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Best Indoor Play Cafes in Manhattan for Kids and Families

1. Complete Playground – Financial District

This indoor oasis located in Lower Manhattan is a parent's dream space for play in the city that never sleeps. Coming in as the largest indoor playground in NYC, this inclusive play space caters to children of all abilities and their families. Complete Playground offers open play sessions, membership options, and birthday parties as part of its programming for families. When it's time for a snack, enjoy a bite at the Complete Cafe, which offers snacks, drinks, and ice cream served on interactive touch-screen enabled tables. You can reserve a table on its website if you're booking playtime in advance.

2. The 81st Street Studio at The Met – Upper East Side

While this indoor play space at The Met doesn't technically have its own cafe, there are many options for food to enjoy throughout the museum before or after your kids romp in this amazing, FREE, first-come, first-play indoor playground. There are specific play times listed on the website, and the playground may close for school group visits, so it's best to check the schedule ahead of time. You can find the dining options online and coordinate your play with a meal that suits your taste buds best.

Fairytale Island is bright and airy and offers a cafe full of treats.

Best Indoor Play Cafes in Brooklyn for Kids and Families

3. Fairytale Island – Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

This Bay Ridge play space emphasizes playtime over mealtime, but it does offer cafe seating with a menu of beverages, cookies, and ice cream. Kids love the ball pit, indoor playground, and more. Meanwhile, parents love the ease of combining snacks with playtime, plus the blazing-fast Wi-Fi.

4. PLG Coffee House and Tavern – Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn

PLG, formerly known as Gratitude Cafe, is a cozy local bistro that offers drinks, breakfast, and brunch, as well as a special children's menu. Kids can stop by a small play area, which is partially enclosed and stocked with a selection of toys for little hands. Parents appreciate the emphasis on organic ingredients, locally roasted coffee, and healthy options like avocado toast and smoothies.

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Yummy breakfasts are a major draw at Good Day Play Cafe.

5. Good Day Play Cafe – Park Slope, Brooklyn

This sweet play cafe is modeled after Korean play spaces, offering plenty of bespoke wooden and all-natural playthings, including a mini climbing wall, playground, and a Hinoki cypress wood cube pit. The cafe serves kid faves like sandwiches and dino nuggets, plus coffee, tea, and smoothies. There's even FREE Wi-Fi. Please note: The play cafe is often closed Saturdays for private parties.

6. Space Club – Fort Greene & Greenpoint, Brooklyn

These two indoor play spaces are full of just that...space! With ample room to explore, both physically and imaginatively, Space Club has quickly become a favorite of NYC families. The new Fort Greene location will soon welcome a cafe. The sensory play here is phenomena, with giant pools filled with beads and Legos. If you're searching for even more space, take note: Dumbo will get an outpost of Space Club later this year!

Best Indoor Play Cafes in Queens for Kids and Families

7. Nana's Wonderland – Jackson Heights and Little Neck, Queens

At first glance, the Little Neck location of this play space may seem slightly smaller than some others, but the designers made such smart use of the space that you won't notice the difference. Nana's boasts elevated play areas with lots of nooks and crannies to explore, including a Lego wall, a pretend shopping area, and plenty of costumes to try on. The Jackson Heights location is much bigger (about 5,000 square feet) and houses a large maze-like structure accompanied by different slides, a merry-go-round, and a giant inflatable. The cafe has a selection of snacks and coffee on the menu, and benches are placed throughout the space for parents to take a well-deserved break. Nana's Wonderland caters to kids under the age of 7.

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Kids can take a trip around the globe at Kid's Play World while parents and caregivers grab a delicious, healthy snack.

8. Kid's Play World – Middle Village, Queens

There's plenty of room to feed your child's imagination at Kid's Play World. The owner—a mother of three—was inspired to open a fun play space for kids after visiting hundreds of play cafes. She created Kid's Play World so kids could take a trip around the globe without leaving Queens. Each area has a different theme, including a (toy) pizza-making station in Italy, a pyramid wall representing Egypt, and a mini replica of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Photos courtesy of the venues

Originally published in 2016.