Thinking outside the big box: 10 great toy stores around Cincinnati

Cincinnati families are lucky indeed.  Cincinnatians have easy access to a good number of local, independently owned toy purveyors scattered around the region.  Many comparable cities must settle for the same old big box toy shopping experience with fewer alternatives.  Here is a list of TEN great stores around Cincinnati to get you hot on the trail of extraordinary toys, games, puzzles, books and more.

Blue Manatee Children’s Bookstore & deCafé (Oakley)

What makes it special:  Blue Manatee takes a unique kid friendly calendar featuring things like story time read in French, German and Spanish, and combines it with a parent friendly café that serves some of the best coffee, and smoothies in town.  This is a great place to find a matching plush, toy or game to go along with your child’s favorite story book characters.

Blue Marble Children’s Bookstore (Ft. Thomas, KY)

What makes it special:  Blue Marble has been serving Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 1979.  With a special emphasis on providing teachers with highest quality books and educational games, toys, puzzles, activities and other resources they can use in the classroom, Blue Marble is a regular destination for educators.  It’s also known for its “Great Green Room” upstairs: a delightful replica of the famed setting from the classic children’s storybook “Goodnight Moon.”  This is a delightfully cozy neighborhood shop with lots of nooks and crannies filled with literary treasures for infants to teens.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Gift Shop (Clifton)

What makes it special:  The gift shop is run by volunteers and all proceeds benefit the hospital.  If you haven’t seen it, you’ll be surprised at the sheer size of the store.  It offers a surprisingly broad selection chosen to entertain and occupy children of all ages, and special attention is given to providing playthings that are portable. Here you’ll find many choices that are quick play toys and games for children who tire easily or have short attention spans, as well as thoughtful more time-consuming activities to ward of boredom.  They also offer a line of thoughtfully composed gift baskets available for pickup or delivery.

Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal (Downtown)

What makes it special:  The Museum Center has not one, but two toy and gift stores open year round.  During the holiday season, a third store opens in the Holiday Junction toy train exhibit.  The gigantic Store To Explore, located in the Rotunda, is organized by subject with areas for history, science, math etc.  Of particular interest is an impressive selection of fossils, minerals, and natural crystal specimens available.  They also have a staggering selection of activity kits, games and puzzles for virtually any subject.  The Children’s Gift Shop is downstairs at the entrance to the Children’s Museum and offers stuffed toys, educational items and a rotating selection of souvenir items related to special, temporary traveling exhibits.

Coolest Toys on Earth (Milford)

What makes it special:  This is the place to find the coolest in mechanical, outdoor, remote control, and extreme physical and scientific toys.  The store is organized by “toys that fly, toys with wheels, toys that float, toys with ammo, and toys for the mind.”  Here you’ll find robots, lasers, catapults, and boomerangs.  But it’s also crammed full of games and puzzles and thing-a-ma-gigs to challenge the brain.

Joseph Beth Kids Bookstore (Norwood/Hyde Park)

What makes it special:  The children’s section at Joseph Beth offers a space that is easy to supervise while allowing kids to explore and discover new favorite toys, books, games, puzzles, puppets and more.  There is a comfortable builtin bleacher-type area that is used for story time and an ideal place for parents to perch and monitor while the kids play.

King Arthur’s Court Toys (Oakley)

What makes it special:  King Arthur’s has been around for 25 years and is the largest independent specialty toy store in the city.  Here you’ll find new, innovative products alongside classic, timeless toys and games for all ages and an unusually large selection of Lego, Playmobil, Breyer and other harder-to-find specialty name brands.

Learning Express Toys (Crestview Hills, KY)

What makes it special:  Learning Express offers a unique birthday wish list registry program.  In addition to toys, games, puzzles and dolls, they present a noticeably broad selection of activity kits including arts and crafts kits, science and nature kits, and unusual construction toys.

Ted’s Toy Store (Madeira)

What makes it special:  Ted’s Toys offers a thoughtful selection of toys and games for all ages and has a reputation as a place to find unusual playthings that are of particular appeal for special needs and gifted children. They feature new, innovative products from small companies and their ever changing selection of gags and tricks hints at the owner’s playful personality.

Toko Kidz (Clifton)

What makes it special: Toko Kidz packs a lot into a small space and has a very artsy, hip atmosphere.  Featuring lots of handmade items and toys made from natural materials, their selection is very whimsical and unconventional.  In addition to a great selection of high quality toys and games, they are also a great place to find baby gifts and toys that are certain not to be duplicates at the next shower you attend.

The next time you are on the hunt for a birthday gift for that special child in your life, think outside the big box and consider one of these local destinations to find something thoughtful.

Disclosure statement: some but not all of the retailers mentioned in this article sell a product made by my company.  This in no way influenced or had any bearing on who was included in the article.