We know it’s easy. Just scroll, click, pay, and voila! The gifts arrive at your doorstep, often wrapped and ready to slip under the tree or place on a table for Hanukkah, Solstice, Twelfth Night, and other gift-giving holidays. It’s hard not to simply Amazon your holiday buying away.
But as a locally-owned parenting publication serving local parents, we want to make a pitch for shopping local toy and game stores for kids’ gifts this year. Why? Here are six good reasons:
- Local shops know their stuff — about the safety and popularity of the toys and games they sell. The store’s employees—and often the owners themselves—are ready to make recommendations based on your child’s interests.
- You get to see and touch the toy or game before you purchase
- There’s none of the extra packaging that comes with the toys that are delivered to your house and that goes in the garbage or recycling.
- Shopping local helps keep our neighborhood retail areas healthy.
- Shopping local keeps small business owners in business to support their own families and employees.
- Local shops are a great source of products from local makers and artists.
We call that a win-win-win-win-win-win for kids and local small business owners.
Some local stores offer in-store and online buying, others in-store purchases and still others offer online ordering with local store pick-up. Here’s what you need to know:
Snapdoodle Toys & Games.
Snapdoodle Toys & Games
In-store and online sales; snapdoodletoys.com
- Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood: 120 N 85th St, Seattle, WA 98103; (206) 782-0098
- Kenmore: 7330 NE Bothell Way, Kenmore, WA 98028; (425) 408-0021
- Redmond: 15752 Redmond Way, Redmond, WA 98052; (425) 869-9713
- Issaquah: 1527 Highlands Dr NE #110, Issaquah, WA 98027: (425) 651-2838
- Kirkland: 11901 NE Village Plaza, #175, Kirkland, WA 98034; (425) 285-9366
- Bellevue: 1100 Bellevue Way NE Ste 6A, Bellevue, WA 98004; (425) 590-9576
- Snohomish: 1112 1st Street, Snohomish, WA 98290; (360) 863-2356
Snapdoodle’s goal is to “offer customers a truly one-of-a-kind shopping experience with a curated selection of toys and games and personalized service.” That service really makes this store shine. Not to mention, Snapdoodle offers year-round free gift wrapping and a variety of play tables and game demos.
Clover Toys
Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood: 4609 14th Ave NW, Ste 103, Seattle, WA 98107; (206) 782–0715
In-store and online sales; shopclovertoys.com
Clover Toys is a small shop with a big mission “to provide beautiful, unique toys and clothing with an emphasis on quality.“ And that’s precisely what they do.
Thistle and Poppy
Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood: 428 15th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112;
In-store and online sales; thistleandpoppy.com
Walk into this recently opened shop, and you’ll be immediately hit with a sense of calm, beautiful color, and coziness. The curated selection here focuses on sustainable and heirloom-quality goods (think woods and felts), vintage and found clothing, toys, books, and more.
Oh the weirdness at Archie McPhees. Rubber chickens galore. Photo from McPhee.com
Archie McPhee
Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood: 1300 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103; (206) 297-0240
In-store and online sales; archiemcpheeseattle.com
Here’s how Archie McPhee’s describes itself: “It’s a one-stop shop for party supplies, crafts, costumes, miniatures and the weirdest collection of toys and candy that you’ve ever seen … a Mecca for connoisseurs of the strange and one of Seattle’s top ten weird destinations.“ Yup, that sums it up. If you want to get your kid crazy gifts and toys to make them laugh out loud, this is the place.
Curious Kids Stuff
West Seattle: 4740 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116; (206) 937-8788
In-store and order online for in-store pick-up only; calicotoyshoppe.com
Curious Kids Stuff is now owned by Calico Toy Shoppe, which has been on Bainbridge Island for over 40 years. The stores are committed to finding local suppliers, eco-friendly themes, and unique toys and gifts for all ages.
Blue Highway Games
Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood: 2203 Queen Anne Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
In-store and online sales; bluehighwaygames.com
Besides being a cool games store, Blue Highways is also a community space where people of all ages gather to play. The shop specializes in board games, puzzles, and trading card games.
olls and puppets, science projects, and more. Opened in 1977, it is the grandmother of local toy stores.
Read more:
Seattle’s Child’s A-Z Holiday Gift Guide
