Kid-Friendly Drinks
Top 10 Kid-Friendly Drinks For A Coffee Shop
If you look at the most popular coffee shop menus in your city, you will find out that kids often get left out. In many cases, there are but a very few – if any – kid-friendly coffee shops and coffee menus.
Of course, if you ask a barista to make something for your child, they can warm up some milk or mix some chocolate sauce. But you won’t often see these options among all the espresso and teas items on the menu board.
If parents travel to work in the morning or meet with their friends in a café and decide to take their children with them, the little ones might not find anything to drink and get upset and even cry.
Visiting a coffee shop affects kids’ day too, and as a barista, you want each visit to be a positive and happy experience for kids.
For various reasons, coffee is not the chosen beverage for many kids due to caffeine's side effects, making children agitated, increasing anxiety and blood pressure. It’s also not the choice many parents gravitate towards.
The good news is that there are other healthy choices for young coffee shop customers.
Increasingly, there are more and more kid-friendly (or family-friendly) coffee shops all over the United States that offer kids’ spaces with toys and child-friendly snacks and drinks.
This is great news! Some cafes focus on children only and offer tabletop games, painting areas, Lego castles, and of course, kids’ menu.
10 Kid-Friendly Options For A Coffee Shop
1. Steamers
A steamer is basically a drink made from steamed milk and flavored syrup, sometimes with whipped cream on top. A barista can use any milk alternative and add any syrup of choice or no syrup at all (ask the parents if they want sweet syrup in their kids’ drinks).
Steamers are usually about 120°F or below so that kids can drink safely without burning themselves.
As a barista, you want to ask parents about the temperature they would like it served.
2. Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate is a favorite drink for many kids and adults. It’s a wonderful drink that is offered by many coffee shops all year round.
Hot chocolate is usually made from chocolate or mocha syrup with steamed milk and optionally flavored syrups and whipped cream.
You can also use chocolate powder or chocolate chips if you don’t have the sauce. This drink goes especially well with hazelnuts or marshmallows.
3. Cocoa
Cocoa is a healthy and tasty option that all kids love. Steam any milk of choice with the steam wand, mix it with 2 teaspoons of organic cocoa powder, add honey, maple syrup, or any syrup a kid wants, and sprinkle it with cocoa or marshmallows.
4. Lemonade
In the summertime, lemonade may be the most favorite drink of all your customers, not only children.
Prepare water by dissolving 1 cup of sugar (or less if you want to make lemonade less sweet) in 50 oz of warm filtered water. Squeeze 6-7 lemons (or oranges, or a mix of both) to get a cup of lemon juice. Mix the fresh juice with sweetened water and cool it.
5. Chocolate Milk
Milk is very healthy for kids because it’s a source of calcium and proteins needed for a growing organism. Often, children refuse to drink regular milk and want something sweeter.
We recommend organic chocolate milk that is low in sugar!
6. Organic Milk Alternatives
More and more parents these days choose milk alternatives for themselves and their families. If a child can’t tolerate dairy products, organic plant-based milk is another healthy nutrients and minerals source. You will find soy, almond, cashew, rice, oat, and other types of milk among milk substitutes.
7. Juice
Nothing can be tastier than freshly squeezed fruit and/or vegetable juice. There’s a lot of room for your imagination: you can mix different juices and put them on the menu under funny names that appeal to kids. Or you can allow kids to build their own juice drink from the juices he or she wants. You can garnish juices with pieces of real fruit and funny straws.
Kid-Friendly Drinks
8. Smoothies
Kids love smoothies! This drink is not only tasty but also great for kids’ diet and digestion. The collection of recipes is almost endless here: you can blend practically any fruits and berries and create great-tasting smoothies.
Banana and berry smoothie recipe: You will need one banana, a cup of frozen berries, a small Greek yogurt package, honey/maple syrup, or any flavored syrup in your coffee shop. Blend all the ingredients until they are thoroughly combined and smooth.
Other smoothie ideas: pear and spinach, avocado and banana, tofu and strawberries, chocolate and cherry, Oreo and banana, etc.
It’s time to get creative!
9. Coconut Water
Coconut water can be an excellent alternative to sodas and sweetened drinks. But it might be an acquired taste. Despite moderate sugar levels, coconut water is rich in vitamins, nutrients, and minerals.
The good news is that it provides natural hydration and naturally restores electrolyte balance if the child is physically active. It makes it a perfect drink, even for toddlers.
10. Frozen Yogurt
The popularity of frozen yogurt reached its peak in 2015, and it continues to be one of the favorites and healthiest kid treats. Some coffee shops might decide to make their own homemade yogurt because it’s not as difficult as you might think to produce. A barista can serve frozen yogurt with all kinds of toppings: fresh berries, chocolate sauce, granola, or honey.
What’s Your Favorite Kids’ Beverage or Snack?
If you have a favorite beverage you enjoyed as a child or continue to enjoy, why not suggest the beverage to your coffee shop manager?
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