Visiting a good toy store always brings out my inner child—from hands-on access to products to recommendations from friendly and knowledgeable staff to a fantastic selection of high-quality products made locally and curated worldwide, toy stores offer customers (both parents and kids!) a unique experience they won’t get by shopping online. Check out one of these Boston toy stores for an amazing experience you won’t forget.
Most of these toy stores are independently owned stores, which usually means they tend to be a bit more selective of their products and offer better customer service, as they’re more invested in their local community. As a small business owner, I definitely advocate for shopping local when you can!
7 Boston Toy Stores for Whimsical, Fun, and High-Quality Products
Boing! Toy Shop
667 Centre Street
Boston, MA (Jamaica Plain)
Voted Best of Boston by Boston Magazine, Boing! Toy Shop has been providing high-quality toys for the communities of Jamaica Plain and adjoining neighborhoods in Boston since 2001. The Boston toy store combines a love of play, a sense of adventure, and excellent customer service to serve the families of Jamaica Plain and the greater Boston area.
Owned by local mother Kim Mitchell, Boing! Toy Shop has evolved into a vibrant toy store with a community of support. On the shelves, you’ll find everything you need when looking for fun, developmentally-friendly, educational toys that will provide your little ones years of excitement. Honestly, I think one of the perks of Boing! is that it also stocks activities and games that will bring joy to older kids and even adults as well. You can pick up a make-your-own wind chime kit, wooden mechanical puzzle, or card game (among many other options!) along with that special item for the child or infant you originally came in to shop for.
One of Boing!’s best assets is its staff, who reviewers rave about. Knowledgeable AND patient with excited children, team members are all trained to help you find that perfect gift for any child (even the ones with picky parents, ahem…).
I really appreciate that Boing! truly strives to be a good neighbor in its community. Demonstrating their commitment to giving back, they partner with Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center to help local teens and young adults gain work experience and donate to over 50 hand-selected non-profits. They even founded a Kindness Club, encouraging children to do random acts of kindness. Hoping to foster compassion and good will in their community, Boing! Toy Shop invites children to visit and share their act of kindness with staff, who write down and display their act of kindness for the all visitors to see. Children who share are also allowed to choose a small prize from the Boston toy store.
Some of the store’s most popular toys are:
- shape sorters
- popper toys
- Magna-Tiles
- books
- board games
- Legos
- knitting kits
- blocks
- toy trains
- musical toys
- stomp rockets
- scooters
- dress-up sets
- dolls
- paint sets
Customers can shop in-store and online and can even access curbside pickup.
Henry Bear’s Park
17 White Street
Cambridge, MA 02140
Henry Bear’s Park is an independent toy store committed to encouraging children’s physical, emotional, and social development through play. Children’s play is much more than having fun—it’s quite literally how they learn! For the past 45 years, Henry Bear’s Park has provided families with top-quality, developmentally appropriate toys to foster children’s budding imagination and creativity. Henry Bear’s Park makes it easy for kids to enjoy playing in a way that promotes their overall development.
Through thoughtful curation, toys at Henry Bear’s Park are chosen by play experts committed to providing fun ways for children to play and explore. The store carries durable products that parents can trust. In addition to carrying a vast array of toys and games, Henry Bear’s Park is run by a team that provides exceptional customer service to families. Staff members are always ready to assist with orders, offer customized toy recommendations, and accept product feedback.
Eureka! Puzzles & Games
1355 Beacon Street
Brookline, MA
Not your average toy store, Eureka! Puzzles & Games is a unique, independently run toy shop overflowing with incredible treasures, from Japanese puzzle boxes and jigsaw puzzles to STEM toys to clever board games. The products at this toy store are guaranteed to give children (and adults!) hours upon hours of brain-stimulating fun. The puzzles in this gem of a store are curated to delight and perplex customers of every age.
Merchandise sold at this Boston toy store helps customers young and old learn about how things work, from scientific microscopes to historical board games. However, Eureka!’s main claim to fame is that it carries more puzzles—jigsaw, mechanical, you name it—than any other store in the region. With more than 1,000 jigsaw puzzles, 1,000 mechanical puzzles, 1,500 games, 1,000 puzzle books, and 500 science items. The games collection includes strategy games, Euro games, children’s games, and family games. Popular products include:
- Custom jigsaw puzzles (you can literally take any photo you want and make it into a puzzle!)
- Grimm’s wooden puzzles and blocks
- Magna-Tiles sets
- DIY kits
- Mini puzzles
- Magnet puzzles
- Card games
Eureka! even hosts regular game nights, where customers can learn about the newest games. Services include game camps during school vacations and an “On The Spot” service where staff members bring the games to you! Eureka! offers online shopping if you need it.
CAMP
Burlington Mall
75 Middlesex Turnpike
1st Floor
Burlington, MA
CAMP is not your everyday Boston toy store; it’s a Family Experience Company dedicated to providing you and your kids a fun, immersive experience. While CAMP is full of high-quality, memory-worthy toys, games, books and more, it’s best known as a place that provides an easy answer to the all-too-constant daily question, “What should we do today?” Every surface in a CAMP store is a unique blend of play space and products, with themed activities throughout the store.
Perhaps most exciting for children in tow, CAMP’s signature activity is a (ticketed) immersive play experience in the huge space only accessible through the store’s “secret” door. These activities rotate between CAMP’s locations a few months at a time; what they all share is loud belly laughs, room to run and play, and excellent “counselors” (staff) that interact with your child in play. Previous CAMP themes have included PAW Patrol, BaseCAMP (adventures galore), Encanto, NIKE, Disney’s Mickey & Friends, and Cosmic CAMP (think jumping over lava and driving a rover somewhere in space).
If your child enjoys creative endeavors more than they enjoy running around (or if you need another activity to follow-up the themed activity), you can also purchase your child a craft pass, which gives them access to an hour’s worth of access to an “all-you-can-dream buffet of craft and art supplies from [CAMP’s] art studio on wheels.” Your little one can paint their own wooden toy or ceramic item, make jewelry or slime, or put together their own craft from the studio’s collection of pom poms, googly eyes, glues, glitter, pipe cleaners, washi tapes, and even stick-on gemstones. The best part? You don’t have to clean any of it up, since that’s part of the CAMP magic!
For parents or children who thrive with less stimulation, CAMP even has a reading nook surrounded by a selection of books.
Customers can also shop online for access to this Boston toy store’s curated product collections; lists of top toys, gift ideas by age, and the latest trends in play; and ideas for family fun.
The CAMP product line includes:
- action figures
- apparel
- electronics
- building toys
- collectibles
- fidget toys
- kitchen items
- novelty toys
- home decor
- pretend play
- slime and sand
- outdoor toys
- stationary
- party supplies
- dolls
CAMP also hosts birthday parties and special activities throughout the year, such as Slime BootCAMP, Glitter Girls Slime BootCAMP, book signings, and crafts. Customers can reserve their spot for activities here—many activities sell out, so make sure you take a look online and snag your tickets before you stop by.
Tadpole
58 Clarendon Street
Boston, MA
Tadpole is more than just a Boston toy store: it’s an independently run neighborhood store for families looking for anything from toys to car seats. Tadpole’s customer experience is second to none, and parents can even schedule registry consultations as needed.
Tadpole’s owners and founders put a large emphasis on environmentally conscious and user-friendly products. While Tadpole is geared more toward families with babies and toddler-aged children, you’ll find toys tricycles and scooters alongside rattles and stuffed animals. Older children will also enjoy Tadpole’s selection of Legos, STEM toys, and even arts and craft options.
Moreover, Tadpole’s friendly staffed are trained to help parents get a good sense for what their options are by fostering hands-on interaction and product demonstrations.
Tadpole offers the options to shop online and book appointments here if you want those options.
The Village Toy Shop
Village Shoppes of Canton
95 Washington Street
Canton, MA 02021
At The Village Toy Shop, learning is always fun. This stoy store has even been voted the Best Toy Store south of Boston! Located in the Cobbs Corner neighborhood of Canton, Massachusetts, The Village Toy Shop offers families a wide variety of specialty toys and gifts for all ages, from toys meant to inspire imaginative play to STEM toys to outdoor toys to arts and crafts. Everyone is bound to find something among The Village Toy Shop’s large assortment!
With glowing reviews, this shop is a wonderful neighborhood toy store where customers know they will always be able to find amazing toys in a fun-filled shopping environment. The knowledgeable staff and excellent customer service help make every experience at The Village Toy Shop as great as it can be.
The store carries toys and gifts for infants through the early teenage years. Popular toys include:
- putty
- stuffed animals
- puzzles
- brainteasers
- rock painting kits
- wireless speakers
- ceramic painting kits
- lava lamps
- knitting kits
- stationary sets
- bubble machines
- globes
- LED light panels
- puzzle boards
This south of Boston toy store is a great place to find gifts for special occasions, and gift wrapping is complimentary.
Learning Express
1296 Centre Street
Newton, MA
If you’re outside of Boston or unable to visit one of the independent stores on this list, Learning Express has many convenient locations and a wide variety of toys and gifts. Learning Express is a great place for families to find high-quality toys that provide children with hours of fun play. Parents can shop by age, interest, best-sellers, or deals in-store and online. This Greater Boston toy store carries everything from infant toys to games for pre-teens and teens.
Some of the current most popular products at Learning Express include Jenga, bracelet-making kits, Mad Libs, window art kits, slime, play dough, and card games. The store carries a solid selection of the newest trending products, including:
- Koosh balls
- marble racetracks
- Legos
- magnetic dolls
- fidget pens
- nail polish sets
- sticker books
- color-changing markers
- paper airplane kits
- slime
- doodle boards
- baseball cards
Books, dolls, and teething toys are available for infants, while slime, card games, and jewelry-making kits are popular for pre-teens and teens. Learning Express has something for everyone.
Parents can even create a gift registry on the website, which would be a great way to share wish lists with family and friends for upcoming birthdays, holidays, and other celebrations.
Boston Toy Stores
Although it is hard to beat the convenience of shopping online, there is something magical about experiencing a toy store in person. From hands-on demonstrations to product recommendations from knowledgeable staff, complimentary gift wrapping, and exciting toys curated worldwide, you can’t beat these Boston toy stores. Each store provides a unique, fun experience for customers who enter their doors.
If you’re interested in more toy shops, several of the shops featured in my Boston Baby Stores post are also brimming with thoughtfully curated toys for little ones. For more Boston family content, click on the blog links below! While you’re here, make sure you check out more of my portfolio, and let’s chat about your next session!
