Exploring Oklahoma with Children
Dining & crafting After all that learning and play, your family is bound to need to refuel! One of our family’s favorite New American restaurants is Theopolis , an upscale neighborhood destination nestled in downtown Shawnee. The menu rotates seasonally to offer a fresh take on scratch-made favorites, like seafood tostadas, artisan flatbreads, burgers and street tacos. A full bar serves craft cocktails and local brews. Plus, you can catch live music on the dog-friendly patio. The Owl Shoppe is another locally-owned restaurant in the heart of Shawnee with friendly staff and beautifully plated meals. The menu includes wraps, salads, quesadillas and wellness bowls, making it hard to decide what to order. Every dish is made fresh offering a good balance of healthy vegetables and sides. Perk up with a cup of tea or coffee at Comma , a welcoming coffee shop in historic downtown that prides itself on creating a peaceful space that feels like home and facilitates connection with others. Lounge indoors or out on their pet-friendly patio while you enjoy a delicious baked treat and seasonal latte. Kids and adults alike enjoy expressing their creativity at Coffee N’ Crafts , a unique coffeehouse with all the supplies you need to paint a masterpiece. Beyond coffee, tea and baked goods, you can also order a “walk-in craft,” like a canvas or wooden cutout, to make your very own work of art. The facility offers several seating areas and workspaces to relax or paint using the community supply of brushes and paints.
(ABOVE) GRAB A TREAT AND A WALK-IN CRAFT AT COFFEE N’ CRAFTS AND (BELOW) ENJOY BRUNCH AT THEOPOLIS.
Notable nearby stops If you have time or end up spending the weekend in Shawnee, our family highly recommends a visit to Nomad’s Animal Encounters in Seminole, just under 30 minutes away. This experience is unlike any zoo because guests are brought into the enclosures to pet, feed and interact with each of the animals. They have a diverse list of animals to see, including both farm animals and exotic creatures, but our favorites were the native species, like the skunk, foxes, grey wolf, opossum, coyotes, bobcats and deer. We were truly captivated by these friendly inhabitants and inspired by the knowledgeable staff, who care deeply for these rescued animals. Seminole is also home to the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum , where various interactive exhibits help children foster imaginative play, curiosity and collaboration. Kids can dig for dinosaur bones, explore a climbing maze, enjoy an outdoor train ride or pretend to be a teacher in a classroom. The museum also offers rotating weekly programs to experience new books, puppet shows or STEM activities. History, novelty and outdoor fun abound in Shawnee. We hope your family enjoys the adventures as much as we did!
TRAVEL TO SEMINOLE FOR UP-CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH A VARIETY OF RESCUED ANIMALS AT NOMAD’S ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS.
30 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / MAR-APR 2024
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