Tada Kids Cafe | Kilburn | Review

While “upmarket” and play cafes aren’t usually words you see together, not only is this how Tada Kids Café markets itself but it’s also unlike any other you’ve been to before.

Review by Lisa Bachmayer

For one thing, you won’t find the vibrant, primary-coloured colour scheme and high energy, high noise indoor playground with twisty tube slides and parents sitting at laptops here.

Instead, you’ll find a muted pastel colour palette – right down to the pearlescent ball pit – and the kind of play spaces you might design in your own home if you had unlimited space and budget, and an employee to follow the kids around, putting everything back.

It’s possibly also the only kids’ café where the entry price scheme requires a lengthy explanation from the staff, with options to pay for one hour, two hours or a day pass. The manager, however, was happy to patiently explain it to us and didn’t seem confused or fazed by it in the least.

We opted for two hours and a free juice box (we visited on a Tuesday) to enjoy. And enjoy we did. 

Our two (almost three)-year-old-reviewer visited with a fellow toddler friend and we immediately noticed the same thing. The environment felt safe, welcoming and designed for younger kids, instead of a high-energy zone where babies and toddlers are best kept in a designated area. Of course, we visited on a weekday during the school term, so it was naturally devoid of older children, but the play areas themselves seemed directed at ages 1-7.

Dominating the space is a traditional play area, featuring a giant ball pit, slides (regular not tubes) and cushioned corridors with mirrors and dangly swing things. Entry is by a curved staircase a toddler can easily clamber up. It’s like the toddler section in other play cafes, but on a much bigger scale.

Off to the side is a series of interactive play areas to explore, including fun ball runs (one wasn’t working at the time), a pet hospital, princess dress up and brick play stations, a game arcade and – our favourite – a supermarket.

Kids can wander the aisles, filling up their kid-sized trolley with soft play food, and take their goodies to a digital check out. It was particularly cool how an image of potato chips appeared on the screen when scanning that exact item. 

Some of the screens in the kitchen area were set up with a shopping spree game – where you need to find and scan the items on the screen. The chef dress ups were super adorable, as was a fishing game with magnetic fish and rods.

There is much more potential for parent/child interaction here, with the ability to play shops together, for example. Also, being located within a shopping centre is the perfect place for play relief after a big shop or the ability to pop in for any forgotten items.

Two hours was just enough for a good play and coffee break, though a lengthy meal and nappy change might need more time. But we recommend speaking to the staff for any concerns – the manager was happy to give insights into how long the meals may take.

Is it more expensive than other play cafes? Yes, it is. Did the kids have fun? Yes, they did. Did the parents also have fun? Yes, we did. Will we be back? Yes, we will.

While Tada proves children’s play cafes can be a bit different, all of them successfully meet the same goal: to give kids a sheltered place to play, a tonne of fun and parents a bit of relief from a tornado-like lounge room.

For current pricing visit the Tada Kids Cafe website.

Things to consider:

• Tada Kids Café is in Churchill Centre, so you can do some shopping before or after. There is plenty of parking in the shopping centre carpark.
• Remember to wear or bring socks.  Everyone, adults and kids, need to remove their shoes before entering. Everyone needs socks or you can purchase some from the play café.
• Familiarise yourself with the pricing structure before you go. There’s a handy graphic on the website, along with food and drink menus. Be aware of the price difference on weekends.
• If it’s your first time, two hours is a good amount for a play and a coffee, but keep an eye on the time.
• Consider going around lunchtime on a weekday if your little one no longer naps – it’s much quieter then!

Location:

Shop 54, Churchill Centre, 400 Churchill Road, Kilburn

For more information and all enquiries please visit the Tada Kids Cafe website.

All photos by Lisa Bachmayer for Play & Go Adelaide 

As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. 

At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

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