Cozy Up to the Fire: Family-Friendly Coffee/Hot Cocoa Bar

The holiday season is upon us, and that means so is the hustle and bustle. To help my family slow down I decided to create a family-friendly coffee/hot cocoa bar.

Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below, but these are products I recommend. I won’t put anything on this page that I haven’t verified and/or personally used.

I’m so excited to share our coffee/hot cocoa bar with you today! If you’re here from KariAnne with Thistlewood Farms I’m glad you decided to drop by and drink a cup of coffee or hot cocoa with me. If this is your first time visiting I want you to know I’m honored you’re here! My name is Aliya. I’m a nurse turned mostly stay-at-home-Mom who loves DIY projects, decorating, and gardening.

At Open Door Home, I believe that if you’re brave enough to open your doors to those around you, you’ll be blessed by hearts opening around you. I hope you enjoy sitting down for a cup of something warm and cozy as I share the ways we created a family-friendly coffee/hot cocoa bar.

To begin the process of creating this coffee/hot cocoa bar I asked my two little girls what they would want. I literally had a pad of paper and a pen in hand and began jotting down their ideas. Oh. My. Word! Most of the requests made perfect sense. But some of their ideas made me laugh out loud!

For instance, my oldest asked me to put a tent over the hot cocoa bar and then put pillows and blankets on the floor inside the tent. I think this idea was inspired by her reading corner in her bedroom. She has a little canopy hanging from the ceiling, filled with a bean bag, sitting beside her bookcase. My youngest on the other hand requested A1 sauce!! She literally just learned about A1 sauce and is now a little obsessed haha!!

Why A Coffee / Hot Cocoa Bar?

Generally, I’m not into getting cold. It just isn’t something I enjoy. However, my word of the year for 2020 was “wonder”. That being said, I discovered so much wonder in the world. One place I found it was outside in nature in the chilly late winter. I gained a new respect and I’d nearly say appreciation for going outside in the cold, for the simple sake of going outside to play in the cold.

Now, don’t get me wrong. When I was a kid, playing outside in the snow was something I loved doing. I distinctively remember playing outside in the snow late into the night on multiple occasions. I loved it back then. Maybe a little piece of the kid in me started fading away when I decided to stop playing outside. But having a couple little kids now is helping me remember.

When we went outside to play, we always would come inside to hot cocoa that Mom has prepared for us. It was simple. Nothing extravagant. But it was almost like, playing in the snow wasn’t complete until you came inside and drank some hot cocoa. I want to create that same kind of memory for my girls. So here we are! Coffee/Hot Cocoa Bar for the entire family to enjoy!

Elements of Family-Friendly Coffee/Hot Cocoa Bar

Hot Cocoa Bar Shatter Proof Mugs

My husband and I have been talking about buying some enamel mugs to have for our nights around the bonfire this summer. But we never got around to purchasing them. But after we talked about creating a family-friendly coffee/hot cocoa bar it was a must-have!

Before this purchase, all our mugs were either glass or ceramic. So I got nervous when they would toddle around with my mugs in their hands. These enamel mugs are perfect! If they spill it’s just a little liquid mess, not a liquid and sharp shards of glass mess. So far we’ve all loved the mugs, but the girls especially! I also picked up this mug rack and placed it on a shelf that they can reach. Because at 4 and nearly 3 years old, they want to do EVERYTHING by themselves haha!

Hot Cocoa Bar Kid Approved Toppings

Like I mentioned before, I asked the girls what they wanted for the toppings. Not every request was approved, but these are the selections that made it: Chocolate Sprinkles, Marshmallows, Peppermint, Pirouettes, Mini Chocolate Chips. I created these cute little labels so we can practice letter recognition and sounds all while making our hot cocoa memories. My oldest is absolutely loving it! A fun way to mix learning into an otherwise “fun and games” activity.

Since these labels were such a hit for my family, I decided to create some for you to print for your hot cocoa bar! At the bottom of this post, you can subscribe to our newsletter and we’ll send you the labels for FREE directly to your inbox! I’ve added a few different toppings just in case you want more options for your hot cocoa bar!

Outdoor Décor Indoors

For me hot cocoa is delicious when you drink it just because, but it’s magical when you drink it after coming inside from playing outside. That said, I wanted to bring as much of the outdoors inside as I could. To do this I used a wood slab under the coffee pot. (Helpful Hint: Coffee pots can ruin woods with varnish on them from the heat. By placing this wood slab between it I not only add the style I’m going for, but I also protect my vintage pie safe)

I also added a tabletop tree, because I don’t think its winter décor without evergreen stems, garlands, swags, and trees everywhere! I picked this evergreen tree up at Rustik Market. She has so many options, but I stuck with a very simple and natural look.

DIY Tiered Fixing Stand

The DIY tired stand serves 2 purposes. First, it allows the girls to see and grab their desired toppings more easily. The next thing it does is add another raw wood element to this otherwise very white space. When I removed the DIY tulip tray I had in this space before, I felt like it was missing that wood element. So, I just decided to DIY another wood item that could help with the Coffee/Hot Cocoa Bar.

Milk Frother & Steamer

I know what your thinking. This isn’t something you’d usually use for kids at the hot cocoa bar. But the reoccurring theme you have probably picked up on is – this is our coffee/hot cocoa bar. It’s for the whole family any and every day of the week.

So for the mornings when I wake up and grab a cup of coffee it’s a nice treat to pour some steamed and frothed milk in my mug. I don’t do it every morning, but pretty close.

My husband purchased this milk frother and steamer for my Mother’s Day gift 2 years ago. I love it as much today as I did 2 years ago when I opened it. You can make all kinds of yummy drinks for much cheaper than the coffee shop down the street AND there’s no need to put on your shoes or bra to get your latte haha!

I hope this helps inspire you to create a fun and beautiful way to slow down and make memories this winter! Now that I’m done sharing my coffee/hot cocoa bar with you make sure you head on over and visit Kori with The Farmhouse Life. Hers is absolutely stunning and full of all the cozy things to inspire you this winter.

Don’t forget to Pin for later!

Thanks for stopping by! Don’t forget to follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram! Have a great week! XoXo

Open Your Doors,
Aliya

Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below, but these are products I recommend. I won’t put anything on this page that I haven’t verified and/or personally used.

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