Parenting, with all its unpredictability, has two universal truths: kids need space to romp freely, and parents need enough energy to keep up. Why are those little ones bestowed with so much energy? It seems like the cruelest fate. They run with glee.
We dawdle behind like zombies necromanced to life. For those days when you can’t persuade the kids to play sleeping frogs (an ever so fun game in which all participants lie down), the park playground continues to be the most sacred space for much-needed unstructured playtime. It’s also a place when parents need a jolt of liquid energy — a life-sustaining cup of coffee.
For a parent like me, coffee is an elixir sent down from the heavens. It stretches patience to entertain the endless refrain of “Look at me!” and the demands for a snack that isn’t the ancient granola bar at the bottom of the bag. How many times have you been hiding in the shade of a play structure and thinking, What would I give for a latte right now? For those moments, here is a list of go-to park playgrounds with coffee shops within walking distance, so you can take your little ones before play or at the end of a tantrum.
Each swig of coffee promises to calm frayed nerves and bring you back to yourself. Note: Marked addresses on the map show the parks. Coffee shop addresses are listed in the descriptions.
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