What just-opened Upper East Side kid’s spot smells like fresh baked cookies, aims to boost kids self confidence and will leave them looking pretty and feeling dapper, possibly with a dose of glitter? Milk & Cookies Kids Spa and Salon. The coolest new place for kids to get pampered while eating yummy treats. Read on to discover why you’ll want to make an appointment at this kids spa ‘where fun, beauty and delicious meet.’
photo: Kashief Williams
There’s really a NYC spa just for little girls and boys?
Yes! The 1,100 square foot spa is aimed at putting a smile on the faces – and glitter on the nails! – of children. Two business-savvy cousins (and self-proclaimed cookie lovers) Jataon Whitley and Teychenne Whitley opened Milk & Cookies Kids Spa, with the aim to build kids self-esteem and give them a place to feel comfortable and call their own. Whitley noticed her son was bored at adult barber shops and her daughter loved spa treatments – and an idea lightbulb went off. She wanted a one-stop place for her children’s haircuts and a kiddie spa experience. That being said, you can get in on the fun too through their Mommy & Me and Daddy & Me packages, which offer a chance to bond creatively together.
And what about the milk and cookies? The whole place smells like cookies when you enter because yummy batches are baked on-site, daily. Every child receiving a treatment gets fresh cookies and milk – both come in a variety of flavors that are on offer at the Cookie Cafe.
photo: Kashief Williams
What spa treatments (and cookies) are on the menu?
Both basics – manicures, pedicures and haircuts – and more imaginative and robust spa packages are on offer. Try a Basic Milk Bath with Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla or Banana milk soak; a spa manicure or pedicure that includes a soak, scrub, Souffle (polish and two designs or buff and temporary tattoo), or go all out for a Cookie Monster attack treatment. Got a little dude? He’ll love the Slimy Booger Invasion, complete with wormy mud pies, “Booger” soap, and more. There’s even a menu of kid-friendly, flavorful facials – think Lemon Berry and Vanilla.
If you choose a spa/salon package for your boy or girl, they’ll get to create their own body lotion, scrub or bubble bath to take home. The owners collaborated with special chemists to create safe and fun-selling lotions, washes, and scrubs. Popular packages include the Lemon Butter Crunch (spa manicure, spa pedicure, yummy facial) and the Rocky Road (hair treatment and tattoo).
photo: Lakisha A. via Yelp
Just need their hair done? At each hair station is a digital tablet so kids can watch movies and TV, or play a video game as they get a trim, braids, or a treatment. They’ll love the sweet-smelling hair sprays and washes the spa uses. Got a special event coming up? This is the new “it” salon for your kid’s up-do.
While you can walk-in at Milk & Cookies, we recommend making an appointment in advance. Still have to wait for your spa or salon session? No problem. Here, waiting is half the fun! There’s a kids play area complete with interactive video games, bean bag chairs, a huge whiteboard they can doodle on and more.
photo: Kashief Williams
What else should you know before making a spa appointment for your child?
At the on-site Cookie Café, the cookie bar offers a variety of cookie options including gluten-free and peanut-free alternatives, and various types of milk including soy milk. Thinking about a spa-themed birthday party? Milk & Cookies offers a wide variety of party packages. All two-hour party packages include cookies and ice cream, exclusive e-vite invitations, party favor gift bags and dedicated staff members to manage the fun. Pizza and other foods are available for an additional fee. If you become a repeat customer, you can take advantage of the spa’s loyalty program – you earn cookie points, which can be redeemed for free services.
Milk & Cookies Kids Spa and Salon
1196 First Ave. (Between 64th & 65th st.)
Upper East Side
646-850-4032
Online: milkandcookieskidsspa.com
Have you ever taken your child to a kid’s spa? Tell us what you thought in a comment.
-Rachel Sokol
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