I can honestly say I love this business. The selection and staff are great and always know the perfect gift. The selection of frozen merchandise is also amazing. Recently, I needed to restock the children's selection and asked them to help and have loved the choices they made! I find the store is addictive for both me and children!We are so incredibly luck to have shops like building blocks in our neighborhood. read more

This store was a little overwhelming when I walked in because there is so much stuff in there, but I could definitely get lost for hours looking for gifts for the kids. I got these amazing pair of butterfly wings that I cannot wait for my goddaughter to unwrap for her birthday. Staff was really nice and helpful too. read more

The folks that work here are alright, usually busy talking to each other, but very helpful if you ask for it. I do agree that they have WAY too much stuff crammed into every tiny crevice in this shoebox sized store, it's also kind've dark which makes me feel like I'm trapped in my grandmother's attic with strange toys and dust. Alot of their toys can be found else where for cheaper and there's not enough room to breathe to let your child search for something. I love the tub toys selection and the dress up section as well, very nice and definitely not found everywhere. read more

I enjoy shopping at Building Blocks for toys for my grand nieces and nephews. First, I always get personal assistance from the staff or the store owner, and second the gifts thy help me choose are always received with great shout "Thanks auntie this is the best toy ever!" Thank you Katherine I'll be back soon! read more

Hands down the best store I've been to. If you need to get away from all the plastic, cheap toys and want to get back to the old fashioned, educational toys this is the place to me. Their board games are my absolute favorite section in the store. One last thing, the staff will practically shop for you! I told the girl there the age of my niece, she gave me options. When you are in a rush, this place gets you in, out, wrapped and to your party. Thank you Building Blocks. read more

This is a really awesome toy store. It tilts away from infants and more towards older toddlers, but there isn't a toy in the place that wouldn't challenge and delight a child. Anyone with no clue about children looking for a gift for that niece/nephew/child of difficult parents who would sneer at the latest Transformer-type thing should head over here, especially since we're not talking about some horrible place that only sells lame, boring educational toys that exist to make adults feel good about themselves--- you can get everything from pirate ships to trains to musical instruments. read more

Big toy selection but pretty heavy on the Thomas Train stuff... I thought that craze was dying out? Prices are ok but a little higher than other shops. Very friendly staff and always willing to help. read more

Building Blocks Toy Store is synonymous with treasure trove. Before you step foot in the door, the eclectic and mindfully decorated storefront is welcoming you with open arms. The ability to become for a second; a child in a toystore; a real Toy Shoppe! The most important factors of any store is not the products but the hosts. This shoppe has savvy hosts who are already ahead of the curve researching the current trends to keep you in the loop. They understand why you are in the store. Whether you are a big kid with a child or a child with an aDULLt. ;-) so stop on in and share your grin. read more

I love this toy store! It seems like in the past year everyone I know now has kids and I am clueless as to what to buy for birthdays, holidays, etc. The staff at Building Blocks is always helpful in pointing me in the right direction. For such a tiny store they have tons to choose from for kids of all ages AND they offer FREE gift wrapping! Being the worst gift wrapper imaginable this has been a life saver for me! Love Building Blocks, definitely recommend checking it out. read more

Best toy store in the city. In one swoop, I was able to get toys for a 7, 5, and two and a half year old. Good products, fun & smart toys and staff-- always ready to lend a hand, and not afraid to let you wander without pestering you. They keep the store absolutely packed, which is great-- but you have to be willing to step over a few shipping boxes as you worm your way through the store. I always find something special here-- can't wait to go back! read more

This place is really nice because it doesn't have it's shelves filled with the same cheap plastic over hyped and over advertised crap every other toy store has. There are alot of really good learning toys , wooden and stuffed toys, and nicer high end trains and other neat goodies. This was my go to place for my sons Thomas the Tank Engine habit , when he was so inclined. They are really nice there and have all sorts of exclusive mailing list specials and events. Their friendliness gets them big points and the environment is really warm and inviting. read more

Building Blocks is a really cool toy store. I'm a nanny so sometimes I treat Sydney to a trip there and we'll walk out with something really unique and fun. They always have a variety of brands, toys, puzzles, dress up stuff etc. and it's all quality too. They have every Thomas & Friends toy imaginable, and they even have a Thomas table set up with all the works so that the kids could play. They even have some neat arts and crafts things that I like to look at myself. I always find something there! read more

I love this toystore! Puppets, creative toys and toys that I give my adult friends. It's inexpensive. The only downside is that sometimes when I go in there it looks like a parking lot of baby-strollers and it's a small place. read more

Building Blocks is different than a typical toy store. You can clearly see the difference between a store well managed and a one that is not. The staff are extremely helpful, friendly and attentive. read more

Very cute toy store. They have so many toys for being such a small place. The staff is always friendly and willing to help you with any questions you may have. read more

I say this place is awesome - a toy store that maximizes its space with toys on top of unique toys... its not toys r us stuffed into a storefront on Lincoln Avenue - some legitimate cool things or toys you haven't seen in a decade / toy re-boots... plenty of unique things to keep you busy for 30 minutes. Also, has a 70% off clearance section which allows steals of deals to be possible... I will be back. read more

Ok, I don't have children and don't play with toys. However, my sister sent me on a hunt to get these vintage blocks that she was using as a center piece for our other sister's baby shower. Let me say...great selection and reasonable prices, but was most pleased with the GREAT service. They have a lot and could have been wasting my time searching for these blocks. But no, the staff knew exactly what I was looking for and got it for me. Was very pleased overall. read more

Awesome little toy store. Stopped in figuring I'd just check it out....and was sold into getting an awesome board game from their extensive board game section. Employees were great and you could tell they really enjoyed working there. Lots of selection and lots of quirky things that interested me. I will come back for sure. read more

Really great toy store. Personal help each time visited. You can be helpless, and they'll guide you to age appropriate toys or games, and wrap them for you! Beats the big boxes, hands down. read more

If your child is a Thomas Wooden Railway fan, this is the place to go. They carry a lot of retired and hard to find pieces at extremely reasonable prices. I could not believe the selection they have. Also, if you are out-of-town, you can order off of their website or even call them to see if they have a train that is not listed on their website. They have a lot of great other toys as well, and the customer service is great. I will definitely come back next time I am in town! read more

My niece (3 years old) and nephew (5 years old) love this place. They have tons of CTA wooden trains for purchase, legos, playmobile, and little toys in jars and bins. They also have a train table in the center that keeps the kids occupied for 30 minutes or more. It is a little pricey so bring your credit card if you don't want to disappoint. read more

The staff here is amazing. The store is small but somehow has just about any toy you'd want for your kid. The toy prices are competitive with anything you'd see online, plus they are super chill about returns if needed and VERY helpful when looking for a gift. Our daughter loves it here! She also got her silhouette done at the shop which was very special read more

I love this place. I've gone in a few times for really random toys for my son and they always had it (kid-sized broom, his favorite thing, really!) and great prices. They go above and beyond to help customers, it's such a pleasure. read more

Best toy store! There are lots of toys out for the kids to play with and they are great at making recommendations. Prices are comparable to Amazon. read more

I was looking online for something to do with my 2 year old daughter and came across "neighborhood toy store day" at BBTS. It was FANTASTIC! We got there early so the crowd wasn't crazy and the owner was outside handing out gift bags (with really cool stuff in them, not just crappy cheap toys!) and there was a professional photographer to take a picture of my kiddo and Elmo! The inside space is a little small for that amount of crowd so we didn't stay for the face painting and free cupcakes but I HIGHLY recommend coming here to support a very cool local business when it's time to buy your christmas gifts! read more

I was looking for a kids/toy shop with board books. This shop did have books, but not very many, and they were a mess. They were not shelved or organized. I asked the sales person for books that teach shapes and she said she didn't know if they had any. I walked through the rest of the shop and it was equally disorganized with piles, dust, and clutter. read more

I have been to this store two times, once a couple days ago and then the time before that a year ago, and both times was helped by Collin. He helped us find props for some shows that we're in, and while he was checking us out he even remembered us from last year! Collin is great! I recommend this toy store to everyone. read more

There are some great elves working here! I usually visit the store to get educational gifts for my nieces and nephews, but recently ordered from their website. I ordered 30 items and emailed back and forth with Simone, who helped ensure my order was perfect (and included complementary gift wrapping!!). Always a great experience! read more

I was looking for some gifts for my nephew for his 5th birthday and my niece for her 3rd. I wanted to get them something creative and would make him use their imagination. I knew he liked dinosaurs, cars, trucks those kinds of things. She loved dress up, pink and purple and the such. I knew I had a search on my hands. I kept driving by this place so I decided to check it out. Wow. I am in pure bliss in this store. Small but stocked from floor to ceiling with creative imaginative items. His favorite was a hand puppet of a dragon that would roar and have its eyes glow when you pressed the button. He brought to the table when it was cake time, which really is a big deal. I got her a few things, including fairy wings and four pairs of dress up shoes in a variety of sparkly pink and purple colors. She loved them. Wore them all around the house. Needless to say I was a pretty popular uncle. If you are looking for some good, solid, creative fun toys look no further. read more

Both Building Blocks stores are great -- for kids and adults. Very good selection and help from the sales associates.

I was Christmas shopping for boys and girls of varying ages. There was a great selection of toys, books, and games which was fantastic, but I felt overwhelmed on the choices. The staff was extremely helpful and attentive in helping me navigate the store and find great gifts for my tight budget. They even offered complimentary gift-wrapping. I would be surprised if you couldn't find a toy for any kid at any age or any price. The only criticism I have would to be careful about certain products that are in fact marked up in price. If you're a savvy shopper it should be no problem bypassing those specific items, but beware of the toys that are overpriced. All in all it was a great store, and I will shop here again. read more

Sweet little store with friendly staff that always helps me find the perfect gifts. Fun to browse - they have toys, games, books and puzzles from old classics to new treasures. Perhaps best of all is the rewarding feeling of supporting a local business. :) read more

This place is so awesome- I repeatedly call them whenever I need a birthday gift, tell them the child's age, and they know just what to suggest. On top of that, they have it wrapped and ready for pick-up by the time I get there! They stand behind their products, have a great return/exchange policy (no questions asked, no receipt needed for gifts), and are always SO nice. They even stayed open a few minutes later the other night when we were racing over there to get my daughter a book she was dying for. LOVE THEM! read more

Building Blocks is a first class establishment. This store is exactly what you would want in a neighborhood store. The employees are always very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. While it is not Toys 'r Us (thank goodness!), the selection is quite good and more importantly, comprised of high quality products. If you are looking for Thomas & Friends items, there probably is not a better store in town for selection and suggestions. Finally, the prices are actually very good for a neighborhood store. In fact, I have found that some of the pricing is better than what you would find at other stores and even online. read more

Love this store! I have a 2 year old, so time is of the essence. I was in and out of here in 5 mins with a birthday gift for a 3-year-old friend. The staff is incredibly helpful, and gave me a few options to choose from...even offered me batteries (which are likely much cheaper elsewhere). I'm sure everything there is a little cheaper elsewhere, but it's nice to support a local business and get personalized service! They're also opening a new location in Wicker Park this weekend, on Division b/w Damen and ???... I forget, but nice to see them grow! read more

This place is very cool. I was searching for sidewalk chalk that wasn't outrageously priced like at most of the big box stores I've been to, and they had an entire shelf that was decently priced. I also saw a toy there - Calico Critters! - that I thought they had stopped making years ago and was delighted to find in a large quantity there. A lot of their stuff is a bit pricey, but you can find some stuff that's not too expensive, and they have a good variety. The people who worked there were very friendly too. read more

I love this toy store. Not as much as my son, but pretty close. There is so much for so many ages in such a small store. The employees have always been social and polite, even when the place is packed. read more

I love Building Blocks. Since learning about it 2 years ago, it's the only place I purchase children toys and games. It is just as easy as buying online IMO. My recent purchase: I called and I said I needed a gift and book for a 6yo that likes plants and rocks (that is what his parent said). The sales person gave me 3-4 suggestions for each (who knew that they would have toys like that); I gave my CC and asked for it to be wrapped. 15 minutes later we pulled up to the front of the store. My DH ran in and out with the gift. LOVE that they wrap all gifts for free. And you don't need a gift receipt to do returns. Though when the 6yo saw the gift, he was so excited; NO return needed. I have also done this process in person and have been in/out of the store with a wrapped gift in 8 minutes. When you do have time to go in and shop, their sales associates are so nice, helpful and knowledgeable. They have great suggestions, and don't make you feel like you are bothering them when you can't decide. Do ask for help because they have a lot of things. I also like the that the items they carry aren't the usual big box store. They really have some unique toys and games, educational too. My 3 yo son loves their fun events - Elmo, Frozen. And if my son (who asks to stop by every time we pass it) were to write this review he would say "they have a train table with lots of trains, and LOTS of diggers and firetrucks, and a log truck, and workers, and...) I highly recommend this store for its customer service and selection/quality of merchandise. read more

This review is long over due. In the fall Building blocks had a great 20% off sale. The weekend of the event, my husband had to work and it turned out both my son and I were ill. I had a few items that I wanted for my son's upcoming 2nd birthday but thought that I was just going to miss out. This is when I discovered the most wonderful things about this store and why it's services are invaluable to parents. I was able to call the store and purchase the items (with the discount) over the phone, they wrapped the gifts (FREE OF CHARGE) and had them ready for me to pick up at my convenience. My son's birthday gifts were ready to go with only a phone call on my end. Not to mention the knowledgeable staff and an owner who is invested in running a business that is both profitable and a positive force in the community. I also trust that the toys they are selling are equality products. My son loves his Micro Mini scooter and it has held up through lots of use! Other toys bought from "cheaper" retailers fall apart very quickly. They do their research and love the products that they are selling. We are Building block lifetime customers! read more