Now THIS is a toy store! It had absolutely everything you could possible think of for kids toys. Even having some older kid variety and toddler items. The bathrooms were decorated with murals and were so entertaining. What I also loved is there is a section that they put our new toys for the kids to try out while they are there. Priced pretty well too! read more

This is the world's BEST toy store, bar none. Nice to see it hasn't changed much in 20+ years. read more

A2Z Science & Learning Toy Store - Hobby Shops Near Me - Northampton, Massachusetts

I love this store! I came here looking for a teddy bear to snuggle with and found my new baby, and a sweet puppy! Yeah, I may be 67 but you never get too old to need a teddy to love, especially in the pandemic with isolation nipping at your heels. I have been in isolation in my apartment for 8 months now without human contact and really needed a teddy bear. So while visiting my sister from Florida one of my missions was to find a teddy bear to take home with me. A2z Science had just what I was looking for! Their customer service was awesome! When I was having trouble finding just what I needed, one of the employees came up, found out what I needed and took me right over to where my new teddy was waiting for me! I was able to avoid the other customers for social distancing and was out of the store very quickly. I also found a little stuffed animal that reminded me very much of my little Chihuahua who had passed away in March, and I took her home too. I love this store! read more

A2Z Science & Learning Toy Store - Me and my new bear and puppy - Hobby Shops Near Me - Northampton, Massachusetts

Quite decent toy store (and yes, despite the educational pretensions, it's a toy store) with the Melissa-and-Doug, Ravensburger, Broduer, Alex end of toys, a mixture of science museum gift shop selections, standard Lego stuff, and a variety of middle-high end toys. They have a decent small book section in the back (with particularly good depth for sciency books, some fiction), lots of toddler- and baby-level selections, games for ages ranging up to adults, and a mixture of stocking-stuffer-level small things with mostly mid-sized toys. So why wouldn't I crank this place up to five stars? Because they charge FAO Schwarz - Nordstrom's level prices, and that is no exaggeration. Having been through quite a number of toy-years and working on getting my youngest up through them still, I can assure you the markups here are 20-40% across the board over various other discount options ranging from Target to Amazon for identical toys, and in some cases even higher. I don't begrudge a bricks and mortar store a markup at all, given that you are paying for the convenience of browsing and the fun of going into the place. But this is even higher than similar stores, ranging from the toy store over in Amherst to the yuppified toy stores in the Bay area of San Francisco (with their even higher real estate prices) we lived through for the kids in a previous life. It's really, really expensive, and they are not so unique in what they're selling that the prices are justified therein. I'm still left scratching my head about the demographics of Northampton these days, because this store is always HOPPING, they obviously are not starved for business, and maybe this place is just another symptom of how NoHo is Manhattanizing itself. I'll still give them four stars for their wares, but it's a rare four-star review from me in that we won't really bother going back unless there's another gift card (what brought us there for this visit) or toy emergency in the offing (and usually a place I'm not going to bother going back to gets two stars, no matter what the reason). I mean, I'm glad there are some decent toys available to browse, but you better bring your mortgage lender with you if you're doing, say, a full Christmas shopping expedition here. read more

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I love this store. I love it more now during the pandemic because I can get science stuff to teach my son while we are locked in our own homes. Although even on a normal day in a normal world A2Z always has something interesting. I think what I like best about the shop is that it merges science and toys thus creating a gel that learning is fun. Love this place! read more

Wonderful store, wonderful staff. Shopping for a gift for our 18m old granddaughter. We were overwhelmed by the amazing selection in stock. The staff greeted us and we simply said "18m old girl". We were directed to the appropriate section of the store. The young man explained each display and the importance of the teaching aspect of each selection. We choose a picnic basket complete with plates and entrees. Nice and compact to fit in our suitcase and an actual picnic basket to store the pieces. We are about an hour away but opted for a punch card for accumulative benefits. See you again A2Z read more

Great selection of kids toys! There are so many things you never knew you needed here to keep your kid busy on a rainy day. However, I was disturbed to notice a bible verse painted on the ceiling in the toddler section, in the back of the store by the bathrooms. The store does not have Christian themed merchandise as far as I can tell, but be warned that the ceiling art will direct viewers to proclaim "Glory to God" should you happen to look up towards the skylight. read more

A2Z Science & Learning Toy Store - "Proclaim Glory to God" ... - Hobby Shops Near Me - Northampton, Massachusetts

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This place is fantastic. Super friendly staff, and they really know their stuff. Huge inventory, the place is packed. Really cute shop. We came for the drop in YoYo "school" on Friday afternoon. Could not believe how many kids attended - it's really popular. Great selection of yo-yos and accessories. read more

This science store something for everyone. We came for a birthday store and I loved it. Beyond the puzzles and coloring books this store has robotics, astrological and mathematics for all ages. Of course they have the tradition toy store prices, dart boards, arts and crafts. They even have ant farms for those so inclined. It's an awesome store, we spent an hour in there and I loved it. It was hard to leave. Great store. read more

Holy smokes this place is cool! Toys for children and adults of all ages - thoughtful and educational toys from babies through adults. If I only lived closer, this would EASILY be the only store I would shop at for gifts for my kids and birthday parties. Wonderful board games, science toys, Melissa-and-Doug, and Usborne Books. I was in mama heaven! The staff are incredibly knowledgable and helpful. read more

This place was SO cool. I went here for the first time tonight, with my daughter (who's 6 months), my twin brother, and our mom. My brother and I, who are 22 we're having so much fun playing with all the toys and gadgets in this store! We were only there to kill sometime before needing to be elsewhere but I definitely want to go back and explore more things inside it! There's so much packed inside! My inner science nerd was so happy! read more

A2Z Science & Learning Toy Store - Hobby Shops Near Me - Northampton, Massachusetts

I recently returned to A2Z after my previous poor experience (which was years ago with the old owners), and wanted to find a game that my daughter would like to use on a camping trip. We were immediately greeted by cheerful associates and one of the staff quickly took us over to the "wall of games". She was so knowledgeable and really listened to what my daughter would like in a game. We landed on a game that seemed really fun and after playing it for an entire weekend, my daughter showed all of her friends how to play it when they dropped by! I'm very thrilled with how the new owners trained their staff and how well-merchandised the store is! The staff was so genuine and engaging. Awesome job! read more

You can't go wrong with A2Z. My parents had always provided us with really cool educational toys (build a robot, create electricity) and I intend on doing the same for my kids. I am pregnant and popped into A2Z with my husband one morning. Two hours later we were still there, fully engaged. There is SO MUCH choice here - it seems like no matter what you might buy, it would be amazing to a kid. The store is very well organized, by age and product type. Staff were super helpful too. read more

Excellent toy and book selection for both younger and older kids and even adults. The staff is so friendly and helpful. They even help teachers with the process of claiming purchases for taxes. It's a clean and well decorated space. I will definitely be coming back. read more

A sprawling store offers everything fun from board games and dinosaur constructs to telescopes and toy trains... if you can afford their items A2Z is a great place for you, providing boil-in-a-bag enlightenment and challenge for everyone 1 to 100... Parking is a bit of a pain and you'll wonder why some of their simpler items are priced what they are... go here to surprise/convert the spoiled child in your life or brighten the day of your endeavoring nephew... A2Z should certainly be part of your Northampton walking tour and is conveniently located right across the street from Hotel Northampton and the courthouse, depending upon how tired or rambunctious you are... read more

My review is about the owners as I did not get an opportunity to see the shop other than the local hotel TV commercials. Jack and Priscella were having breakfast next door at Jakes when our waiter asked them if they could help us neebies to Northampton. We were asking for advise on where we could hike on this terrific leaf peeping day. Jack and Priscella enthusiastically gave us a complete description of where to go and how to get there. We took their advise and had a wonderful morning at Skinner state park. I am sure they go the extra mile in helping their customers as they helped us. When we return to this little paradise called Northampton, we will be sure to go to A2Z to shop for our nieces and nephew's holiday gifts. read more

Really a spectacular toy store with lots of cool educational options. Most offerings center around "physical" games and toys -- almost nothing is purely electronic here. What's unique about this place: Great board games Chemistry and physics sets Sports equipment Rock and mineral sets And the place is huge! The staff are mostly college aged and tend to leave you to your shopping unless you have a question for them. read more

Great online service and very fast delivery!! I am in California and appreciate getting my order on time for Christmas. I am sure they immediately processed my last minute order! Thank you. I will come back to shop here again! read more

Going here was like the highlight of my week as a kid because everything was just so cool. They have this huge DNA thing which I stared at forever. Fun for kids and for adults to unlock the kid in them! read more

I love this store. I've loved it since I was little and got a birthday card indicting a free gift from A 2 Z. It was way cooler when it was in Thornes but that's okay. I miss being a child and wandering around here looking at all the cool stuff. Now I'm a grown up scientist- I'm sure I have A 2 Z to partially thank for that. Yay for science! read more

This is hands-down a FABULOUS place to buy a present for any child (or kid-at-heart person) in your life. We wandered around Northampton in search of a present for my boyfriend's 4-year old nephew. At first, we were seriously unsuccessful because we were looking for a "toy"store. Folks, rest assure that A 2 Z Store sells lots and lots of fun toys, books and other gifts. Your options are diverse and the staff are incredibly helpful (in a non-annoying way). The real challenge for us was what to choose. The prices were reasonable and there is a small parking lot (which I found rare in Northampton). An excellent choice next time you have to go shopping for that super-special kid in your life! read more

Exceptional toys and gifts for exceptional kids. Love the wide range of their selections, and the focus on toys that are both entertaining and educational. My husband and I spend a half a day here every year around Christmas for the grandbabies. We are never disappointed. read more

Fun shop to visit with lots of fun toys that may just teach you something, unless you are very careful. Toys and games for all ages from pre-school to adults. Also they have resident experts in yo-yoing (including at least 1 state champion!) and have a yo-yo school for everyone to beginners to competitora. Everyone of all ages was having fun, being supportive and helpful. read more

My husband, son (21 months) and I were driving from NH to CT and decided to stop in Northampton on the way home for lunch and to walk/shop around. I haven't been to Northampton in around ten years. So happy we decided to stop in and look around, huge store with lots to look at and I probably spent about 20-30 minutes just looking at everything. Unique toys, this is not a big box store. Even my husband mentioned that he liked the store, and he hates shopping. Def worth the visit and would go again! read more

Wonderful toy store that offers a good Disney Free experience with lots of educational items and the owner is always there to offer a guiding hand. My kids just love exploring the gems and and lego collections. A must for local shopping. read more

This store has a wide selection for children's toys and science-related items. But, I agree with past reviewers that the store is overpriced. I believe there's no real excuse for that. I'm writing this review because of a not-so-pleasant experience I had with trying to return a gyroscope for another non-defective gyroscope. I was met by a very skeptical person behind the counter, and made to feel like I was on trial -- as if they did not take my word that the toy was not working properly! I guess this is a drawback of a smaller store, where a large store would not have had such a problem taking it back. read more