Like most apartment-dwellers in New York, the amount of space available in our home for toys and playthings is relatively modest. In theory this means I try to be thoughtful about new items brought home or gifted to us, doing my best to rotate toys to keep them fresh and to remove items that are no longer age-appropriate or favored. In practice, however, I have a weakness for good toy stores: I love trying to guess what toys my daughter will be drawn to, and have such fun selecting new items to add to our collection to help engage her in imaginative or creative play. One such excellent toy store is Norman & Jules in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood. Perfect for passing a few happy minutes browsing and even better for finding something special for the children in your life, Norman & Jules is stocked floor to ceiling with enchanting and sustainably-made toys, decor, and accessories for babies, toddlers, and older children.

Inside you’ll find a range of brands you may already be familiar with: lovely wooden toys from Grimm’s Spiel und Holz, Kukkia, and Holztiger, vehicles from Fagus, mice and bunnies and their assorted accessories from Maileg, plush friends from Donna Wilson and LuckyBoySunday, and rubber baby toys from Oli & Carol. There are sections of the store devoted to musical instruments, materials for crafting, dress up, and science. Happily, there were plenty of new toys and brands to discover, something I so appreciate about stores like Norman & Jules. I was especially charmed by a ride on hippo from Polish brand Bajo, tiny Turkish slippers designed for New York-based Sabah, and kits to construct very realistic dinosaur skeletons by Brooklyn company Boneyard Pets.

Both of the owners were in the store when we visited this past weekend, and they were exceedingly patient with my daughter, who did her determined best to ‘test’ as many toys as possible. Beyond the interior, the store has a lovely backyard space that plays host to scheduled sing-a-longs, play times, and birthday parties – a really unique feature for New York (you can find the current schedule here). For those who aren’t in New York, Norman & Jules ships worldwide.