book Linna's 4th birthday party at the Play and Learn Café next month (she chose the "Art" theme). I think we'll be signing her up for some classes at the Play and Learn Cafe this summer too. We're definitely looking forward to visiting more this summer, especially on hot or rainy days. The Twin Cities was desperate for a place like this, and we're excited to become frequent visitors. We hope to see you there!

Toddler-size potty and an adult-size potty in the family bathroom.

Love that the family restroom makes it easy for growing kids to independently use
the toilets and sinks. Well done, Play and Learn Café!