IKEA with kids

It's only been open for a few months, but I've been to the Ikea in West Chester twice now, and my house is definitely looking more Ikea-ey: there's the funky orange duvet cover on our bed, for one, and of course I had to get matching orange curtains... anyway, other than a general warning that shopping there could be hazardous to your household budget, there are some things to keep in mind when trekking to the only Swedish shopping wonderland in Ohio.
The first time we went was on a Saturday night; the crowds were manageable, but it took us 30 minutes -- maybe an hour -- to check out. The second time, I went on a weekday afternoon; checkout took no time at all.
You've probably heard about Smaland, the free childcare service at Ikea. Here are some things I learned, after checking my 2- and 5-year-old boys in recently:
1. Your child must be potty trained and meet a height requirement (no less than 37" tall and no greater than 54" tall) to get in. SS, almost 3, was just a hair too short, but they let him in anyway.
2. Budget 10-15 minutes to get your child checked in, or perhaps longer on a busy day when you may have to wait for a spot. Before standing in line, look on the nearby wall for forms to fill out, and grab a bin for shoes.
3. Once inside, the children can play on the fun-looking play structures (I seem to recall a giant high-heeled shoe and a ball pit). They can also color or go up into a loft to watch a kid-friendly movie (Ratatouille was playing recently). My older son seemed perfectly content, but my little one was distressed because checking him out took so long, and he couldn't understand why the staff wouldn't let him through the emergency glass door to get to me, pronto.
4. Ikea will babysit the children for about an hour, which should be enough time to get your shopping done if you already have a pretty good idea of what you need (and you don't ponder all your choices in the "Marketplace" for too long). Parents receive a pager in case of emergencies. Don't forget to reserve time for checkout.
If you've got a craving for Swedish meatballs, there's a lot of kid-friendly food at the food court, starting at 99 cents... but you probably already knew that.
The drive from Oxford takes about 45 minutes, but you can combine an Ikea trip with several other excursions. See our entries (coming soon) on "Sharon Woods" and "Fossil Park."
Happy shopping!
Store info:
LINK: http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/IkeaNearYouView?storeId=12&catalogId=11001&langId=-1&StoreName=west_chester
Address:
9500 IKEA Way
West Chester, Ohio 45069
Phone: 513.779.7100
Store Hours:
10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Daily
Directions: From Oxford, take 130 into Hamilton. Turn right onto Main St. (177) and go through downtown Hamilton. Continue on High St. Continue on Michael a Fox Hwy. Take exit 21 for OH-747 toward Middletown/Springdale. Turn right at OH-747/Princeton Glendale Rd. Turn left at Union Centre Blvd. Turn right at Allen Rd. Look for the giant Ikea sign.

Ikea side-trips (with Fossil Park AND Sharon Woods Park)

Here's some great options for sidetrips when you make your way to Ikea. We investigated today, and were really pleased with everything. It was a fun daytrip.



1. Trammel Fossil Park, Tramway Dr., Sharonville, OH (45-50 minutes from Oxford)

This is a nationally reknown fossil park that is--FREE, and chocked full of great fossil finds. We were there with very small kids and they each had their little buckets full in no time. Not much shade and the terrain is rocky (hence the fossils), so we recommend okay shoes for walking/climbing around. And it's probably best to stop here first in morning, or last in evening, to avoid the hot summer sun.

Directions from Oxford:

Mapquest took us 27 south, 275 North, Sharonville exit (just past the exit for I-75). Turn North (which I think is left) on Lebanon rd. Take first left onto Hauck Dr. Go half mile to Tramway Drive and turn right. It is two blocks up on Tramway Drive.


2. Sharon Woods, Sharonville, OH (45-50 minutes from Oxford--5 minutes from Fossil park)


They have a fantastic indoor play area. It costs $2.50, but if you buy 4 entries you get one free (to be used at any time- including that day--for the next year). The center is clean and we liked that you could use big people stairs to go up to the top level of the play area. I also noticed a handicapped accessible lift that could take people up to the top level. It has climbing and tubes, a ball area. Oh, and air conditioning. We had to drag our kids away. We did have a few heart-stopping moments when we tried to locate one of the kids who were in one of the non-see-through tubes. But there is only one way in and out of the play area, so that is reassuring.



There is also a pioneer village, outdoor sprinkler playground, nature center area, and several outdoor playgrounds.



Directions: From the fossil park, go back out to Lebanon Rd. and turn right. The park will be on your left after about a mile. (also can turn right onto Lebanon Rd. from 275 if skipping fossil park).


Directions From Sharon Woods TO IKEA (10-15 minutes)-- Go right on Lebanon Rd., then left on Kemper. At Reading Rd. turn right. This turns into Cincinnati Dayton Rd. Turn left on Allen Rd. and you'll see Ikea's flags almost immediately.


EXTRA: BANANA's Inflatables
If you are taking 129 to and from IKEA, you'll be also going right past Banana's. I can't blog much on it, since I haven't been there. But I hear it has big inflatable jumping stuff for kids. And it's indoor's. I have seen it on 129 near the 129/I-75 interchange (going west on 129 from I-75 it's on your left).