Creative Kidstuff

This shop keeps on going, with plenty of nooks and crannies filled with this and games for kids of all ages. When not swamped, the staff is always ready with helpful suggestions and a deep knowledge of their selection.

i ordered kids crib, it came damaged. it took them 2 month to send me replacement parts and they promised partial credit witch i never received
don’t buy from them !!!

For the record (and this has very little to do with Kidstuff, but it’s relevant), the toymaker Melissa & Doug manufacture their products in China. (Why is this relevant? Why don’t I review M&D instead?) Uppity middle-​class parental types go to specialty toy stores for one reason: we assume (yes, I include myself in the Uppity category, but hardly the latter) that toys fashioned out of earthy materials (i.e. «organic»), and pseudo-​European designs (i.e. «enlightened»), should foster a more dynamic and educational learning experience for our little love bundles (i.e. future doctoral academics who will not leech off our savings accounts when we choose to retire). This demographic (me) is the reason local shops like Creative Kidstuff exist. (Parenthesis added for dramatic effect.)
This feel-​good toy mentality does not justify the fact that Melissa & Doug manufacture their goods in China. I’d wager that the toys are quite likely «hand made» by a working class that includes, you guessed it, children.
And my Uppity family just happens to horde these products, which is why (finally getting back to my initial point) we shop at places like Creative Kidstuff. Because my kids deserve «better».
So let’s pretend I didn’t just make those initial points, and move on to the store, which is generally stellar. There are three floors of escalating kids stuff, for kids of all ages, including us grown-​ups. They specialize in (you guessed it) European products, weird and wiley instruments of mass intellectual consumption. The space is sneaky big, a sort of above-​ground silo of childish fun. We have a few examples in Albuquerque, but they don’t match the overall selection of this location, and like it or not, we Uppities are going to shell out some cash for these «better» products because they’re shipped from overseas locales, like Holland, Germany and (you guessed it) China. There’s also a substantial discount area, with great toys at less-​than-​Uppity prices.
During our visit we found no qualms with the staff (they’re paying attention to these reviews, perhaps), across the board they were friendly and helpful. I’m shocked the place doesn’t have a better star rating, actually. While it doesn’t manage the personality quirks of its neighbor, Wild Rumpus, this is a solid local shop that’s fighting for dear life against the heavy breath of the Wal-​Heathens and Toy-​R-​Enormouses, and they provide a bevy of product options you won’t find anywhere outside of Holland, Germany or (you guessed it) China. Seriously, if you’re buying for your little love bundle, go to Creative Kidstuff. I ain’t kiddin’, this place rules.

When I ask my kids where they would like to spend their pocket money, they call out Creative Kidstuff without fail. This location is our neighborhood CKS and the lovely ladies who have worked there for as long as I have been a mama have helped us track down just the right thing on many occasions.
We have been to many birthday parties over the last few years where the majority of gifts were wrapped in the tell-​tale CKS wrapping paper with shredded colorful ribbon detailing. There’s good reason for that.
Helpful and friendly staff, great selection, fun events, awesome sales, reasonable return policy, holiday personal shopping services, monthly punch card for regulars, and a genuine interest in kids’ creative needs all help explain why this company dominates the Twin Cities’ toy market.

The staff was helpful in helping me find a Lego puzzle game my nephew wanted earlier in the year. The display had changed since I had been in there with him. Overall a decent shopping experience. I did feel a little closterphobic with all the stuff crammed in the store!

Creative Kidstuff has pretty awesome stuff. But like other reviewers have said, some of the staff at this location are grumpy. You work at a toy store and are giving dirty looks to my kids? Maybe you should find another job! Still, I’ve been buying toys at this location for over 10 years. But if I really want help picking out a gift for a kid, I’d go to another location.

first ask for help was met with a rude ‘I’m busy helping (head nod towards other customer), sir’ — but was followed up with that same person being very helpful. either it’s split personality or inability to multitask, but seriously this is a kids store so if you can’t take two people asking a question at once, then maybe you are in the wrong industry…

Kinda meh. I would much rather go to Wonderment across the street.
I kinda feel these two stores standing off against one another like a caribou and a starbucks in a wild wild west guns drawn situation.