As a mother of three young children, Amy Saldanha had a vision of the perfect toy store for her kids. In 2006, she decided to turn that vision into reality by opening kiddywampus.
Today, her children are all grown up and on their own, but she still enjoys watching other children’s faces light up as soon as they walk into one of her stores in Hopkins, Chanhassen and St. Louis Park.
“It's just a really bright, joyful, happy experience and a place where kids can come in, make themselves at home, look at the toys, and be active,” she says.
The name, explains Amy, comes from an old Scottish word. “It's fun to say, so kids love it. It means kind of higgledy piggledy, left of center, or looking at things differently.”
The stores have everything from a huge selection of well-known brands such as Lego and Barbie to Hot Wheels. But, they also carry really unique merchandise from brands such as Jellycat, Squishables and Klutz, as well as other lines you won't find in most big-box stores.
While many people think that toys are only for children, here, adults can find plenty of exciting options too. “Kidult is this idea of being a kid and an adult at the same time,” she says. “There's been a lot of growth in the toy market for adults who want to think like kids, relax and have fun.”
Lego, she says, has a whole new category of kits for adults that can be found in the stores along with adult crafting kits and even plush items. “Why should the kids have all the fun?” says Amy. “Toys are great. We also find that many of our customers have aging parents, so we offer a lot of puzzles, games and toys that help with mental acuity and even fine motor skills.”
Kiddywampus is a curated space where customers will find the best of the best with employees who are trained and know the products. “They can help advise you, so if you're looking for a gift for a five-year-old who's really active, we've got it,” she says. “We can help you get in and out very easily with great choices. We also provide complimentary gift wrapping and just make it a really fun experience.”
Don’t tell the kids, but toys are also educational. “They help kids learn and grow,” says Amy. “The highest level of learning takes place when kids are really engaged and play can be such an effective way to teach different skills.”
In addition to its great selection of toys, kiddywampus is a great venue to celebrate special occasions. “We've always done events, but we're noticing an unprecedented demand because I think people are looking for experiences. They don't want to just buy something. They want to go do something. They want to have a memory as a family.”
Birthday parties are huge, of course, but Amy and her team are always coming up with creative events just for fun. “We have an incredible staff,” she says. “They’re very talented and always thinking of new things to do. In May, we had a stuffed animal sleepover that was the most adorable thing you've ever seen.
“Kids brought in their stuffed animals, and made a few things for them like a little decorated blanket for their stuffy to have at night.” After the kids left, the kiddywampus employees shot a bunch of footage that was put on its social media sites showing what the toys did overnight. The next morning, the kids came back in to pick up their stuffies. “It was all so cute!”
Summer camps are another popular offering, and in the fall, its engaging classes start up once again. “Depending on the location, we have a weekly music and movement class, and there's story time, which is absolutely delightful.”
Invention Lab is also a wonderful option. Kids and their caregivers come in and invent products using a four-step process. “It's great for four-year-olds and it's great for eight-year-olds because they use the materials differently,” says Amy. “We have prompts around the room, and a four-year-old might be just trying to paint something while an eight-year-old is going to do things differently. We just love to foster ways for kids to be creative.”
Kiddywampus will be launching its fall calendar in August on its social media sites and on its website, so parents can see what events are coming up. For example, the stores do a huge event around Small Business Saturday, have a big pumpkin decorating event in October, gingerbread house decorating in December, and so much more throughout the year.
Adds Amy, “We always say nothing bad ever happens at kiddywampus.”
1023 Mainstreet, Hopkins | kiddywampus.com | 952-926-7871