Kid's Adventures

3 Min Read

Brookhaven loves families and families love Brookhaven: we’re built around family-friendliness, from parks to restaurants and even our annual Cherry Blossom and Arts festivals, where kid-centered activities abound.

If you have a day or even just an afternoon to fill, we’ve got plenty of spaces and places for grownups and children to enjoy together.

Start off any day (or afternoon) on the right foot with all-day breakfast at Brookhaven’s Flying Biscuit Cafe for the ubiquitous biscuits and gravy, buttermilk pancakes, and scrambles…or venture into lunch territory with their one of a kind biscuit pot pie. The atmosphere is warm, the service is friendly, and the menu has something for even the pickiest appetites.

Venture out to one of Brookhaven’s family-favorite destinations, Plaza Fiesta, and discover a city within a city, a crossroads of diverse communities and cultures. Home to Georgia’s largest indoor playground, it’s a top of the list attraction for kids. Equally famous for its array of delicious Central American cuisines, Plaza Fiesta draws over four million guests a year. A gathering place for the community, Plaza Fiesta is modeled on the combination of a street market within a modern shopping center. It’s everything you’d expect from both: handcrafted imports, vintage toys and games adults will remember from their own childhoods, small bakeries, and a central fountain are adjacent to department stores and even a gym. Open seven days a week, Plaza Fiesta hums with live music, carnivals, and cultural celebrations complete with face painting and dance performances.

If kids were in charge of playground design, what they’d come up with would likely be Ashford Park. Scores of bright, exciting toys from scooters to wagons to trucks are donated by visitors, clustered around built-in play structures, slides, swings (including baby and toddler-appropriate), four-person seesaws, and a jumbo sand box. What’s the most popular option? For many families, the view of trains passing through town remains the biggest draw for kids. Two tennis courts and walking paths offer recreation options for older kids and adults as well. With plenty of benches and a covered pavilion, you can pick up lunch or treats, pack it with you, and play your way through the afternoon. If you’ve had your eye out for a great place to host a kids’ event with space to run and play, look no further. You may notice the park’s community center bustling with activity—a popular choice for birthday parties, it’s available to book year-round.

Need a sit-down pick-me-up after the playtime extravaganza? Top off the day with a trip to Brookhaven’s favorite locally-owned creamery, Southern Custard, for the creamiest frozen concoctions around. Freshly made flavors rotate daily, featuring selections like Chocolate Caramel Pretzel, Birthday Cake, Orange Ginger, and Andes Mint (like the classics they are, chocolate and vanilla are always on the menu). With a full toppings bar and options like concretes, sundaes, pies, and specialties like their poffertjes—mini Dutch pancakes with a scoop of your favorite flavor—and their signature affogado—creamy frozen custard drenched in espresso with a waffle cone wedge—it’s easy to see why it’s quickly become Brookhaven’s go-to for desserts and treats. Just to sweeten the deal, the shop’s garage storefront opens onto the sidewalk during warm weather, where you’ll find outdoor seating.

Looking for a savory note to end the day instead? Just steps from the custard shop you’ll find Pure Taqueria. Another true local gem, Pure’s tacos and house specialty dishes are legendary…and so are the margaritas, when it’s time to switch gears and age groups for a grownup play date.

With as many kid-friendly things to do as there are cars in a school pickup line, you can plan a day or play it by ear knowing your happy campers will make new favorite memories all around Brookhaven.