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Mary
Arnold Toys
1010 Lexington Ave., near 72nd St.
212-744-8510
This beloved store has an excellent selection of toys, craft
kits, and costumes, all stashed in cozy nooks. Look for colorful
early-development toys, like a 3-D activity gym ($55 and up)
and a remote-controlled Symphony-in-Motion mobile ($55).
Mxyplyzyk
125 Greenwich Ave., at 13th St.
212-989-4300
This shop’s tongue-twisting name—pronounced “mix-ee-pliz-ik”Ñcomes
from a character in early Superman comics. The stock is equally
quirky: shaggy ottomans in white, black, and orange ($65)
and magic lanterns made out of rice paper that show images
of dinosaurs and fish when they spin ($70).
Peanutbutter
& Jane
617 Hudson St., near Jane St.
212-620-7952
Scattered throughout this cute-as-a-button store are toys
for kids 3 to 12. The popular Bruder trucks start at $30,
and the costume collection includes Dorothy’s ruby slippers
($28).
Penny
Whistle Toys
448 Columbus Ave., near 81st St.
212-873-9090
1283 Madison Ave., near 91st St.
212-369-3868
No inch of space is squandered in this vibrant shop, where
dragons and wagons hang from the ceiling and kites dangle
like colorful sashes. Toys run the gamut from simple (pinwheels)
to practical (easels) to boisterous (calypso steel drums).
Most come for unusual stuff like Brio train accessories ($10–$40),
Swedish wooden building sets, and Czech marionettes. Breyer
horses are $15.99.
The Pokémon Center
10 Rockefeller Plaza, at 48th St.
212-307-0900
Much of the stock here, from DVDs ($19.99) to collectible
figurines ($2.95), party hats, and beach towels, is stamped
with the ubiquitous Pikachu. Kids love the video-game room
upstairs, where up to twelve can play N64 and Nintendo GameCube
on six flat-screen TVs.
The
Red Caboose
23 W. 45th St., near Fifth Ave., basement
212-575-0155
It’s easy to miss this unassuming underground store.
Don’t: Its selection of model trains will dazzle railroad
fans of all ages. Along with all the essentials—model
paint, glue, scenery—there’s also civilian and
military die-cast airplanes. Red Caboose are the exclusive
makers of the only HO Scales New York City subway cars (starting
at $150).
Restoration
Hardware
935 Broadway, near 22nd St.
212-260-9479
restorationhardware.com
Packed with retro doodads, this isn’t your average hardware
store. Check out the small selection of family games and sporting
sets—croquet sets are $119, badminton sets are $49,
and mini pool tables are $99.
The
Scholastic Store
557 Broadway, near Prince St.
212-343-6166
scholastic.com/sohostore
This massive bookstore is also packed with toys, puzzles,
and videos inspired by Scholastic titles (Magic School Bus,
Harry Potter). Kids from pre-K to age 12 hang out, read, and
fiddle with interactive displays. The I Spy Challenger CD-rom
($19.95) and the Geronimo Stilton Series of books ($5.99 each)
are favorites this year.
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