The Dancing Weasel Toy Store

A wonderful toy shop run by a caring and creative mother and daughter team. They have done a fantastic job making this little shop a wonder of interesting toys, games, unique puzzles, art supplies, and select books.
They are always friendly, and even offer free gift wrapping!
There is a play area and even a cozy chair for an exhausted parent, waiting spouse, or breast feeding mother.
I love that they also have some things made locally, and they show care in each toy selection they choose to offer.
Having reasons to visit this store always makes my day.

Great place to shop for your kids! Great toy selection. Nice to have toys that make kids think, as well as educate them. Fantastic customer service as well!!!

Dancing Weasel is a nice, kinda upscale minded toy-​store. Not a lot of plastic corporate crap here. Most of the toys could be described (and some explicitly are on their packaging) as in some way ‘natural’ ‘chemical-​free’ ‘handmade’ and perhaps even ‘organic.’ So the tradeoff is you pay more than you would for toys somewhere else, but the stuff is nice. And you can feel good about yourself, if that works for you.
The owners clearly care a lot about the items they stock and put time and effort into finding things that they are genuinely enthusiastic for. A couple of years ago I stepped inside a bougie place with the types of stuff that Dancing Weasel carries in Portland’s Alberta district, and assumed there was nothing like it down here. I was glad to discover this store, and I’ll definitely return.

I wanted to love this store, but I can only say that I like it.
Let me start by saying there are some definite positives to this shop and I will go back. The owners are friendly and very helpful. The location is convenient. They have toys for just about every age.
It’s not a huge shop, but there is a nice, clean kids play area. The size is actually a benefit. I can let my kid play in the play area while I do a little shopping and keep an eye on her. It’s really nice to be able to take my kid shopping without pulling my hair out. And even though it’s small, it’s not cluttered. They have done a great job creating an enjoyable shopping atmosphere. These are all things that will bring me back in the future.
There are some very nice toys here, but there is nothing truly unique. Everything I saw, from science toys to imagination play to stuffed animals, can be found at other locally owned and operated shops– sometimes a little cheaper. They have a few good books, but not very many.
It’s a niche store. They only carry certain types of toys and are a little snobbish if you ask for something outside of their domain. Some people are looking for that, but I like a little more diversity. Different kids have different needs and wants. This store just doesn’t meet them all.
You are not going to finish your Christmas shopping here, but you might find a few good items and not go crazy dealing with big stores that overload your senses.
They are relatively new, so maybe in time their stock will grow to be more diverse and I’ll get to update this review to 4 or 5 stars.

So excited to have found this downtown toy store! No electronics. All education and imagination focused toys, games, books, dress up and more. I will go back again and again.

How can I not love this place? Especially loved the science project selection and fun toys.