-
-
Subscribe
When you travel with a toddler for 13 months as I did, you come to rely heavily on independent toy stores. Why? Well, the exigencies of a long road trip mean that your toy and book selection are limited. And sometimes it rains – for days. A great toy store offers a fun and stimulating refuge, new things to look at and sample, and, God willing, a train table. Plus you have the chance to pick up a few portable items (who could resist those blocks in their own adorable carrying case?) offering a half-hour of peace that is well worth shipping yet another box on your way to the next destination. By the time we’d been traveling for a few months, I’d become an expert at sniffing out the best toy stores in a 15-mile radius and would often locate them before I figured out where to buy groceries.
All this is just to illustrate that I know from toy stores and so it is with some authority, just in time for the holidays, that I declare the world’s best toy store to be Toy Magic in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Magic is an apt word to describe this store. Although the space it inhabits is small, I’ve never seen such a large and varied stock, all of it carefully curated. There are of course all the old favorites, the Legos, the Thomas trains, the make-your-own jewelry kits, the dolls, the board games. And they offer every single toy made by Playmobil – and I mean it, every single one. (I could offer an entire discourse on why these toys are wonderful for parents and kids who like to travel; I won’t but will point out that if you’re planning on visiting Rome any time soon, you can prepare your child with a kid-size replica of the Coliseum complete with gladiators and lions.)
But what I really loved about the store was Brian Fais, who with his wife has run Toy Magic in Bethlehem for the past 11 years. For one thing, he referred to Tommy as a “lad,” a word I’ve never heard anyone use outside a book. And he knew ever piece of stock in that very full store and was able to talk knowledgeably about all of it. While the boys explored and played he spent a half an hour showing us numerous building toys that are perfect for Tommy. He talked about the educational and developmental benefits of each and also seemed to know just which toys had the most play value – the ones that kids would return to over and over again.
Since Matt and I like to support local businesses when we travel, and since we’d gotten such expert advice, we made the decision on the spot to do the bulk of our Christmas shopping for the boys there even though it was only the beginning of October. I’m still not sure exactly how we managed to shove all those toys into the trunk of the car around our suitcase without the kids noticing but such is the (one) advantage of driving a sedan. And of having relatively young kids.
We stayed for two days in Bethlehem, and I am hoping to get back soon, since we didn’t actually spend that much time in the charming downtown area. There are lots of things I’d like to explore including the Colonial Industrial Quarter, the Moravian Museum, and the Delaware & Lehigh Trail. And since it is the “Christmas City,” there are numerous holiday events including holiday walking tours led by costumed guides, a live Advent Calendar, Luminaria Night, and a First Night celebration. Matt’s birthday is December 30th, and I’m thinking that we may celebrate by attending Peeps® Fest. I’d really like to see what kind of art can be created using marshmallow candy.
If you’re considering a visit to the Lehigh Valley, you might want to read my post about the National Canal Museum, which is an easy drive from Bethlehem. And for more information on holiday events, see ChristmasCity.org. And if you do visit, Toy Magic is located at 565 Main Street, right next door to the Bethlehem Brew Works where you can buy a delicious and affordable meal. Or shop at their online store.
Comments
7 Responses to “MidAtlantic Wednesdays: Toy Magic in Bethlehem”
Got something to say?
I also hang out at
Connect with Mara
And look! They liked me
I love the fact that you snuck in that brewpub mention at the end. Because every toy-shopping trip should end with a visit to a brewpub
wandermom´s last blog ..An Eventful Visit To The Giant’s Causeway
I’m a tad biased, but I heartily concur! I can’t tell you how many hours in the past nine years we’ve spent around their wonderful train tables, and almost every birthday party we’ve purchased has been from there as well. We absolutely love Toy Magic!
wandermom, The Bethlehem Brewworks is, quite literally, across the hall in the Main Street Commons shops, from Toy Magic. Let me tell you, it comes in handy when you are told you have a 45 minute wait!
Mara, we eagerly await word of another visit — Peepfest should be a hoot!
I think every Mom has some place–toy stores, or in my case, parks–that helps her keep her sanity! Thanks for the link to their website…I might be doing some of my Christmas shopping online.
Sarah V.´s last blog ..Texas Photo: Navarro Street
Love the photo of your son eyeing the tower of Playmobil boxes!
Peek-a-boo toys in Breckenridge, Colorado, has a great kids’ play area – foosball, trains, climbing structures, other random toys – plus a bench for parents to just rest weary legs and watch kids expend energy!
Wandermom – you caught me! But as Hillary points out, all that beer is right there. And they have these awesome soft pretzels…
Hillary – I will definitely let you know if we decide to attend Peepfest. It’s looking like a good possibility.
Sarah – You are totally right. I actually have a list of places from London to Los Angeles because of traveling with a one-year-old. Unfortunately I never made it to San Antonio, although I can recommend any number of places in Austin.
Kara – The best part about the Playmobil stuff is that he and Tommy fixated on the same set (it has a submarine that actually floats). And Santa will be bringing it!
Mara, you just did the seemingly impossible with this post: You made me miss toys! You really did. With my boys in the 11-16 year old range, I’ve got a large box of Legos as our remaining “toys” that I refuse to part with…Now they like books, music, ski gear. I don’t miss the mess of toys, but I miss the magic of going into toy stores like the one you wrote about, and seeing them enjoy new toys. I guess my message is, enjoy this stage (as I know you do), despite the added clean up factor of “stuff.”
Megan Regnerus´s last blog ..working on resilience, gratitude, not being completely small…
Sounds like Toy Kingdom in Flemington, NJ. We take our kids there just to play sometimes. If you’re visiting the outlets, its a great nearby distraction for the kids.
Randy´s last blog ..Cheap Winter Vacations