Ikea - The Sunday Saviour
Surprisingly Ikea has all the ingredients for a toddlers dream day out! They can play with all the things they can't at home.
A weekend trip to Ikea previously ranked as one of the worst things I could do... full of unruly children running riot with their post zombie apocalypse parents blocking walkways, only breaking off to interact with their sweet little darlings to argue about why they can't jump off the highest bookshelf or stuff their sibling in the smallest cupboard.
With my sense of purpose completely ignored by others, it was even more frustrating knowing that as with B&Q, you always end up returning a second time to get the missing element to finish the 'quick' project.
It was shortly after little M's first birthday that my world was turned upside down and I realised that Ikea wasn't designed for people with an agenda and a short and exact shopping list. It is built to keep toddlers dry, fed and entertained whilst providing parents with a sense of achievement and basic childcare.
On a rainy Sunday afternoon with a tired and cranky toddler, aware that every 'Soft Play Centre' would be filled to the rafters, Little M and I ventured out to Ikea for our morning activity.
He loved opening the cupboards and drawers (most of which were full of utensils) whilst pushing his little trolley around the store. Joining the trail of parents, we contently visited each section, stopping off for a great value meal in the cafe/restaurant as a reward for making it through the glassware followed by a toilet stop before swapping trollies to start our tour of the warehouse.
If a few unnecessary bargain items were collected on the way, it is a small price to pay for an undercover adventure playground with no admission charge. If there is actually something you need to buy, the advantages of this activity are uncomparable to anything else.
Enjoy Ikea as the true alternative to a soft play centre!
