A young girl enjoys playing firefighter during a visit to Little Kids Town in Eppstein, Germany, on March 22, 2025. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
My wife and I have found that most family attractions in Wiesbaden, home to the U.S. Army’s headquarters in Europe, are geared toward children a few years older than the 2- and 4-year-old rascals we have running around the house.
While an occasional day trip to the zoo or lake can be a nice change of pace, sometimes the logistics alone are enough to stop us from venturing further than the neighborhood playground or ice cream shop down the street.
We recently came across a nearby play venue designed for little humans, and parents alike, that made for a fine outing on a late Saturday morning.
Little Kids Town, about 15 minutes outside of Wiesbaden in Eppstein, provides a safe, clean space for children 6 and under to play, while parents can take a well-deserved breather.
Little Kids Town in Eppstein, Germany, provides children 6 and under an array of areas to explore imaginative play in a scaled-down city. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
The tiny downtown main street is home to seven different play areas that include a doctor’s office, a grocery store, a fire station and more. A reasonably spacious cafe with seating for 20-30 guests and free Wi-Fi allows parents enough distance to relax or squeeze in some remote work while keeping an eye on the children.
Little Kids Town uses a reservation system to minimize congestion. During our visit, there were about 10 kids playing while five or six couples sat in the cafe enjoying drinks, pastries, and small sandwiches.
My wife and I soaked in the calm atmosphere with plenty of room to stretch out with our fellow parents — a stark contrast to our normal daily bustle.
Little Kids Town in Eppstein, Germany, serves a weekend breakfast for two. It includes two hot drinks and simple German fare for 13 euros. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
The cafe offers breakfast for two on the weekends for 13 euros. It’s standard fare with coffee, a few buns and a small assortment of meats, cheese, jams and fruit. We thought it was a nice touch and a good value.
My daughter enjoyed fulfilling her civic duties as a doctor, firefighter and construction worker while my son took to the streets spending most of his time driving around the assortment of Bobby cars.
I’m skeptical that the little utopia the children created would function as an effective society. But I didn’t hear any crying, arguing or fighting among the tiny citizens during our 2 1/2 hour stay — credit to the young ones, as that’s far more than I can say about us grown-ups in this day and age.
Children role play in the grocery store at Little Kids Town in Eppstein, Germany. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
The cafe at Little Kids Town in Eppstein, Germany, gives parents a space in which to relax while keeping an eye on their young ones playing. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
The staff members ask guests to help keep the large assortment of toys orderly during and after play. Between the staff and parents, we tried to keep the town tidy, but toddlers are toddlers, and it was mostly a futile effort.
The little villagers didn’t seem to mind that they might occasionally find a walkie-talkie in the grocery store’s produce section or a fireman’s helmet in the doctor’s office.
Our kids were worn out in the best of ways after a couple of hours and nodded off for an early afternoon nap on a quiet drive home. Any toddler parent would agree that such moments are priceless.
My daughter was still talking about Little Kids Town and her “new best friends” days after our visit and has asked for a return trip more times than I can count. If nothing else, the little village is certainly kid-approved.
The cafe at Little Kids Town in Eppstein, Germany, near Wiesbaden, offers assorted baked goods and drinks for both youngsters and adults. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Little Kids Town
Address: Hauptstrasse 97, Eppstein, Germany
Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 2-6 p.m.; Thursday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; closed on Tuesdays. Reservations required on weekends.
Prices: Kids from 1 year old, 9 euros; adults, free; drinks 3-5 euros; weekend breakfast for two, 13 euros; happy hour 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (20% off admission).
Information: Phone: +49 61985879873; Email: info@littlekidstown.de; Online: littlekidstown.de
