The kids and I had so much fun today going to a cat coffee shop, story time at an adorable bookshop, and then a kid’s boutique shop that has the most enchanting playroom. This is a perfectly walkable Saturday morning adventure with kiddos in St. Paul! You can park near one of these destinations and walk to get to the other two spots.
We started our morning at the Catzen Coffee, because… first… coffee!
Destination 1: Catzen Coffee
This place is so unique and honestly so so so fun! We don’t have a cat at home and so it is a fun way for the kids to be exposed to animals in a cozy space. You will love all the eclectic cat decorations, fireplace in the cat den, and the chance to pet some feline friends. Really, it doesn’t matter your age- this place is downright unique and enjoyable.
Here’s what we LOVED:
- The latte, drip coffee, pastries, and breakfast sammy were delicious and reasonably priced. My kids loved the mini donuts that were only 0.50 cents each.
- They have a bingo scavenger hunt for the kids to do on the back patio – they were thoroughly entertained with this.
- Skylight in one of the dining areas that truly brought the outdoors in.
- Cats and Cartoons!
Be advised that you do need to reserve cat den time. They do take walk-ins if the space allows but just to be sure you should reserve ahead of time. For the kids, you need to make reservations on their website and they have a special Saturday cartoons slot for children. The cartoon Moomins was playing which was nice and calm and added to the zen vibe.
Destination 2: Next Chapter Booksellers
On Saturdays at 10:45 am (double check their website to see if they are doing this right now) they have story time for kids. They read one children’s book and then the kids get to do a coloring sheet.
This time frame flowed very nicely at the perfect time we were wrapping up at the Catzen Café.
I was able to browse books and the kids too. Buy a book because the next spot is going to provide you with some free time on your hands.
Destination 3: Emery’s Playhouse
Now, for some play time! We stumbled on this sweet children’s boutique and it was delightful! In the front they have a cute little shop and then through a brick archway is the playroom. This playroom had my kids lost in play for a long while! Time to whip out the book you purchased because your kids will likely be deep in imaginative play. The shop owner is so kind and she gifted the kids with a helium balloon when we left.
They also have special craft events you can sign up for in advance. When we arrived they had just finished up a fairy garden craft that I know my kids would have LOVED!
The cool part about this playroom is that there isn’t a charge to go in the playroom. We purchased some adorable finger puppets and party bags for my daughter’s birthday party favors. Speaking of birthdays, they do host parties here at Emery’s Playhouse so it would be a great spot to throw a birthday party!
This was honestly a whimsical day and we will absolutely want to repeat this one! I loved not having to buckle in and out of car seats to go from place to place. It was an easy walk between all three destinations.
A couple of other walkable spots you could add on is that right next door to Emery’s Playhouse there is a chicken restaurant where you could do some chicken nuggets for lunch.
We actually popped into BreadSmith to get some cinnamon rolls to go for tomorrow’s breakfast.
There is also Colossal Café on this street that could be nice for lunch or a bigger breakfast stop if you wanted more in the morning than pastries or breakfast sandwiches.
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