My preschooler and I recently spent a string of chilly gray days visiting these Twin Cities coffee shops to give you an idea of where you might bring your little one(s) for both a cozy indoor play space and a decent cup of joe. If you know of a similar place where kids can spread out in an area dedicated to them, please drop us a line.
While we have lost some small shops during the last few years, we have verified that the remaining shops on this list are open as of 11/1/2022. However, we recommend calling ahead to verify play spaces are open. Many of these shops are small and are limiting the number of people in the shop.
Our Favorite Kid-friendly Coffee Shops in Minneapolis & St Paul
Carma Coffee | Minneapolis
520 NE Lowry Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55418
Call Ahead: (612) 208-1253
Not as play-friendly as some of these other shops, it is still a relaxed atmosphere with a cool car theme.
Kid-Friendly Menu Options: Pastries, cookies, smoothies.
Corner Coffee Camden | Minneapolis
4155 N Thomas Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55412
Phone: (612) 404-4348
Thank you to our reader, Joy, for this suggestion. She tells us the café has a back room for families with seats for parents to sit and work while kids play.
Related Articles:
- Kids Eat Free or Cheap Twin Cities List
- 10 Baby Friendly Restaurants in the Twin Cities
- Twin Cities Family Meal Deals: Busy Day Take-Out Alternatives to Pizza
Dunn Brothers Coffee | Linden Hills, Minneapolis
2814 W 43rd St., Minneapolis, MN 55410
Call Ahead: (612) 925-5669
Kids can enjoy a small space with a chalkboard and a shelf of toys while parents might manage to get their daily caffeine intake at a very nearby table. In my experience with Dunn Brothers, I think many of the franchise locations carve out a spot for kids; this particular locale is my favorite because it’s located in lovely Linden Hills. There’s so much within walking distance of this Twin Cities coffee shop for kids to enjoy (see our 5 Spots to Stop in Linden Hills, Minneapolis post) that it’s easy to make an afternoon of it, once properly caffeinated, of course.
Kid-Friendly Menu Options: Kids can get steamers or hot chocolate, milk and chocolate milk as well as a variety of teas and soft drink options. The bakery offers bagels, muffins, biscuits, pastries and cookies.
Ginkgo Coffeehouse | St Paul
721 N. Snelling Ave, St. Paul, MN 55104
Call Ahead: (651) 645-2647
Ginkgo’s little space for children is tucked away between some shelving and is fairly no-frills. There’s a shaggy patch of carpet to sit on and blackboard along the wall to scribble on with a few stubs of chalk. A few toys, puzzles board games and books at this Twin Cities coffee shop will entertain preschoolers for a short while – maybe long enough for mom to nosh on a grilled panini or some of Gingko’s special veggie lasagna? In the summer, take advantage of the cafes’ two outdoor patios. Also look for kid-friendly concerts on select Saturday mornings.
Kid-Friendly Menu Options: A kid-sized scoop of ice cream is an inexpensive treat.
FIKA | American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis
2600 Park Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55407
Call Ahead: (612) 871-4907
While FIKA itself is not particularly kid-friendly, it is a wide open space with lots of light and delicious pastries. Because its located at the entrance to ASI, it can be combined with a visit to the family gallery to become a kid-friendly outing. The best time to visit is on Kids At The Castle days.
Kid-Friendly Menu Options: Kids will LOVE the cinnamon rolls and other sweet pastries.
Milkweed | Minneapolis
3822 E. Lake Street Minneapolis, MN 55406
Call Ahead: (612) 353-4752
A cozy shop for adults with a small supply of blocks and toys to keep younger kids entertained.
Sovereign Grounds | Minneapolis
813 East 48th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55417
Call Ahead: (612) 825-6157
Owned by one of our charter school families, I was especially eager to get to this Twin Cities coffee shop. This is a place that takes children seriously; hence the full name Sovereign Grounds Indoor Playground & Coffeehouse. It tops our list of java joints to bring the kiddos because the space is large (an entire dedicated room), clean (don’t forget to remove your shoes to save the new carpeting), and stocked with quality playthings. Tables are a little squeezed, but their proximity to the toys means you can easily keep an eye on your kid while you sip great coffee and chat with a friend (should you be so lucky to do so). Prepare for a buzz of morning activity that eases up after the lunch hour. A bathroom is conveniently nearby and the coffeehouse menu includes fresh bakery items, interesting salads, and plenty of inexpensive child-pleasing snacks. Don’t miss this one — the biggest thumbs-up from my 3-year-old.
Kid-Friendly Menu Options: Bakery items, snacks and kids’ juice and milk options.
South Metro Kid-Friendly Coffee Shops
Amy’s Cupcake Shoppe | Hopkins
701 Mainstreet, Hopkins, Minnesota 55343
Call Ahead: (952) 479-7516
As a small shop, Amy’s Cupcake is encouraging curbside pick up and requiring in-store masking. It is still a great place to grab a treat together. If you love Amy’s coffee, you can get a 32oz bottle of the cold brew to take home. Pair that with a dozen macarons and you can cozy up at home!
FFTC was there — scarfing cupcakes, sipping coffee and with the kids happily occupied — when this sweet shoppe hosted its grand opening summer of 2016. Kids can get busy baking their own cupcake creations while you sit a spell nearby.
Black Sheep Coffee Café | South St. Paul
705 Southview Blvd South, Saint Paul, MN 55075
Phone: (651) 554-0155
“Black Sheep in South St Paul is very VERY kid and family friendly! Lots of toys, comfy armchairs (nursing friendly), As well as larger tables” Thank you to our reader, Allie, for this recommendation.
Mugshots Coffee Co.| Bloomington
3822 E. Lake Street Minneapolis, MN 55406
Call Ahead: (612) 353-4752
Plenty of seating, including couches and chairs arranged in quiet conversation areas with a small selection of books and games.
Kid-Friendly Menu Options: Pastries, sandwiches (available in halves) and cocoa.
North Metro Kid-Friendly Coffee Shops
Community Grounds | Columbia Heights
560 40th Ave NE, Columbia Heights, MN 55421
Phone: (763) 762-7968
Thank you to Chris for this suggestion. With its mission to be a welcoming gathering space, Community Grounds has a large play space for children. They are currently only open on Fridays and Saturdays, 9am-12pm.
Minisota Play Café | Maple Grove
12055 Elm Creek Blvd., Maple Grove, MN 55369
Phone: (763) 432-0428
Thanks to reader, Cassie, for reminding us to add the Minisota Play Café. Note that, unlike the rest of these options, there is a cover charge for children and a one-drink minimum for accompanying adults. However, also unlike the other spaces, this café is more of a “play space with a café” as opposed to a “café with a play space”.
Silverwood Park Café | Saint Anthony
2500 County Road E., St. Anthony, MN 55421
Call Ahead: (763) 694-7707
The Visitor Center at Silverwood Park is a great way to sneak in coffee, art and nature all in one. Bonus that they keep a kid-friendly cart of books, crayons and activities and, as part of the Three Rivers Park District, there are often family-friendly programs – particularly on Sunday afternoons. The downside, you do need to watch them near the art, but the upside is you can explore the park a little before heading home.
Kid-Friendly Menu Options: Kids and parents can enjoy soups, sandwiches and a variety of beverages, including espresso and lattes.
Donuts and Coffee
Most donut shops carry a full coffee menu. Our annual list of Donut Shops we share for National Doughnut Day has more ideas for parents who need a caffeine fix with kids in tow.
More Indoor Play Suggestions
Need to get out of the elements for the day? Try one of these activities:
- Twin Cities Indoor Playgrounds & Play Areas – use our comprehensive guide to find a new space to wear those littles out.
- Twin Cities Indoor Waterparks & Pools – splash, slide and swim away the cold weather blues.
- Open Gym for Kids – keep the little ones moving indoors throughout the chilly months.
- Kids Storytimes – hosted at highly kid-friendly venues around the Twin Cities. Great free entertainment.
- Indoor games for kids – 75+ ideas to beat boredom when you’re stuck inside. And categorized by age!
Find hundreds more things to do in Minneapolis & St Paul with kids!
I hope these suggestions for Twin Cities coffee shops can help make a dent in your winter. My little sidekick and I thoroughly enjoyed our research and would love to hear about where YOU meet up for coffee, conversation and a little playtime.
Note: The featured image shows A Cupcake Social, which permanently closed in 2020.
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A Cupcake Social looks like such a great little nook for kids and grandkids! Children love to imitate what they see so seeing the grown ups enjoy a cup of coffee and a donut will inspire them to want to bake and make pretend coffee… Which I would love to see! I definitely think this would be one shop I’ll be willing to check out!
We so agree, Margaret! Let us know if you check it out. We would love to hear your opinion.
Black Sheep in South St Paul is very VERY kid and family friendly! Lots of toys, comfy armchairs (nursing friendly), As well as larger tables.
https://blacksheepcoffee.com/
Thank you, Allie. We’ve added this suggestion.
FIG AND FARRO vegan restaurant has an amazing kid area with a loft, lots of books and toys. They also have a great kids menu . We went there last night and were so impressed!
Oooh! Thank you, Jenna. I just went and checked it out online and that DOES look like an amazing kids space. I’m adding your suggestion now!
Tried to lookup Fig and Farro and google maps says – permanently closed.
Thanks for the update, Mira. This has been another hard year on small businesses.
So True 🙁
Corner Coffee Camden has a back room for families as well! We love close by and go there weekly! Seats for parents to sit and work while kids play.
Thank you, Joy. We’ll share this!
Do you have a kid friendly list for restaurants and breweries as well?
Hi Ashley.
We have a few kid-friendly restaurant-type articles:
1) We have our Kids Eat Free List. This is a good starting point because any restaurant that offers a weekly family-friendly deal is invested in families.
2) We share a list of restaurants our readers feel most comfortable dining with babies. These tend to also be kid-friendly.
3) We’ve also recently added a list of our favorite family-style take out. Again, restaurants that offer family meals often cater to families.
We had started working with local breweries to create a list of kid-friendly options in early 2020, but put off finishing it for obvious reasons. I guess it is time to pull that article off the backburner. I’ll link here when its completed.