It’s tough being a small shop these days with the rising cost of everything across Metro Vancouver, which is why supporting locally-owned toy shops is more important than ever! There is such a sense of community and heart in small shops, and they carefully curate their products to include the best toys from around the world that are proven in quality and popularity. When you support an independent toy shop, even for small gifts, you are supporting the community and ensuring you can the best advice and quality for your money.<\/p>\n
Step into a world of wonder at BC Playthings! Their store is a beautiful display of kid-friendly an eye-catching displays with everything from puzzles to art supplies, puppets to race cars. This neighbourhood toy shop focuses on community an play. In addition to finding any toy you could imagine, they also cater to therapists, parents and educators who are looking to integrate toys into development and routines.<\/p>\n
Address: <\/strong>3044 Edgemont Boulevard, North Vancouver Parents of young kids know that it can be hard to choose gifts for the preschool and under crowd because everything seems to be labeled as ages 5 and up! Additionally, if you don’t have a little one at home, knowing what is developmentally appropriate can be tricky. That’s where Camelot Kids comes in! They carry a wide range of toys and gifts for all ages, but they have a particularly good selection of toddler and baby toys, and toys that can grow with kids as they age.<\/p>\n Address: <\/strong>1496 Cartwright Street, Vancouver (Granville Island Kids Market) When you buy a gift from Dilly Dally Toys, you can be sure that it has been carefully curated to ensure it is made of high-quality material and is one of the best for imaginative play and development. The knowledgeable staff can answer your questions and provide recommendations for any age and interest. In addition to carrying hard-to-find toys, Dilly Dally is also ridiculously beautiful inside. The toys an areas are organized with bright colours and beautiful wooden pieces on display making it a pleasant shopping experience as well. This is one toy store that I never tire of visiting!<\/p>\n Address: <\/strong>1161 Commercial Drive, Vancouver This iconic toy store has been a Vancouver staple on Granville Island for 30+ years! The original location within the Kids Market has hosted plenty of locals and tourists over the years who come in to look for a specialty toy or gift to take home. Their knowledgeable associates are up-to-speed on the latest developments in toyland and can recommend a perfect gift for every age. In 2007, the Granville Island Toy Company opened a second location on Main Street, which is Vancouver’s *only* specialty shop for Playmobil and carries the entire line of Playmobil products.<\/p>\n Address: <\/strong>1496 Cartwright Street, Vancouver (Granville Island) | 3298 Main Street, Vancouver Since 1980, Kaboodles Toy Store has been the best at providing a variety of fun and educational toys. With 3 convenient locations in Vancouver, kids and their adults are never too far from a fun place to shop! In addition to a wide range of ‘big name’ toys such as LEGO, Playmobil, and Ravensburger, Kaboodles also has a huge selection of balloons and offers balloon bouquets.<\/p>\n Address:<\/strong> Hours:<\/strong> Website:\u00a0<\/strong>www.kaboodlestoystore.com<\/a><\/p>\n This is a special mention because even though they focus on books, KidsBooks also has a selection of toys, games and puzzles that kids love. Their knowledgeable staff can recommend something for every age and interest, and I always walk out with more than I came in looking for. KidsBooks is a Vancouver treasure that was first opened in 1983 by Phyllis Simon at the original location on West 4th Ave, and has grown to a (much larger) location on West Broadway and a second store in North Vancouver<\/p>\n Address:<\/strong> Hours: <\/strong>10am-5:30pm (Monday-Saturday) | 11am- 5:30pm (Sunday) both locations<\/em> If you’re looking for a huge selection of wooden toys, then Knotty Toys is the place to go! Wooden toys continue to be a favourite among kids and adults for their durability, versatility, and the way they encourage imaginative play. Walking into Knotty Toys, you will find a collection of toys reminiscent of the ones you used to play with, in addition to new ones you have never seen before. They have the largest collection of wooden toys in one store across Canada.<\/p>\n Address: <\/strong>#14- 1496 Cartwright Street, Vancouver (Granville Island Kids Market) Thank you to a few followers for reminding me of this fabulous spot in Vancouver! The Learnery is a non-profit shop filled with books, maker kits (seriously fun!) and games, and educational toys for all learners. The Learnery is more than ‘just’ a toy shop though- it is also a community space where people can connect at The Curiosity Table and play with, mend, or create new items.<\/p>\n Address: <\/strong>2643 East Hastings, Vancouver Finding vintage and current figurines and collectibles can be like finding a needle in a haystack, but not at Toyka Collectibles! They have a large selection of collectibles and figurines and ones that are difficult to find anywhere else. If you’re looking for something specific, give them a call and if they don’t have it, they will certainly be able to point you in the right direction!<\/p>\n Address: <\/strong>2159 W. 41st Avenue, Vancouver If you’re looking for a unique or vintage toy or figurine, your best bet to find it is at Toy Traders! This store is Canada’s largest independent collectibles retailer and one of the largest independent stores. Some vintage collectibles are opened, and some are in brand-new condition, in addition to their extensive collection of the hottest new toys for all ages. When you’re walking around Toy Traders, you will notice the giant displays of figurines, including Ghostbusters, Star Wars, Gremlins, G.I Joe, and more.<\/p>\n Address: <\/strong>#150 19880 Langley Bypass, Langley I may be biased, but this is my favourite independent toy store. I worked here for a short time while in university, and I can confirm that every toyologist currently working here genuinely loves toys, loves kids, and is passionate about play. They have a variety of quality toys that cannot be found in large retailers and a HUGE selection of Yoto cards for every age. Toys that Teresa, the owner, brings in, are kid-powered and able to be used in a variety of ways.\u00a0 It’s my go-to shop when I need advice for age-appropriate gifts or to pick up a birthday present. If you can’t make it in, they have a great online store as well and ship across Canada (shipping rates apply).<\/p>\n Address: <\/strong>205 Newport Drive #102, Port Moody Did we miss your favourite independent toy shop in Metro Vancouver? Send us an email at vancouver@familyfuncanada.com<\/a> and we’ll add it to the list!<\/p>\n Get the inside scoop on the best local family events through our Facebook,<\/a>\u00a0Instagram<\/a>, and TikTok<\/a> pages.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\nHours: <\/strong>9am-5pm (Monday- Saturday) | 11am-4pm (Sunday)
\nWebsite:\u00a0<\/strong>bcplaythings.com<\/a><\/p>\n
\nCamelot Kids<\/h2>\n
\nHours: <\/strong>10am-6pm (daily)
\nWebsite:\u00a0<\/strong>camelotkids.com<\/a><\/p>\n
\nDilly Dally Toys<\/h2>\n
\nHours: <\/strong>Vary by month, but generally open by 10am. Check the website for exact hours.
\nWebsite:\u00a0<\/strong>dillydallykids.ca<\/a><\/p>\n
\nGranville Island Toy Company:<\/h2>\n
\nHours: <\/strong>10am-6pm daily (both locations)
\nWebsite: <\/strong>www.toycompany.com<\/a><\/p>\n
\nKaboodles Toy Store<\/h2>\n
\nKitsilano<\/strong>: 2901 West Broadway, Vancouver
\nGranville Island Kids Market:<\/strong> 1496 Cartwright Street, Vancouver
\nCambie Village:<\/strong> 3404 Cambie Street, Vancouver<\/p>\n
\nKitsilano<\/strong>: 10am-6:30pm (Monday-Friday)| 9:30am-6pm (Saturday) | 10am-6pm (Sunday)
\nGranville Island:<\/strong> 10am-6pm daily
\nCambie Village<\/strong>: 9:30am-6pm (Monday-Saturday) | 11am-5pm (Sunday)<\/p>\n
\nKidsBooks:<\/h2>\n
\nWest Broadway:<\/strong> 2557 West Broadway, Vancouver
\nEdgemont Village<\/strong>: 3040 Edgemont Boulevard, North Vancouver<\/p>\n
\nWebsite:\u00a0<\/strong>www.kidsbooks.ca<\/a><\/p>\n
\nKnotty Toys<\/h2>\n
\nHours: <\/strong>10am-6pm (daily)
\nWebsite:\u00a0<\/strong>knottytoys.com<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThe Learnery<\/h2>\n
\nHours: <\/strong>11am-6pm (Monday-Friday) | 10am-5pm (Saturday and Sunday)
\nWebsite:\u00a0<\/strong>thelearnary.ca<\/a><\/p>\nToyka Collectibles<\/h2>\n
\nHours: <\/strong>11am-6pm
\nWebsite:\u00a0<\/strong>www.instagram.com<\/a><\/p>\n
\nToy Traders:<\/h2>\n
\nHours: <\/strong>10am-8pm (Tuesday-Friday) | 10am-6pm (Sunday, Monday) 9am-6pm (Saturday)
\nWebsite:<\/strong>\u00a0www.facebook.com\/ToyTraders\/<\/a><\/p>\n
\nThe Village Toy Shop:<\/h2>\n
\nHours: <\/strong>9am -6pm (Sunday- Wednesday) | 9am-7pm (Thursday and Friday)
\nWebsite:<\/strong>\u00a0villagetoyshop.ca<\/a><\/p>\n
\n