Comments (0) BEST MALL EXPERIENCE WITH THE KIDS - 2006

Chandler Fashion Center

The key to a pleasurable mall trip with the kids? Baby steps. Don't try to tackle the whole place. Save that for a day you've got a sitter, or give up entirely and shop online in the middle of the night, like we do. If the A/C and bright colors of the mall beckon, head to Chandler Fashion Center and follow our simple instructions for a great time: Enter through the Barnes & Noble. Immediately stop at the Starbucks inside. Fortified, you can find yourself waylaid for quite a while in the children's section, and if you work it right, you can grab yourself a book or magazine from the adult aisles. Or let Junior hand you something fun to read. The children's section here even features a small wooden stage — perfect for cuddling up to read or clearing off to perform. From B&N, you'll be led directly to the small playground, limited to toddlers and open enough to guarantee you can watch your kid the whole time (other local malls' indoor playgrounds include closed slides; you'll drive yourself nuts making sure Junior's okay). Do be careful there are no escapes into the elevator — the playground's one design flaw. The best part? You can go to Build a Bear or the candy store if you choose, but neither is visible from the playground itself, ensuring that the parent gets to make that call. We're pretty certain the mall planners didn't do that on purpose, but we're grateful nonetheless.