We know that many of you have probably checked each and every child off your holiday shopping list by now. But, there are those of us that wait for the good deals come closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas. And, what better way to shop than to shop LOCALLY!? Our two moms had a blast heading out to the areas top local shops to find what’s cool for kids this year. Below, you’ll see their findings in our age-by-age categories … along with a few other bits of information. Also, at the bottom you’ll find the list of stores our moms visited.
For instance, it’s good to know about:
GOT-AUTISM HOLIDAY SALE
It can be tough to know what to buy for special needs children in your life, but fortunately, locally-owned Got-Autism hosts a holiday sale on Dec. 3 and 4 to help point you in the right direction. Browse shelves for therapeutic, educational and multi-sensory items for children with autism, Asperger’s, ADHD, Sensory Integration Disorder, speech and language delays and related conditions. The sale happens at Got-Autism’s warehouse at 10052 Commerce Park Drive from 12 – 6 p.m. on the third 3, and 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. on the fourth. Visit got-autism.com.
Hey! And what about getting your child a puppy as a gift? Read more in “A Puppy for Christmas.”
Shop Locally
Blue Manatee
3054 Madison Road
Bluemanateebooks.com
Has one of the area’s largest supplies of Green Toys, with many character plush toys to go with some of the books they carry. They also offer boxes of books that can be sent as gifts too!
The Blue Marble Children’s Bookstore
1356 S. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas
bluemarblebooks.com
A full-service independent bookseller carrying Mudpuppy puzzles, Klutz activity kids, and more.
Cincinnati Museum Center’s Store to Explore
1301 Western Ave.
cincymuseum.org
Loads of toys, games, books and souvenirs, plus be sure to swing by CMC’s latest exhibit, The Art of the Brick, which features its own Lego store.
Coolest Toys on Earth
314 Main St., Milford
coolesttoysonearth.com
Wall to wall toys for the youngest kiddos and oldest adults in the family! After two hours of checking out toys, our 2-year-old expert said, “This is the COOLEST store ever!”
EnterTRAINment Junction
7379 Squire Ct. West Chester
entertrainmentjunction.com
Your one stop shop for your little or big train conductors! Not only does EnterTRAINment have a large collection of your child’s favorite trains, they also carry Melissa & Doug, LEGO, Playmobil, dollhouses and more!
Fort Thomas Central
3 N. Forth Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas
fortthomascentral.com
Find gifts for the entire family, including the little ones with children’s brands like Jelly Cat and Milkbarn Kids.
Hobby Villa
2446 Anderson Road, Crescent Springs
hobbyvilla.com
More than 50,000 items in stock including remote-controlled cars, boats, and planes and drones, as well as puzzles, classic board games, science activity kits, model accessories and loads more.
John R. Green Company
411 W. Sixth St., Covington
johnrgreenco.com
Featuring educational toys from early childhood through the middle school years.
Joseph-Beth Booksellers
2692 Madison Road
2785 Dixie Hwy
josepthbeth.com
Easy to navigate bookstore that has all of your child’s favorite books, educational toys and games!
Jungle Jim’s Toy Balloon
5440 Dixie Hwy., Fairfield
Junglejims.com (Toy Balloon has different hours than Jungle Jim’s)
Jungle Jim’s food lover’s paradise is now also a toy lover’s paradise! They carry Beanie Babies, Haba, Melissa & Doug, Hape, ALEX, Calico Critters, and a large selection of play food for all of the foodies in your home.
King Arthur’s Toys
3040 Madison Road
kingarthurstoys.com
Your child’s toy paradise! Find all of their favorite brands including Calico Critters, Hape, LEGO, Breyer, Fantasma, Playmobil, Thomas and Friends.
Learning Express Toys
2812 Town Center Blvd., Crestview Hills
learningexpress.com/stores/crestviewhills
Stop by and play around with games, Plasma Cars and more, all while choosing from a big selection of brands like Calico Critters of Cloverleaf Corners.
Parent-Teacher Store
6914 Burlington Pike, Florence
parentteacherstoreusa.com
Featuring educational and fun items for all ages, from tiny tots to little students.
Pete’s Hobby Center
1597 Cavalry Lane, Union
peteshobbycenter.com
A retail hobby shop that specializes in the repair and sales of radio controlled vehicles. Constantly buying and selling pre-owned R/C models – stop by before you throw out a broken toy!
Pit Row Hobby
7796 Montgomery Road
Facebook.com/PitRowHobby
Great store for any of your RC or model needs. They carry Trazzas, Losi, Team Associated, HPI, Axial, Cox, Flyzone, Horizon, and many other brands.
Stoney’s Village Toy Shoppe
323 W. Sixth St., Covington
stoneystoys.com
An independent toy store featuring products from Melissa & Doug, North American Bear, GoldieBlox, and more.
United Art & Education
12037 Lebanon Road, Sharonville
unitednow.com
Your one stop shop for fun and educational toys and games!