Kid-Friendly Wegmans: 15 Ways You Didn't Realize Wegmans was Helping You Shop with Kids

Kid-Friendly Wegmans: 15 Ways You Didn't Realize Wegmans was Helping You Shop with Kids

by Kathleen McCormack

When you have children, friends and family are usually eager to help. "Let me know what I can do!" they offer politely. Not until I had my second child did I finally start taking them up on their offers. "You say you want to hang with my kids? Great, how's tomorrow at 2? I have things to do." 

It wasn't until I had children that my eyes were opened to all the ways in which stores work to accomodate parents. The reality is I will drive the extra distance to get to the store that has racecar shopping carts or expectant mother parking spaces.

Wegmans understands that shopping with children can be a bear, so I recently asked if they would delineate for our KidsOutAndAbout readers all the ways that parents can make their weekly chore just that much less frustrating. Even though I'm a Rochester native (their homebase) and a cult Wegmans shopper, there were quite a few I didn't realize existed!

Here is a list of some of the ways Wegmans try to make shopping easier for parents. Please note: some of these items may vary by store.

1. Helping hands drive-up service or escort to car

2. Expectant Motherand/or Families with Children parking

3. Family restrooms/changing stations – select stores

4. Child-friendly seating area in the Market Café – select stores

5. Kid-friendly cart designs (racecar, truck, Caroline’s Cart) – all stores have Caroline’s Cart; the other designs may vary by store

6. Cooking with Kids classes – stores independently choose which events they’d like to host and when. Follow link for schedule of upcoming classes.

7. Personal shopping – Pittsford only

8. WKids Play Center (supervised) in-store while you shop – select stores

9. Kids movie night – select stores

10. Eat Well Live Well 4th grade tours – select stores. This is a free field trip for 4th grade classes and can be set up by the school.

11. Veggie Patch cooking class for scouts – select stores.

12. Holiday celebrations such as Breakfast with Santa or the Easter Bunny, Halloween trick-or-treating, decorate a cake for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day – stores independently choose if they’d like to host. See store for details. 

13. Online educational tools for teachers and families – downloadable nutrition puzzles and worksheets

14. Toy train, usually found near the ceiling in a department like dairy or bulk foods

15. Rooster glockenspiel clock - East Ave. only

16. Kid friendly services by Wegmans Pharmacy - offering FlavoRx to flavor children's antibiotics and liquid medications, a less than 15 minute wait times for in-store prescriptions with a pager to let you know when it's ready, and Free Home Shipping of prescriptions if you prefer.