IKEA551

IKEA is a zoo on weekends, and worse at holidays, but it's still worth the trip for its inexpensive contemporary children's furnishings and high-quality playthings. (No surprise that the store favors the wooden variety.)

The store offers well-equipped play areas along the shopping path, as well as the inviting "model rooms," which kids are welcome to explore. Toilet-trained children more than 35 inches tall can also be checked in to the free supervised play area near the entrance, where they can snuggle on comfy steps to watch a video or play in the ball pit while parents shop.

Besides furniture, the store sells kitchen and home office items, bedding, and live plants.

The on-site cafe provides welcome relief for families needing a break during those extra-long shopping expeditions.