Neighborhood-Kids All Local. All for Kids. All the Time.

A Look at Bellingham's Toy Stores

by Neighborhood-Kids.com2/5/2009 10:48:36 AM

Check out some great places to buy toys.

The EASY-BAKE Oven and G.I. JOE action figure, two classic American toys of 1960s, recently celebrated their 45th Anniversaries. We don't point this out to make our readers who might remember their debuts feel old, but to remind you that your child's favorite toy could have a significant role in forming lifelong memories of childhood and growing-up.

Take a quick look at some of the local toy shops in Bellingham to find toys and games that will inspire today's kids and kids-at-heart!

Fairhaven Toy Garden
1147 11th Street
(360) 714-8552

The motto of this Fairhaven shop is “Where Children Grow Naturally,” and the message comes through clearly in their selection of toys, many of which are made of wood and other natural materials. Along with toys, the store features games, musical instruments, art supplies, and costumes. The welcoming and interactive environment also makes Fairhaven Toy Garden the perfect location for their Saturday Craft Workshops, and on Sunday Game Days when you can test out a variety of their products before purchase.

Eagles Games, Models, & Miniatures
221 W Holly Street
(360) 671-1913

Exterior of Eagles Games, Models, & Miniatures

If you’re into airplane models, action figures, and role playing games, Eagle Games is the perfect hobby shop for you. This store carries supplies interactive games, as well as more traditional board games, plus model-making kits and supplies like glue and paint. Older kids and teens, and adults, are the intended demographic at this store, which also sells gaming books and magazines. Plus, Eagle Games is a neighbor of Neighborhood-Kids.com and Mindfly!

Launching Success Learning Store
133 Prince Street
(360) 527-2641

You might not think of Bellingham’s “teacher supply” store first when you’re searching for toys, but you can find plenty of educational games, puzzles, craft supplies and more at this store, located off of Meridian Street. Kids will find that learning really is fun with a variety of science kits, like the Power of Science® Electricity Kit from Learning Resources®. Grown-ups should also check out Neighborhood-Kids.com Activities to find out about learning workshops for teachers and parents that Launching Success hosts each month.

Exterior of Little Tiger Toys

Little Tiger Toys
1417 Railroad Avenue
(360) 734-0607

Bellingham’s newest locally-owned toy store, Little Tiger Toys, opened in fall of 2008. The only toy store in the downtown shopping area, the store definitely stands out on Railroad Avenue, across from the downtown WTA Bus Station, with a brightly painted green exterior and tiger mural. Little Tiger Toys offers a well-balanced selection of toys geared toward girls and boys, as well as plenty of gender-neutral selections. They feature products for various ages as well, and older kids will appreciate items like magic sets and novelty joke toys.

Wild Blueberries
1106 Harris Avenue
(360) 756-5100

Wild Blueberries, which also has locations at Bellingham Public Market (1530 Cornwall Avenue) and in Lynden (as Bumblebees, 655 Front Street #2), strives to provide a unique shopping experience when searching for quality gifts for baby showers or birthday parties. The store’s quality toys, clothes, and other products are best suited for ages infant to seven. Stop in during your next trip to Fairhaven to see their latest selection of plush toys, books and more; new items are added each week!

Yeager’s Sporting Good & Toyland
3101 Northwest Avenue
(360) 733-1080

This store on Northwest Avenue has long offered a selection of toys beside their various outdoor wares. But with last year’s closing of nearby toy retailer Fountain Galleria, Yeager’s recently remodeled and expanded their toy department, now known as Yeager’s Toyland. Along with plenty of sports equipment, Toyland features toys that will inspire creativity through playtime with products from companies like Brio, Melisa and Doug, and Lincoln Logs.

What was your favorite toy growing up? Where is your child’s favorite place to find new toys and games? We would love to hear about it! You can tell us your story in the Neighborhood-Kids.com Forum.