We asked our 510 Families facebook group where they take their children to get haircuts and the results came rolling right in. I thought a list of kid-friendly hair-cutters would be useful for rookie parents who have not yet cut their child’s hair.
Here are the hair-cutting solutions parents shared with us:
1. Snips on College Avenue in Rockridge. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Posted price of kids’ haircut: $19
2. Cutting Up on College, also in Rockridge. A 510 Families reader advises parents to ask for Tresca Behling. “She rocks.” Tresca’s web page does not have kids’ prices listed, but two of the other stylists at Cuttin Up posted that kids 12 and under are $25.
3. Grand Barber Shop on San Pablo in El Cerrito was named by several parents. “Old school all the way, including the ancient Care Bear video my son looks forward to watching each time.” This ex-Marine owned shop is too old school to have its own webpage, so read the reviews on Yelp, which mention $15 as the price of a haircut.
4. Cool Cuts behind Trader Joe’s in Rockridge is a kids’ salon that gives special treatment for first-ever haircuts: a commemorative photo, certificate, and baggie to take home a clipping. “My kid’s hair always looks great and he is happy sitting in the car chairs and watching Thomas.” The price is $19.50.
5. Snippety Crickets on Solano gets mixed reviews from our readers. Three people like a stylist named Linh there, while one says, “…he always gets a bad haircut there. Hoping that it grows out FAST!!” Half the square footage of the place is occupied with small toys you can purchase as a bribe reward, so decide in advance if that’s going to make your life easier or harder.
6. Lollipop Haircuts in Brentwood is a completely kidcentric hair salon. Though located in the {925}, I’m including it because I know some of you live there. They offer a Baby’s 1st Haircut package including a certificate, photo, and lock of hair. A basic kid’s haircut is $15.
7. Clips ‘N Snips on Macarthur in the Laurel comes recommended. The price for a child 12 or under is $12, though long hair may be more.
8. Heads on lower Solano Avenue in Albany is a cut above Supercuts (yep, I said that), located right across the street, where I continue to take my son, though my daughter got a terrible uneven bob there. The price is about $15, though I cannot find it posted anywhere.
9. Supercuts in Rockridge was mentioned at least once. If you like the chain, there are locations in Alameda (Marina Village and Park Street), El Cerrito Plaza, Solano Avenue/Albany, and Elmwood. The kid treatment is not much different from adult, but they service their fair share of kids and offer a balloon or lollipop at the end.
10.The new Temescal Alley Barber Shop is so hip that their website is on a tumblr account. My friend had the tattooed stylists cut her son’s and daughter’s hair and said that their offer of a glass of whiskey while she waited made her feel cool, although she declined the drink. Walk-ins only. Kids cuts are $15.
The home hair cut was also a popular answer, with numerous parents exclaiming, “Me!” as the name of their child’s barber. One mom said that she and her partner take turns, sometimes in the same sitting.
Some folks bring their kids to their own stylist where they get a discounted kids’ rate.
Finally, a question for the crowd: “Any recommendations for curly hair?” asks one mom. “So scared his curls will go away, but way past the proper time! But the curls are soooo cute!”
[photo: courtesy snips website]
Our son has been going to Snips since he was 1. He is almost 5 now. Sadly, at our last appointment with Miriam we found out that Lee, the proprietor, had passed away. He was older than he looked; 72. Snips is still in business and Miriam is still great.
For parents in the 925 check out Ms Karen’s Place in Lafayette. She has a magical little space in the back of a regular salon and a lot of love for all the children who come in. Kids haircuts are $16. Included in your visit, should you so choose, are goldfish crackers, a sticker, toy, candy, balloon, glitter spray, bows or ribbons, stick-on sparkle earrings, and your choice of kid friendly DVDs to distract your little one during the cut. We have been seeing her for years and haven’t had a bad haircut yet. The ultimate testimonial? My younger son recently decided he wanted to marry her so he could have free haircuts for the rest of his life.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/miss-karens-place-lafayette
It’s a good idea to call ahead at Grand Barbershop (510-526-5422) to see how crowded it is there. Laura is the one who cuts kids’ hair and she is generally the one who answers the phone. No appointment necessary. She’s great with kids as I’ve been taking my son there since he was 1.5 years old. Watching a video while in the chair keeps the kids calm and afterwards there are M&M or lollipop treats.
They are closed on Sunday and Monday and I think Laura is off on Saturdays.
Thanks for adding your good advice, Chris!
Does anyone have a recommendation for a place and person who is really good at cutting curly hair in kids? My daughter has some layers or very curly hair, and some straighter ones, and I´d like to have her hair cut by someone who´s going to make it look nice, and not cut the curls away. Thanks!
Toni, I vote for Linh at Snippety Crickets for my curly-haired kids.
True story, I had both my big boys in Linh’s chair while the other stylist was sweeping up. I urged my husband to hop into her chair to save time. His hair couldn’t grow out fast enough. Just sayin’…
[...] Our family’s go-to place for kids’ haircuts is still Snippety Crickets on Solano. We love Linh. Whitney did a round-up of 9 other places where the East Bay kids are going for haircuts. [...]
I’ve been taking my two girls (3 & 6 years old) to Pony Tails in Lafayette since their first haircuts. Talyta is amazing and I am frequently stopped by strangers who comment on their beautiful hairstyles. She does a great job of cutting the hair with their natural style in mind (one has straight hair the other wavy) so that it looks incredible, is easy to manage (we literally just comb it after a bath), and grows out beautifully. She is great with kids and my girls look forward to every appointment They also have fun horses that the kids can sit on and toys for them to play with while they are getting their haircut which keeps them happy too.
We’ve had good luck at Nina & Dale’s Place, in North Berkeley next to Cheeseboard. My husband has gotten his hair cut there for years and for our son’s first cuts we just piggybacked on the back of Daddy’s appt. We mostly see Nina’s sister who is there on the weekend; I’m not sure what her name is, but she is very sweet with kids. My only complaint is that the place smells kind of weird. But the haircut is over fast, so whatever.