Oaks ‘n Acorns

Great place for drop in or scheduled classes. Staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. Introduced themselves moments after I walked in for my first class and watched my little one while I went for a bathroom break. Fantastic addition to the neighborhood.

We visited Oaks ‘n Acorns on a rainy spring afternoon after a long walk in the stroller. We were ready for some food and room to stretch our legs. Oaks did not disappoint. On the menu at this inviting play café are sandwiches, soups, pizzas, hot beverages, and baby portions. When you arrive, leave the stroller outside on the sidewalk. (Bring a lock or just babywear.) The front entrance offers coat-​racks and boot-​mats (you are asked to leave shoes at the door). The entrance with café counter opens to a bright space with tables for eating and creative play areas for little ones to enjoy. Because of the no-​shoe policy, the floor are relatively clean for little crawlers.
We chose to pay six dollars for a drop-​in playtime for our first visit. We ran up a tab, paying for our sandwich and play fee at the end of our visit. The staff were welcoming and friendly, eager to go over and above to help us out!
Downstairs, in addition to washrooms and changing area, is one of two program rooms. Be sure to check out the schedule of programming offered. We’ve tried the Lil Explorers class which offers crawlers or early walkers a chance to engage with semi-​structured play, music, bubbles, parachute, painting, and more!

I’ve been to oaks n’ acorns both for classes and just to enjoy the café/​stay n’ play. My 3 yr old daughter loved the fairy tale dance class and was so comfortable with the instructor that she did the class without me which is a bonus because I was able to enjoy a nice cappuccino while chatting with some of the other moms there. The space is clean, comfortable and inviting and the owners are very friendly.

As a mom on mat leave, there are really not enough places like these or they are not easily found. Oaks ‘n Acorns is a place where parents can have coffee and light snacks while their children play in a large indoor playground. There are two levels for indoor play. For $ 5 your child can go in to the area and play. There are also various programs geared towards children of various ages from babies to pre-​schoolers.
Here are some things I love about the place:
1. The area is perfect because it is walking distance for me, and there is plenty of side street parking for friends who aren’t from the neighbourhood.
2. The service was decent and the place was spotless. The owners are constantly cleaning up so you’re not stepping on any dropped food, etc.
3. You can bring your own food for your kids if you are making it, which is a plus.
4. There is a huge space where you can roam around with your kids and for now it looks really clean.
Those are the things I love about the place. Here are some things I’m not too crazy about:
1. stroller parking is outside. It’s the first time I’ve encountered this, but if you don’t have a lock they have some for you, or have cable ties that will keep it locked. Otherwise, you can bring your own. I know they do this to maximize space but I still don’t feel 100% comfortable with that, and boy would it suck if it rained.
2. You must pay $ 5 for your child even if he/​she isn’t at an age that can play. I brought in my 4 month old who spent most of the time sleeping or in my lap. Granted, she didn’t charge me that time, but that was because when I had initially asked about the charge I had a really surprised look on my face. As he gets older I understand but I thought it was a bit annoying if your child can’t really sit up and play with anything you’d still have to pay.
3. Food menu is really limited for adults. They have some basic sandwiches (i.e. grilled cheese on a panini grill), but it would be great to see some more local baked goods from maybe some bakeries nearby.
I can’t comment on the programs they have but they do have a lot and the kids can play free before or after. I do hope that they stay in the neighbourhood as there are lots of families in the area that would benefit.