Coffee Shop Insider
Passion Iced Tea
This fruity, decaffeinated drink is totally kid-friendly. It's hibiscus flavored, which is a fancy way of saying red and berryish. The barista will ask if you want it sweetened. This means adding three pumps (assuming you're getting a tall, which is the smallest iced size—12 ounces) of a simple sugar syrup. Adding raspberry syrup or lemonade also tastes good. Green tea and black iced tea—your other options—have caffeine, so aren't good for kids.
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Vanilla Steamer
Also available in kid's size and temperature and with a variety of milks, a vanilla steamer is simply steamed milk with vanilla syrup. You will see sugar-free vanilla on the menu, but know it's made with sucralose—the sweetener used in Splenda.
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Smoothie
Little known fact: Starbucks has smoothies … and they're good! Flavors are orange mango, strawberry and chocolate. All the smoothies come with a banana (though you can't really taste it), 2 percent milk, and whey protein and fiber (is derived from cow's milk). Strawberry and orange mango smoothies are also made with fruit purees, while chocolate smoothies contain mocha syrup. Since they come in one size only—grande (medium), which is 16 ounces—you might want to share.
Babyccino
This is simply extra-foamy milk—like a cappuccino, but without the espresso. (Cappuccinos are about half foam and half steamed milk, while lattes have about 1/4 foam and 3/4 milk.) Little kids especially love the light, bubbly nature of foam. Ask for it bone-dry if you want the drink to be all foam.
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Blended Strawberry Lemonade
You won't see this drink on the menu, but it's a winner. It's made of strawberry puree, lemonade, cream base (the syrup used to make Frappuccinos blend better) and optional sweetener. The result: A sweet, slushy treat that kids love. You can also get just plain lemonade at Starbucks—it's a little sour on its own, so you might want to have sweetener added.
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Heated Horizon Milk
In the front display case, you'll see cardboard cases of chocolate and vanilla Horizon milk. They're great cold, but you can also ask the barista to heat them for you—instant hot chocolate. Why would you make it this way when it's already on the menu? Starbucks hot chocolate is pretty dark, so if your kid likes a more milk-chocolate flavor, this is a better option.
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