Editor’s Note: We are sorry to report that Planet Happy has closed.
Tucked into a quiet strip of independent businesses near University Village, Planet Happy is a truly hidden gem. The eco-friendly toy store and drop-in activity space is designed to let kids explore, and it’s full of quirky and lively details.
When they walk in, kids will see a hollowed out old television box that’s home to a sweet African pygmy hedgehog named Buttercup. Follow the chirps a few steps further to find a built-in bird house with doves and finches traveling from branch to branch. Hanging paper lanterns and wooden floors complete the space’s warm, magical feel.
In addition to regular Saturday morning classes for toddlers through tweens, including how to make bird feeders or get started painting, Planet Happy features interactive, sensory activities during regular business hours. Little ones can make buttons and mirrors at a craft station that also includes plenty of crayons, markers and paper for scribbling. Or, kids can concoct their own fragrance, bath salts and body lotion at a do-it-yourself bar. Scented oils, like pear, cucumber and strawberry, are ready to be added to dried calendula or rose petals and poured into take-home spray or lotion bottles.
Shelves are lined with products from mom-owned businesses and made with green or recycled materials. Even cooler, Planet Happy plants a tree for every $10 you spend. Many items have local connections, including fair trade drums from Jamtown and gluten-free Max’s Mud Organic Sculpting Dough. Puzzles, pot holder kits (a nice throwback to when we were kids), natural baby teethers, Matthew Porter wall art and books, and picks from local author Sara Anderson are also up for grabs.
There are plenty of toys to test, too, like a pushable shopping cart filled with felt fruits and colorful trains on a built-in track. Don’t forget to fill a packet with seeds on your way out after you say goodbye to Buttercup!
