Kidding Around
Neighborhood: Tribeca Type of Place: Toys Description:
Among the first words I heard when I entered Kidding Around were,
- Pamela Grossman; Nov 26, 2006
"Mommy, I have to show you something!"--followed almost immediately by "Can I have it?" The mommy being addressed did not seem surprised, and I wasn't either: This place, small enough to navigate easily but big enough to offer lots of variety, is pretty much a paradise for the toy-wanting set. Stocked with playthings made here and abroad (like Germany's Selecta Spielzeug wooden toys, from $30), Kidding Around opened 15 years ago and has been in this location for the last 13. Items you might not find elsewhere are in abundance here: for example, there are not just a few play kitchens and play cooking utensils, for budding Julia Childs and Wolfgang Pucks, but a wide selection of them (plus many play tea sets as well). There are great costumes (firefighter, astronaut, princess of course), plus sharp-looking hats to accompany them all. A "fairy princess kit," ($12.95), containing a skirt, a wand, and a princess story book, promised to be a hit--all the princess requirements, packed together in a pink box! And the toy musical instruments were impressively varied in type, size, and scope. While little ones gathered around the wooden train set that's out for general consumption, I admired the percussion pieces (from $2.25) and the Wiggly Giggly balls (from $11). Though it was sleeting outside and I was running late on Thanksgiving preparations, the Wiggly Giggly, which makes funny noises when you shake it, succeeded in making me smile; so I'm going to assume that it generally has the same effect on toddlers who are out of sorts. Before leaving, I had to take time to admire the array of dolls, including cloth girls with shiny pink hair (also available with purple and turquoise do's, $21). Shop co-owner Christina and I bonded over the dolls' variety and their sweet faces; in Christina's own face, I saw someone with a love for what she sells and what she does. If you've got questions here, just ask: The staff is informed and ready to help. If North Pole supplies run short, Santa himself might do well to stop by.
|