The Urban Chalkboard

I am so happy that The Urban Chalkboard exists. It is awesome that there is a place where I can get a very good cup of coffee and let my kids run around while I enjoy a small break. This is a much-​needed place!
If you’re not familiar with The Urban Chalkboard, let me break it down for you.
This is part café, part indoor play space for kids. First-​timers fill out a safety waiver, and the attendants go over the rules (no shoes, no outside food and drink). Then, you can let your kids roam free and explore all the fun toys, books, puzzles, blocks (wooden AND foam ones that look like giant Lego), dress-​up clothes, play kitchen with wooden food, balls, etc. The wonderful thing about the play space is that it’s large enough to house lots of different toys and activities, but it’s small enough that you can see your kid from any spot in the room. One of my children, who is usually reluctant to leave my side and wants me to be right next to him while he’s playing, just took off and explored in his own — I’m thinking because of the way the room is set up and its intimacy.
There is also a book nook with lots of board books perfect for toddlers. In this space are two egg-​shaped chairs with pull-​down curtains that kids can climb into and hide in. There are also bean bag chairs, and a great big tree right in the middle of the nook. It’s a very cozy space!
This place charges you at the end of your visit, so if you want to grab something to eat or drink, you just help yourself and let the attendant at the desk know what you took, and they add it to your tab. They have amazing coffee, which I had several cups of. They also sell hot chocolate, as well as snacks like crackers, fruit, Trader’s Point Creamery yogurt, Hubbard & Craven wraps and fruit, cheese sticks … pretty much anything a toddler (and parent) could want.
I would suggest arriving right when they open (at 9 a.m.) to beat the crowd. It started to get busy by 10 a.m., then packed by 11 a.m.

I like the concept of this place. A place for kids to explore and play and allow parents a chance to get coffee and catch up on a book or with a friend over coffee. I was expecting more for the price though. There weren’t as many play options as I thought there would be. It was $ 7 today (if you have more than one child, that’s expensive). Their food options are also over priced; however props to them for the healthy options. I love the book nook. The design is clean and crisp. The tree (the focal point of the room is cool). Given the name of the place, I was expecting much more chalkboard space for drawing and writing. Seriously… There was hardly any room for kids to draw and write on the chalkboard. !!! The place is clean and the staff members are friendly. Bottom line for me: great concept but too expensive.

Novel idea, definitely a cool spot.
It is absolutely impossible to sit down at Starbucks and enjoy a cup of coffee with my wife and two toddlers. This is a fact. The kids melt down after gnawing on a piece of banana nut bread for a minute or two, and we leave amidst a series of judgmental stares and the occasional sympathetic smile from another mom whose been there.
This is a place where you can meet your adult friend and share a cup of joe while the kids happily play nearby. There’s a pretend kitchen with lots of accessories, and little play fort, a ton of books, building toys, train table, carts for pushing… even a little baby friendly zone.
I know a lot of the other reviews criticized the price and amount of toys. I definitely think that issue has been rectified. The price was very reasonable, and the amount of toys and quality of toys could not possibly leave anyone wanting.
As for not being able to bring in food from outside, I think that’s ok. They serve food, they’re an establishment that has to make money… and while I can’t speak to the snack quality, the coffee they serve is great, so who needs to bring it in?!?
If you’re looking for a place for a play date where you can enjoy some adult time, I definitely recommend giving this place a try.

Sooooo I wrote a review awhile ago and a few things have been changed.
I enjoy this a lot now. I still think snacks are over-​priced and wish I could bring in my own picnic but that’s OK. I’m over it now. What I do love — they lowered the entry cost and the monthly membership is SO much more reasonable.
They include the fun things going on for ALL the kids and things aren’t extra now so if Mr. Daniel is playing that day, we ALL get to partake! Love that!
We are spending on average 3 times a month here now and my daughter is obsessed. The owners are VERY hands on and offer crafts and will read to kiddos. They help mamas who just want to get some work done or sit back with their coffee and read a book. I love that! I love the neighborhood vibe.
Things I have discovered: Anyone under 6 will definitely enjoy this but over that, and they are probably too old. Always plenty of parking which is a plus! Great wi-​fi. Never get disconnected and the coffee is AMAZING. Always good choices. The owners care about the kids and the enjoyment of adults. Always friendly and incredibly approachable.
I enjoy when it’s NOT crowded… which is first thing at 9AM and mid-​day after 1 PM. Don’t tell anyone else I gave you the inside scoop on that!
Headed there right now… have a great day mamas and check this out!

Incredible learning/​play center. Lots of fun and creative programs, and healthy snacks are a plus. You never know what’s coming up next but it is always something good!

I really want to like this place, but the price is ridiculous when compared to other options. We have similar toys at home. We can have our own food and drink too, especially since I have food allergies. They will let you bring in your own stuff if you have an allergy though. I brought my starbucks in b/​c they don’t offer soy milk. Weird, that, given the vibe they’re going for. They sealed the deal w/​me not returning regularly though when they started charging for kids under a yr old. At full price. If you have several kids, the cost is way too prohibitive. I do like the reading nook though, but the price for a couple hours is rough when there’s several kids. I really want my friend to come with me and we can hang out & talk while the kids play, but she has 3 kids, plus is a foster mom to one, so why would we spend all that $ when we can go to the Nature Center at Holliday Park for free?

Marcie wrote a great review although I believe things have changed. Their unlimited price point gives 5 passes for a month. The price is just $ 25 per child. I have 2 kiddos and I pay $ 50 per month for them to go 5 times. They also let you come back when you go out to get a bite or need to run a quick errand. So the pass lasts the entire day without being charged again. Their coffee is $ 3 but it is unlimited refill. You go to Starbucks and order a coffee it’s 4 plus bucks… So I do not mind spending $ 3 dollars for coffee. I don’t get snacks as their prices on snacks are pretty high. I usually bring my own snack and go to the car and feed the hungry kiddos and come back in.
I do understand that this is a fairly new concept around here. In Korea I believe it is common for play café. So it should take off sooner or later.
Why do I go here? Because I’m a stay at home dad with a business. It’s perfect for what I need while I sit and watch the kids play. It’s open layout so I can see where my child is 99 percent of the time. Unless they go to the bathroom. I spend my time doing my work on a laptop while they roam around, play with other kids, or the owners and workers play with them from time to time. It’s hard for a dad to find a play date since it seems like it’s usually the moms that stays home with kids. It would be awkward and I do not like the idea of me hanging out with some moms. So this place is well worth the $ 50 I pay monthly. It also is a place where I can chat with some adults and not just talk baby talk. I have yet to see dad come in while I’m there. My sanity is worth more than $ 50 bucks I would say.
The owners are super nice. They do spend time with your kids if it’s not busy in there. They sanitize all their toys at the end of the day. I really love the fact that two ladies got together and started a business! They took the risk and came up with some cool/​chic play café. Lady power! They did an amazing job.
If you think that $ 25 a month for 5 passes that equals out to $ 5 per visit is too much perhaps cut down on your cable bill. Then you will have more money to spend where you can create more meaningful memories with your kids. Entirely my opinion. Don’t get upset.
What do I want to see change in this place? I think they are tweaking their prices since Marcie said it was $ 65 dollars per child and when I signed up for unlimited it was only $ 25.
Not sure where the unlimited falls under. Would like to see that clarified. I just don’t like the ATT word of unlimited where they limit you from using data. Unlimited but you have a limit of 5 passes each month is sort of limiting. Lower price point food and beverages. When foods aren’t flying off the shelves they will need to spoil them and when they do that they will lose money. So having a price point where everyone is happy would be great. since they don’t want you to bring your own food due to allergies. I’m not sure if majority of kids now a days have more allergies than not but this is limiting a lot of people to come and enjoy the café. I would think that catering to majority of people would be better money wise for them. Again my opinion. One may believe that they are just trying to sell their high priced food. And I’m trying to figure out how that can be solved.
I like this place over all. Kids have fun while I work. And when I’m finished working I like to do arts and crafts with my son.
Give this place a try and support local business.

Just stopped in today and this place is great! The environment is clean and stimulating, yet relaxing for parents as it’s quiet and there’s plentiful seating. There’s a nice variety of snacks for kids and I look forward to trying out one of their classes with my daughter.
A couple reviewers voiced complaints regarding the cost of coffee and cover. Honestly, I think the cost is very reasonable. The coffee is locally roasted and the day I went in they had a blend by Noble Coffee and a single-​origin by Liberation. Free refills help keep the cup warm while I chase around my daughter :-D. In regards to the cover charge, remember that this place is kept very clean, offers free walk-​in classes and (most importantly) has an amazing, educated, friendly and interactive staff.
I look forward to our next visit! Urban Chalkboard — keep up the great work! :-D

Great place to get together and chit-​chat with others while letting kids have fun! The plans laid out for the little guy’s are very cool! Ingenious idea!

So The review that Marcie wrote was pretty perfect and encapsulates everything that I wanted to say already. But I’ll give a whirl anyway…
It’s well decorated, urban chic, different than the usual blinding brightly rainbow colored places. I was surprised at the play equipment. It was a little dull. My 20month old daughter wasn’t too thrilled with the selection. There were so few actual toys to play with. They need to add more variety and just more in quantity so that kids aren’t having to wait or fight over toys. The little library area is super cute and well stocked though. There is a special place for crawlers which all moms super appreciate. (I uploaded a bunch of photos)
The biggest deterrent however is the price. You have to pay a cover? $ 8 just to get in?! That’s more expensive than monkey joes or bounce U or any of the other places where my kids could have WAY more fun. $ 8 really??! That’s just for one kid! If you have multiple kids its WAY too expensive to come for an hour or two, and you wouldn’t be able to stay longer because there isn’t enough to do to keep them busy for longer than that. Who can afford those prices? Seriously.
Then on top of that to make it worse, no outside food or drink. I understand it’s a business and they need to make money, except my toddler isn’t going to eat anything they sell. Toddlers are picky eaters. So not being able to bring her a snack was super frustrating. I bought a cup of coffee there. $ 3.50 for a plain black coffee. WTF?! That’s worse than Starbucks. Yes it is bottomless but who drinks THAT much coffee when you’re only there for an hour before your kid starts screaming because they’re hungry or bored?!
I really really want to like this place. It’s such a great concept. I want to go back frequently but I just can’t pay those outrageous prices.. They just need to figure out prices if they want customers coming back.
My suggestions:
1. Lower the dumb cover charge. $ 2 per kid. That way moms can afford the expensive food they offer. This price would make moms want to come back often.
Or
2. Allow moms to bring in their own food and drinks in order to make the cover charge worth it.
Either way, I won’t be going back until they figure it out.