Kidding Around

Kidding Around represents that increasingly rare entity: the charming, independently owned toy store. What you won't find here are a lot of movie tie-in merchandise or mind-numbing electronic games. What you will find are lots of well-made toys, games, and figures to help inspire a little creativity and independent thinking in your little people.

You'll find a good selection of Brio, Playmobil, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, Corolle dolls, Folkmanis puppets, Madeline dolls, clothing, and toys, a very good dress-up collection, lots of early-development toys for babies, plus craft, science, and spy kits, games, and some musical instruments for older kids.

The store specializes in small toys (realistic vinyl animals of all kinds, wind-up toys, key chains, etc.), and the store will create party favor bags upon request. Best of all, it does a bang-up job of wrapping...free of charge (a godsend when you're buying the gift on the way to the party).