"A great toy is like a good book. It opens up an array of possibilities and lets the imagination soar," asserts Mark Johnson, founder of Marble Genius.
From superhero birthday cake candles, family games, craft accessories, books and Lego kits to puppets, nature gadgets, action figures, outdoor fun items and musical toys, customers repeatedly enjoy discovering new inspiration at Imagination Toys in Ladue.
The store's co-owners at 9737 Clayton Road within the Granaway Shops are Sally Kriegel and Lisa Adorjan. They state that the shop's mission is to provide the highest quality educational, developmental and creative toys that nurture imagination and encourage children to think and to have fun.
"Since 1985, Imagination Toys has been the specialty toy store of choice in the St. Louis metropolitan area with unique, timeless toys and gifts for children," says Sally.
Lisa adds, "We strive to assist each person who walks into the store to find special items that will create excitement and joy during the holidays and throughout the year."
In essence, they intentionally carry toys that support FUNdamentals of child development: Independent Play, Cooperative Play, Motor Skills, Visual Learning, Creative Play, Language Development, Logical Thought and Learning Through Music.
The store's founders, Marjorie Versprille and Teg Stokes, retired at the end of the 2011 holiday season. Upon learning of the going-out-of-business sale, Polly Lett purchased the business during January 2012, remodeled the 4,000-square-foot storefront and continued its long-held tradition of unique offerings for babies, youths, teens and families. Then Sally and Lisa took over the business during January 2022.
Sally says, "Imagination Toys is still special in today’s market because we offer high-quality educational and creative toys to spur children's imaginations and to encourage originality."
She says a few of her and Lisa's personal favorites are the Toniebox, an imagination-building, screen-free digital listening experience that plays stories and songs. "Bruder trucks are another favorite with their range of durable vehicles from garbage trucks and cement mixers to combine harvesters and fire engines."
Lisa adds that their extensive dress-up collection encourages pretend play and adventure from princesses to pirates.
On a national level, 2024 trends for most popular STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) toys according to American consumer technology website CNET include electronics exploration kits, slime/putty labs, critical thinking brain games and DIY building kits.
With the letter A being added to STEM modern terminology to include "Arts" as STEAM, St. Louis' beloved toy shop offers many arts and crafts, including loom kits, jewelry making, scratch cards, themed coloring books, journals, sticker sheets, decorative mobiles, 3D puzzles, easy-grip crayons, origami, doodlers markers, painting kits, window art, tattoo pens, sidewalk chalks, make your own snow globes, wind chime kits, modeling clay, nail art, comic books, paper dolls, sketch boards, garden stones, scented gel pens, soap dough, traveler activity packets and dinosaur digs.
Lisa and Sally assure that there are many exciting toys available for kids of all ages this holiday season: "A few of our favorites are the Fat Brain Air Toobz with new expansion kits that offer a building STEM experience that sends balls racing through tubes and connectors. Hitster will bring families together this holiday season testing their knowledge of songs through the decades. Luki Lab Flat 2 Fast cars transform from cards into superfast racing vehicles with the press of a button and fit perfectly in a pocket for on-the-go play."
Interestingly, when this local store first opened in 1985, the top 10 most popular toys were Cabbage Patch Kids; Transformers; Pillow People; Pogo balls; skateboards; G.I. Joe; Atari; Teddy Ruxpin animatronic talking bear; Rainbow Brite doll; and Care Bears.
Imagination Toys now carries both treasured traditional brands, such as Brio, Lego, Playmobil, Madame Alexander and Hape, as well as newer curated brands, such as Abacus, Connetix, Dopeslimes, Kidamento and Glo Pals. Customers can peruse shelf after shelf of toys and interesting choices. Nostalgic options also are aplenty, such as Spirographs.
Additionally, the shop's team can recommend items especially based on age categories: baby, toddler, 3 years and older, 5 years and older, 8 years and older, 12 and older.
Lisa states, "Customer service is at the heart of what we do." Imagination Toys is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lisa and Sally assure that they constantly get in "new goodies."
Their toy experts can help identify perfect gifts for any age child, wrap it beautifully for the proper occasion and ship it anywhere in the continental United States, if needed. Imagination Toys items also can be purchased online.
"Get the toys you love and the service you want," suggests Sally.
314.993.6288
Imagination-Toys.com
"Our Imagination Toys gift cards make great stocking stuffers or presents, too."