I took the little lady along to Cocoa Bean Braehead as a little treat a while back. I’d seen some advertising for their pre-schooler sessions, and knowing how much the little lady likes chocolate (which is almost as much as her mummy) I was pretty sure she’d enjoy it.

The Workshop

The tots workshop is part messy play; part art class; part eating a bunch of chocolate.

First, the kids were given a chocolate lollipop mould (with chocolate already in it), along with a little tub of sweets and treats which they used to decorate the lollipop/cram into their faces. Then they were given a few big marshmallows along with 2 piping bags with white & milk chocolate for squeezing onto the marshmallows/lollipop/into their faces.

The staff member taking the workshop asked the room who would like their face painted. after a cheer went up around the room the staff then came round with some piping bags filled with chocolate for turning pre-schoolers into kitty cats! This was a massive hit with the little lady. And most of the other kids in the workshop if their faces were anything to go by.

There was a section of wall down the front all covered with paper. The kids were invited down there to dip their hands in a paint tray of chocolate, and make chocolate handprints on the wall.

By this point the little lady was mainly just licking chocolate from wherever it happened to be on her person. Which was rather a lot of places.

Finally, the staff came round with paper bags. All the kid’s creations got bagged and bowed up, ready for the journey home. (The little lady ate rather a lot of chocolate during the workshop. I did feel like I had to wait a few days before let her eat some of the treats she brought home!)

I didn’t count them at the time, but there were at least 15 young kids in the workshop and the staff were excellent with them. We moved from one activity to the next quickly and smoothly. The kids didn’t have a the chance to get bored.

The sessions are different each week. Our experience was just an example of what you might do during the class.

The Cost

The sessions cost £6 per child and last half an hour. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. You can book in via the links on their website/facebook page or by giving them a call.

The Verdict

This was probably one of the quickest half hours of my life. It was crammed with chocolate based activities and messy play. I was sweating by the end of it and all I did was supervise. But the little lady absolutely loved it. She had a wonderful time. And a lot of chocolate.

Cocoa Bean is located within Soar at Intu Braehead, formerly xscape, at Kings Inch Rd, Braehead, PA4 8XQ.