Coffee Shop Games for Kids

Coffee Rush

• Kids try putting the evil Smokestack Coffee Company out of business in "Coffee Rush," accessible as an online game or a one-hour free-trial download at sites like Shockwave. To fulfill customer orders, players make matches on the ingredient board. After clicking an ingredient, kids then click an adjacent ingredient to swap it out with the first one they clicked. If three of the same ingredient line up vertically or horizontally, they disappear from the board and players use them for orders. Customers lose patience and pay less if they wait long for an order; players give them sweets to improve their patience. Kids earn coffee coins for superior performance, using them for upgrades and other purchases. Upon earning the target amount for the day, kids advance to the next level.

Coffee Shop

• With 14 days to make as much cash as possible, kids try making the right inventory choices for "Coffee Shop," accessible at sites like Armor Games. Players ensure they have enough cups, coffee, milk and sugar. Throughout the game, kids make adjustments by buying ingredients, adjusting the recipe and changing the price. For instance, if customers complain they're paying too much for bad-tasting coffee, players lower the price or improve the recipe. Customer preferences include dark-roasted ground coffee beans, creamy coffee and, generally, more of everything. On colder days, customers pay more for coffee, while on hotter days, they pay less. The game ends if the shop goes bankrupt.

Coffee Time

• Kids try fulfilling orders in an accurate and timely manner in "Coffee Time," accessible at sites like OnlineFlashGames. With orders appearing at the top left of the screen, players click and drag cups to the coffee machine, press the desired color, and click and drag cups to the cream machine. After pressing the desired cream color, kids drag the coffee to the plate and click desired toppings or utensils. To complete orders, players click and drag desired pastries to the plate and then click "Serve." The longer that customers wait, the less they pay for an order --- if they wait too long, customers leave. Players lose lives when customers leave or if they serve a wrong order. The game ends when kids lose three lives.

Coffee Tycoon

• Aiming to build a coffee empire, kids handle all aspects of their business in "Coffee Tycoon," available as an online game or a one-hour free-trial download at sites like PrimaryGames. The game includes three types of employees: baristas, who make the coffee and collect the money; managers, who run the store and try attracting more customers; and executives, who try expanding the company by opening more stores. Kids advance to the next level upon reaching a target customer count, at which time they receive bonuses like more customers, money and new stores. With their earnings, players buy ingredients and upgrade such business aspects as employee benefits and equipment. Kids reach ultimate tycoon status if they garner 1 million customers.