Ikea Småland, the most-valuable-player of the toddler years of many parents - your key to dropping by your local IKEA store and having a solid thirty-minutes of silence, as you browse through the local IKEA store, sipping on a drink from the cafeteria that doesn’t get cold (or warm) before you get the chance to drink it.

As a bonus to reopening, we were surprised to see that the space has undergone some fanci-fication. There’s a lovely fairy-tale theme throughout the space, complete with a giant clog, perfect for toddlers and young children to climb in.

Here’s what you should know before you use the drop-off service at IKEA Småland:

• Children can be left to visit Småland for 45-60 minutes, depending on how busy the store is. We suggest shopping with a friend, or leaving sibling pairs in case there are no other children to play with. The more the merrier, and Småland might be a little boring if there are no other children to explore it with. This provides the perfect opportunity for some adult conversation, or a coffee date while you browse before the kids play.

• To use the service, children must be potty trained and be between the 37″ to 54″ in height. Bring the kids to the bathroom nearby before you visit Småland!

• The types of activities include arts and crafts at an adorable stump table, balls for kicking and playing, a soft area for soft play and a classic car track. No Småland would be complete with the classic IKEA play kitchen for whipping up meatballs.

• If your kids are like ours, and are often without socks, you’ll need to pack a pair to visit Smaland.

• Smaland is available Monday to Friday 10am to 7pm, Saturday 10am to 6pm, and Sunday 10am to 5pm

Tip: While you’re there, snap a photo of the monthly calendar at IKEA. There are often pop-up special events happening for kids at Småland that you can take part in.

Visit Småland IKEA Edmonton at 1311-102 Street NW and find the details for IKEA Smaland, right here.