This store is quite easy to get to via public transit, and upon entering there is an innate warmth to the store. While the items are priced higher than they would be at other stores, that is to be expected for the area. They had a broad selection of toys from creativity-based, imagination play, science activities, and plush toys, and I ended up getting sun-sensitive papers and Calico Critters. I would recommend this place to anyone in the area looking for a moderately sized toy store to go to. The staff seemed friendly enough as well. read more

A treasure trove of little delights!! Lots of fun, sparkly, furry, squishy doodads for your little one or your inner one. Stopped by this sunny morning and found cute Pusheen plushies and a squishy sensory seal I named, Surimi (see pic). MORNING MADE! Other fun items spotted: -puffy stickers -mixNmatch charms and bracelet -mermaid poof chain -those old school plushie horse heads on a stick -glow in the dark stars -DIY glitter.globe kit -dinosaur rings -llama tattoos Super friendly and helpful staff , well-organized and brightly lit store, and reasonable prices! Thank you Henry Bear's for a delightful morning browse! Will def be back! read more

Henry Bear's Park - Squishy seal I named Surimi - Toy Stores Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Rude, discriminatory staff. My son and I were treated like pariahs for playing with a sword and shield in the store (which they had on display). Staff member actually yelled at my son, then angrily told us there was absolutely no playing in the store. Several other children in the store were playing for long periods of time, we were singled out. We were on our way to buy a $40 STEM toy (chemistry set), and had stopped to check out the swords. I asked to speak with a manager. The assistant manager, Taishel (sp?) told me it was because of COVID, we had stayed too long in the store. When I indicated that there was no posted policy about this, that we were both fully vaccinated and wearing masks she shrugged. How a small boy and his father can be treated with such indifference in these trying times is just shocking. We were asked to buy something and leave, and go to a playground (in 18 degree weather) I would recommend that you don't treat this as a kind establishment, the people here don't care about you. They want your money, and they want you to leave. read more

Nice toy store, but extremely rude staff. My son and I visit this toy store frequently and have never had an issue until today. We stopped in while in the area on 7/16/21 around 430PM. My 5 year old son was in the bouncy ball area and the bouncy ball said something about it being extremely bouncy and he asked if he can try it. I said sure not thinking anything of it. He bounced the bouncy ball once and one of the girls Working rudely told my son to stop bouncing the bouncy ball there is absolutely no bouncing in the store. I told he that I said it was ok to try since it is a bouncy ball and he just wanted to try it out. I would understand if he was playing with it in the store and bouncing it all over, but this wasn't the case. Now we keep shopping around and end up near the bigger ball section. We were thinking of purchasing one of the bigger balls. My son was holding it and the next thing I know the girl working today was standing over my son rudely speaking at him to stop bouncing the ball and takes the ball from him and walks away! Excuse me but can we have the ball back we were going to buy this ball. There is a nicer way of approaching this. She returns the ball, roles her eyes and walks away. My son bounced the ball one time - I was going to ask him to stop but before I had a chance she was there being very rude to my son and taking the ball from him. This is a toy store! This owner needs to hire friendlier staff that can be nicer to children. To top it all off once we were done shopping and ready to check out, we walked up to the counter and one of the girls is sitting on the counter. The other girl checking us out rings up 2 out of the 5 toys we were purchasing (I had to tell her that she missed 3). She responded that they were too small, she didn't see them. The whole experience was very unpleasant. The two girls working today were rude, unprofessional, and should not be working in a toy store with the attitude they have towards their customers. read more

I paid a visit today to HBP. I was pleasantly surprised by the very reasonable pricing and great toy selection. I guess I was expecting outrageous prices like the other local toy store. The two young ladies that were working were so friendly and helpful. I will certainly be returning for any future toy needs ;-) read more

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Great store! So many toys to choose from! My kids love going there. There are very few toy stores like this left. So nice to have a place to take my kids for a fun toy adventure! read more

We come here almost every week so my son can play with the train table (he calls this place The Train Store). And we almost always buy at least something... either a toy from a bin or a puzzle or a book. The people who work there are amazing. Very friendly, very helpful. You can tell they enjoy their job!! This place has something for kids of any age: puzzles, science activities, legos, cars/trucks/trains, stuffed animals, some dress up/make believe activities....you should definitely find what you need here. It gets busy sometimes, but the service is quick. So glad to have a local toy store we could spend all our $$$$ that we don't have but spend anyway. read more

Wow! I liked this place. As the babysitter of a small baby I am always into checking out new toy stores in hopes of finding something that will enthrall the babysitter---that is, I mean, the baby. This store has tons of toys for the infant-toddler age child, maybe not as much for older kids. It did look like there were lots of games and some educational stuff. I liked that they have train sets out and kids are allowed to play with them. read more

Awesome Toy Store Henry Bear's Park is located right in Brookline Village. It specializes in toys for different ages of development and focuses on mostly education toys and games, building, counting, exploring, etc. The staff is fantastic and can make great recommendations for children of all ages. They have a superb selection of games, building toys, role-playing toys, and plush toys. The staff can help with whether a particular toy is safe for a specific age group. The prices are reasonable and they have some excellent imported toys as well. It a great shop for browsing too. We love it here. read more

Yes it's mostly full retail priced toys but: 1. The selection is eclectic so gifts from here are well received 2. They wrap the toys for you at no charge (Free!) Staff is helpful, not pushy. On the day Lego's released their Indiana Jones collection, Henry Bear's Park had them. I bought one set for a birthday boy (8yrs) and he completely ignored all other gifts! Score one point for the perfect gift. On another occasion I bought a 3yr old girl some Melissa and Doug items from here. Again, wrapped to perfection and something she hadn't seen before and couldn't put down. Score another point. TIPS: There is occasionally a section in the back of discounted items. You can get on their mailing list and if you spend ~$200 in one year you get some sort of discount. Also you might occassionally get a coupon in the mail. Play area for kids if you need it! read more

This rating is based entirely on a policy that Henry Bear's Park has regarding gift wrapping. Yesterday I bought three items, one of which was on sale. These were gifts for two children that I wanted gift wrapped. Two in one box and one in the other. The box of two was to contain one item that was on sale and I was told that item could not be wrapped since it was against store policy to gift wrap sale items. I asked even though it was in the same box as the item not on sale and the answer once again was that store policy is in gift wrapping for sale items. I then asked if I could get the paper and do it myself... same answer. I then asked for the store manager.... once again the same answer!!! Never in my many years of shopping all over the world have I encountered such a rigid, foolish, unfriendly policy. POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE for such a minor request read more

The staff is wonderful, the location is great, the store looks wonderful, the selection is superb... I mean, really, what else can I say? It's a classic New England toy store. I'm really just there for the LEGO, which they have AMPLE amounts of. They also have a "spend X amount and get a coupon" program; I can't recall the exact amount, but it's definitely netted me a few bucks over the years. They've got a wonderful selection of educational toys, books, stuffed animals, little toys and treats, all sorts of stuff. If I was a kid I'd LOVE this place, heck, as an adult I love this place! Also, they have great taste in music, but, I'll admit, that one might be subjective! The employees are always friendly and helpful; I've seen them offer amazing help to customers who have come in with just a vague idea of "needing a gift for a kid who's some sort of age and likes stuff". Whatever this place is doing, they must be doing it right, because these employees don't seem miserable! Go! You won't regret it! read more

Had such a great experience here from start to finish - amazing selection and variety without being overwhelming. They have super helpful people who really understand the selection, options and each item and took the time to learn what I was looking for and had great recommendations. I love shopping in places where the employees are giving of their time and info and really seem to enjoy being there! There was a really great mix of recent toys and some items from my childhood that are still classic (Lite Brite!) plus the best selection of holiday items I've seen. Excited to go back. read more

I am so glad this adorable children's toy store is a 1.3 mile-walk away from my house because otherwise I would spend way too much money here and my daughter would be quite spoiled! This is such a community gem and packed with toys for kids of all ages. They have an entire wall of stuffed animals; oodles of puzzles; push toys for tots; baubles for babies; loads of bathtime fun; books galore; and planes, trains and automobiles! If Henry Bear's Park doesn't have it, it probably doesn't exist. You and your little one(s) will have so much fun shopping, just try not to break the bank! read more

Henry Bear's is just a few doors away from Vizio Optic in Brookline Village and I go there all the time to buy toys as well as gifts for our friend's children. If you are looking for a one-stop-shop for kids' gifts then I highly recommend this store. The selection is really wide and there are manifold toys for all ages and interests. The staff is really nice and the you can even brings kids here to play. read more

It's a great place that lets kids play with some of the toys and a great escape from bad weather. The toys are a bit pricey but I buy stuff to support local and keep the place open. read more

Great small toy mecca with enormous variety.Friendly staff but not -- over bearing and that who follow you around asking can I help you-- Fun spaces for children to hang out and play AND FUN extras Posted are magic shows sing alongs etc! My favorite Is Jamming with Jeff every Thurs 11:00 very relaxed peppy friendly young man who includes dancing be bopping etc during the sing along. Many babies and toddlers have a ball being silly with jeff's fun songs. As I taught school and am a doting grandmother It is obvious this is a kid friendly musician !! Adorable children having fun read more

Nice friendly environment, with decent selection of toys, a small amount of books, and trinkets. When my kids were younger, we gravitate around the nearby Magic Beans (at Coolidge Corners). As they get older, they "migrate" to Henry Bear's Park which has a wider selection of things to choose from. While Magic Beans cater for much younger kids (maybe up until 10yo) with even baby strollers and cribs, Henry Bear's Park cater for maybe toddlers to 12yo. As they get older now, we no longer visit HBP. I do wish them well, since it's a nice environment for kids and parents to find toys, play a little bit (it has a lego table with trains and tracks for kids). It's also a part of the local community that I'd love to see them continue to flourish. read more

A rating of "not good" is too good a rating!! "Very disappointing" would be more appropriate!! I needed a particular Lego set for my 4 year-old granddaughter for Christmas. Because of Covid concerns and family scheduling conflicts, I needed it by December 13. I ordered it from Henry Bear's Park December 7. I used Henry Bear's becuase their website said I would receive it by December 12. The package shipped on December 8 by USPS. I tracked the package and it seemed to be ontime to be delivered on the 12th. When it did not arrive on the 12th, I went back to the USPS tracking site and it said it had been delayed and would be delivered on December 13. Well, it did not come. On December 21 I sent Henry Bear's customer care an email telling them that I still did not have the Legos and asking them to just give me my money back. (They charged my credit card the day I placed the order.) I recieved a response the same day that said USPS had been experiencing delays nationwide and that they would contact USPS. They also said if I received it after Christmas and did not want it, they would send me a label and I could return it and they would refund my money. It is now December 27, the USPS tracking site says it will be delivered on December 13, I have not received the package , and I have not heard anything else from Henry Bear's!! Can anyone agree that this is "disappointing"?!!! read more

really good selection! I had literally 30 minutes to find a gift, wrap it, and make it to a children's birthday party - I could've walked out of there in 5 minutes, gift wrapped and all, but I got distracted playing with the magic 8 ball - LOL. will definitely be my go-to place for kids' gifts. read more

Not happy about recent experience. Staffs there work with very rude attitude. They don't care if you like to buy toys from there or not. Will not go there any more! Recommend another toy store MagicBeans at Coolidge Corner in Brookline. read more

I strongly recommend against this place for gift purchases. They are completely inflexible on returns outside of their 4-week return policy. We received a gift with a gift receipt, but it seems that the person who gave us the gift had re-gifted, thereby leaving us almost no time to return the gift within the 4-week period. The gift we tried to return was unopened, with gift receipt attached, and we tried to return it only about 10 days after the 4-week period had ended. Despite my explaining all this, the store manager refused to let us return the gift for store credit (which is all they offer anyway). We have been long-time patrons of this store, but they have lost our business. "Shopping local" should mean better customer service and flexibility. Not so at Henry Bear's Park. read more

I was underwhelmed with my recent experience. Working locally, I decided to buy local when I needed a baby gift. However, while the selection of what I was looking for was sorely lacking, I did end up settling on a doll. At checkout, I asked for some tissue and a gift card to wrap the doll in (it had no packaging itself so I just wanted to put it in a bag to give) and was told they did not supply tissue. I could buy a small gift card for $1.00. So I bought the card. The doll was placed in a yellow handle-less bag and I asked if I could have one with handles as, again, I was giving it as a gift. And I was told they promote waste reduction and don't give those bags to people but I could buy one for 50 cents. At that point I was over the nickel-and-diming and just left feeling like I might well have gone to Toys R Us. read more

Henry Bear in Brookline Village is great! They have quite a large selection of toys (better than Magic Beans, which is also good, but better for younger baby items). Certain staff members are great with recommendations and the customer service is often worth the slighter higher prices, esp when buying for a child's birthday partys! read more

I've bought toys here for my friends' kids and love that they have so many interesting choices. The big toy stores have gotten overwhelmed with flashing, noisy plastic things and this store takes it back to simple wonderful choices. Everything I've gotten has been good quality. I thought the prices were reasonable and there was a wide range of products. The staff was wonderfully helpful and kind. read more

I really want to like this toy store, it does have great educational toys, but I find I really have to get pushy to get help from the staff. Many of them know very little about the actual games they sell and that is really frustrating,plus they spend a lot of time talking to each other. I've been coming to this store since it was No Kidding, and I really miss the customer friendly help I got there? I probably will continue to go to this store because it is so convenient to where I live, but customer service could be better. read more

Shopping here for presents pretty much guarantees you'll be the favorite aunt/uncle/parent/cousin/neighbor. They have a great selection and the staff is friendly and helpful, never pushy, and they wrap gifts for free! I think their prices are pretty competitive for a small business and I always leave happy with what I've got. read more

My last time in this store! Such a disappointment! Although they have a nicely organized store with a variety of games for every age. it is not worth the disgusting service that we had there few minutes ago! First, we waited for 10min to ask a question and just when it was finally our turn, the cashier asked us that if we have ONLY a question we have to wait in the second line! Then, we purchased 9 different games, for $200(!) and put in ONE single bag. Since two of them were for a present it was important for me to have them in a separate bag, for which they asked me to pay another 50 cents!!! I will never go back there only because their customer service values don't meet any of mine! I don't think I asked for something I didn't deserve after my purchase and there is no unique game that is worth our return to this place! read more