Toy stores
I don’t particularily care for them. They are eye candy for children. Frankly they overwhelm me and I end up with a head ache when I go to them. I think most of the toys in these stores support the battery industry and are loud and obnoxious.
However, I found one that I like…Terra Toys–a locally owned and operated toy store in Austin. I’ve been in a few times in the last week looking for the “perfect” gift. And I found it…multiple times. I’m still overwhelmed by the place–everything is just jammed packed to the ceiling. But most of the toys, games and books in this store don’t require batteries and many of the games are award winning games (i.e. games that are actually educational and stimulate the mind at multiple levels). They still carry trinkets that I hope never find their way to my house, but a lot of the play toys require imagination and pretend play. And it’s actually kid friendly. They have toys in each section for the kids to play with–train table, baby dolls, zoomorphs, plasma car (which Therese remembered from a previous trip and ask to ride today).
So the next time your looking for a toy/game for a child–or even an adult–give it a visit.