The Shoppes at Buckland Hills 

Although I live closer to another, larger mall, I gladly drive the extra 15 minutes to Manchester when I need to shop for my kids because this mall is so family friendly. We have a routine: we park and enter at Barnes & Noble, which has a large toy and game center in addition to the story time area (story time, which includes story and a craft, is held on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. -- always check the web site first to verify the time is up-to-date). Directly across from Barnes & Noble is a children’s play area. This is definitely for the younger set -- children must be under 42 inches. The play area features a woodland theme with a “waterfall” slide, trees with tunnels, and animals to climb on, all coated in soft foam on a thick, padded carpet.

After the kids have gotten the wiggles out, I sneak in some shopping. Children’s clothing stores include The Children’s Place, Gymboree, and Justice for the tween set. Macy’s, Sears, H&M, JCPenney, and Dick’s Sporting Goods also carry children’s clothes and accessories. Kids shoes can be found at Stride Rite, Journeys Kidz, Payless, and Rack Room. Claire’s and Icing have accessories for young girls, and Lids carries an extensive selection of hats. After shopping, we head over to the food court, which includes well-known chains Burger King, Subway, Taco Bell, and Sbarro, as well as Cajun Cafe, Charley’s Steakery, Sarku Japan, and Praline’s Ice Cream. (Other kid-friendly dining options in the mall include Panera Bread, Bertucci’s, and Red Robin.) The Subway offers a kids meal in it’s own reusable bag. We finish off our visit with the ultimate bribery tool -- a ride on the carousel, in the food court area. Tokens are $1.00; parents ride for free. The carousel is in great condition; my kids love the variety of animals to choose from. Also of interest to kids in this mall: Build-A-Bear Workshop. 

194 Buckland Hills Drive, Manchester 06042
Open Monday-Saturday,10 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Shoppes at Farmington Valley 

The Shoppes at Farmington Valley describes itself as “an open-air lifestyle shopping destination.” It is made up of almost 50 stores and restaurants accessible to each other by sidewalk. My take-away: if the weather is good, this is a great spot to meet a variety of kids’ needs. Clothing and shoe stores with children’s selections are The Children’s Place, Gymboree, Justice, Old Navy, Kohl’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, J. Crew, and Clark’s. In addition, there is a Snip-Its hair salon, which accepts walk-ins, and a Claire’s, which carries accessories for young girls. A Barnes & Noble book store contains a toys and games section in addition to its story time area. Kiddly Winks, a specialty toy store, offers complementary wrapping for those last-minute birthday gifts.

Kid-friendly restaurants include Panera Bread, Flatbread Company, Chipotle, Ben & Jerry’s, and FroyoWorld. There is even a ShopRite for last-minute grocery needs. And if you need a bribery tool for your stir-crazy youngster, in the center of the shops there is an outdoor, fully fenced, boundless playground with a soft, astroturf ground cover (no wood chips stuck in shoes!). Although the playground is small and designed primarily for toddlers and preschoolers, my 4- and 6-year-old find plenty here to entertain themselves; it is a great way to cap off a successful shopping trip or, depending on how much you need to accomplish, break up the trip. 

110 Albany Turnpike, Canton 06019
Open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday, noon-6 p.m. (some store and restaurant hours may vary)

The Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk

Although these shops lack the entertainment value of the other two (read: no carousel or playground) they deserve a mention because they are literally minutes down the road from the Shoppes at Buckland Hills, making it easy to combine a trip, and they have solid children’s offerings in Carter’s, GapKids, Justice, Clarks, Old Navy, L.L. Bean and Charlie Girl. Like the Shoppes at Farmington Valley, this is an open-air shopping area.

501 Evergreen Way, South Windsor, 06074
Open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (some store and restaurant hours may vary)