Saturday, January 12, 2008

Schaumburg IKEA, or the best place to shop with Kids in Chicago

Ranking: Value - 5; Dad Fun Factor - 4 out of 5; Kid Fun Factor - 5 out of 5

I don't want to take much of your hard earned pro football playoff weekend to describe the best shopping experience in Chicago so I will keep it short. We went to Ikea in Schaumburg (they are all the same so the location is not that important) today to look for a couple of magnetic bulletin boards so we can put up loose photos in the boys' rooms. Not important. What is important is that you can drop your kids off (as long as they are potty trained and between 3' and 4' tall) in a safe, secure, fun, and stimulating play area while you do your adult thing. Ikea has been doing this for some time now (how long I don't know) and it works great. You fill out a detailed form with your personal information and your child's name. You sign it and anyone else (like a spouse) whom you want to be able to collect your child. They take their shoes and coat and off they run and play. A wrist band and sticker with claim in for is put on your child. There is only one way in and out and there were at least 5 care workers on duty with about a dozen rug rats. They have puppet shows, movies, slides, and toys all about (like the kinds Ikea sells). You get an hour of peace and quiet while you shop or have a bite in the cafe. It's a great chance to have a little mommy-daddy time without hiring a baby sitter.

I know I sound like a cheap bastard here. Fact is, I am sometimes. In this case, we bought the stuff we needed and still had time to poke around. Not too shabby.

Have fun! For an Ikea near you go to www.ikea.us

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

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