Kid's Play
If you’re looking for a fun day out with the kids or are on the hunt for unique games and gifts, check out just some of the toyshops in Covent Garden.
Build-A-Bear Workshop®
For some fabulous furry fun, look no further than Covent Garden’s Build-A-Bear Workshop®. Kids can make their own stuffed toy and personalise it with hundreds of fashion items and accessories. Choose from bears, bunnies, dogs and, new this month, a very cute owl, a Peace N’ Hugs bear and a Liverpool football kit that’ll fit on any of the furry friends in-store. Other bespoke bear options include Hannah Montana, Hello Kitty, High School Musical, Chelsea FC and Manchester United. Probably best to keep the latter apart, mind, lest some inter-club bear-baiting kicks off. Make your toy, give it a birth certificate and then leave, hand in paw, with an exclusive carrying case too. You can even organize a Pawsome Party for the little ones, where each guest goes home with a new best friend – their own cute little animal which they’ve created.
Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop
This charming little shop in the heart of Covent Garden has become a favourite for those seeking beautifully made traditional toys. Situated on the first floor of the Market Building and reached by a spiralling stairwell of stage sets, Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop is best known for its miniature ‘toy theatres’ which were first sold in Covent Garden’s Regency ‘theatre land’ as a souvenir of the popular plays of the early 1880s. This charming store also sells traditional jack-in-the-boxes, marionettes, Russian dolls, glove puppets and toy soldiers. New this month is a range of classic games, including leap frog, hoopla and dominoes. Family-run, independent and unashamedly nostalgic – Pollock’s is a true box of delights.
Disney Store
Watching children’s faces light up when they walk in here is a real treat – it reminds you of the child-like wonder you’d feel on entering toy shops when you were a kid. Selling everything from video games to movies, music, books, clothing and, of course, all manner of plush stuffed toys, the Disney Store is a perennially popular spot for families with kids in Covent Garden. This month, they’re running a great competition for G Force, the latest smash hit Disney film (about a crack team of commando guinea pigs, no less), offering one lucky winner the chance to win a private screening for them and 20 of their friends. For the chance to win this exclusive prize, visit disneystore.co.uk/gforce
