Tacoma Gem: Curious Bear Toys & Book Shop
/
Well well well, look who’s back on the blog. Raising Tacoma lives on. I’ve been pretty good at keeping up on Instagram (follow me) and Facebook (like the page), but the blog has been sadly neglected. Sorry about that, friends. But I wanted to break my blog silence to tell you about the best toy store around, The Curious Bear Toys and Book Shop. It opened fall 2018 and has been such a great addition to the community. I always leave the store so happy…as does my toddler.
Here’s what I love about the store:
Weekly Story Time
Every Tuesday at 11 AM they have a story time. I’ve only made it a handful of times since it’s during my son’s preschool time, but on breaks we’ve had the pleasure of going and have such a good time. What’s amazing is that my son that normally won’t sit for us to read at bedtime, will actually sit and listen to the stories here. Maybe it’s the cute little snacks they offer, maybe it’s the girl that does the ready, maybe it’s the cute little tree stumps or green things to sit on, but whatever it is…it works.
Monthly Coffee + Playdate
There is a perfect space between Paper Luxe and Curious Bear that is used for events such as their monthly playdate. They bring out some great toys for the kids - train table, play kitchen, magnet table, puzzles, coloring, and more. Then they offer coffee and snacks like donuts and oranges. We all know toys that are not at the house are better toys, so your kid is sure to love playing for a good amount of time. It’s great for getting out of the house and having the chance to interacting with other parents.
The Toys
The toys are top notch, seriously. You can tell they put thought into the toy selection they offer. I also really appreciate the number of toys they have out for kids to play with while you visit the store. The brands are high quality, they have a good variety, and the price points are right on. For instance, Caleb loves the NASA helmet and the bath tub light-up cubes. Wesley has enjoyed the little stuffies!
Location
While it’s not the closest toy store to our house, the location is pretty central. What our family loves is that there is Paper Luxe and Pint Defiance next door. My husband will watch the kids, while I browse the cuteness at Paper Luxe, then I watch the kids while he goes to Pint Defiance. The whole family wins!
Also, Fircrest is nestled between University Place and North Tacoma, so it’s nicely central for many folks.
The Store
The store itself is just darling. I’m absolutely in love with the mural they have on the wall. So super cute. It’s clean, organized, and presents all the toys nicely. I hate when stores feel so cramped that you can’t move around, ugh the worst. I can actually bring my stroller into the store and navigate around. Oh, and the reading nook is adorable with little tree stump chairs and a grass like run. They really run the Pacific Northwest theme throughout the store. Love it!
So hurry on over there and check out this awesome toy store. You’ll love it, your kids will love it, the grandparents will love it, your husband will love it, it’s just lovable.
P.S. Check out their FaceBook page for all their events!