Cosmo in Barcelona

No, sometimes it is not easy to go with children to a café. Specially in the center of Barcelona, cafés tend to be narrow, with all the tables crumbled together. The stroller? No space for it.

Cosmo is different. They define themselves as café & art gallery, which is not what makes a parent with children think: "Hey, let´s go in!" But it is in fact, a very child-friendly place. It is located in Enrique Granados 3, between Diputació and Consell de Cent, so central and easy to reach. That piece of Enrique Granados is pedestrian, so it is great for children to play around or cycle in their bikes without the risk of being run over a car.

The drinks. Cosmo has a pretty good list of freshly made juices, which are a good option for children. Today we ordered apple, peer, orange and lemon juice (all mixed together), and Nicolas drank it in one go. I had to beg for a sip! Other options include juices with ingredients such as carrot, ginger, cucumber, which maybe are not so child friendly, but I think I will give it a try next time. The regular coffees, and a nice variety of teas are also available.

There is also a car for pedalling and a box with little toys, in case you did not bring anything with you to keep your child entertained. At the back of the place, there is a low table and chairs for children to draw.

Food. Well, we did not have anything to eat this morning so maybe that is a good reason to come back!

Apps review: Toca Tailor

I have been for a while trying and checking apps for the children. Honestly, I think it is a good practice just not to allow them to use my phone for playing. "My phone is not a toy", that is usually my answer. But there are always exceptions; like waiting for the doctor, long car trips, or other moments when the phone and its apps are actually handy.

So, one app which I find quite funny is Toca Tailor, made by Toca Boca. It allows you to dress a character and choose the clothes, textiles, and accessories. According to the designer:

"The aim of this digital toy is to combine the exciting feeling from a playful dress up party with the freedom of turning shapes, colours and patterns into garments and creating your own outfits. Here you not only choose your clothes - you get to design them yourself. In Toca Tailor your imagination is your wardrobe's limit."

They have the Toca Tailor Fairy Tales version with a couple of characters, and that one is for free. Get it to try the app! In Toca Tailor, you can play with four characters and more options; I bought it and I am quite happy about it. You can also take pictures of textiles you like and use them in your chosen clothes. Or place the character in your room and take a picture of it.

This is the result of Anna´s work, which I found in the Camera roll of my phone; quite nice!

Helping at home: Cleaning the car

Paul really wanted to help at home. And I think that is a great thing to encourage; specially nowadays when children seem to be easily spoiled!

My suggestion: Paul, why don´t you clean the car? Of course, much welcome since it involved a combination of climbing on stairs, playing with water and soap, and doing something which could be potentially dangerous. Using a winter coat (not to get wet) and rain boots added to the fun...

Songs meant for adults that you can listen with your children

"Oiga usted, no se ría, de la bruja avería,..."

I have been thinking for a while; which kind of music is nice to hear with our children?
We do have the usual CDs of children music; and I have to say that the Dutch ones we listen to are quite nice (animal songs, Kinderen voor Kinderen, the typical Sinterklaas and Christmas ones...)

So, I was happy when I found this book during my last holiday in Barcelona: 100 canciones de adultos para oír con niños (100 songs for adults to listen with children). Just something I was looking for!

We did a first trial with one of the songs suggested: No se ría, sang by Santiago Auserón. Paul really loved it, and we had to play it around 10 times! I actually knew it from the time I was a child; how could it be I did not think about it? I guess all Spanish my age remember the Bruja Avería; don´t you?