I would like to begin this review by formally stating that I have no idea how Learning Express continues to get away with what is essentially daylight robbery with a smile. I walk in thinking, "We're just looking. We don't need anything." Approximately 4 minutes later, I am standing at the register holding a giant butter squishy, three fidgets, a slime-making kit, and some other completely unnecessary object that my child has just informed me is "THE BEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE." And somehow... I buy it. Every. Single. Time. My bank account is not okay. My wallet has filed for emotional damages. My credit card has started asking me questions. But here's the problem: I genuinely love this place. Because if I'm going to hemorrhage money on ridiculous little pieces of "junk," I would MUCH rather spend it here than spend another dime on something involving a screen, an app, Wi-Fi, or a charging cable. Give me the $17 squishy. Give me the slime. Give me the weird little fidget that apparently possesses magical powers. At least my kids are sitting there happily squishing, stretching, mixing, creating, and playing instead of staring at an electronic device like they've been assigned to monitor the International Space Station. And the employees?! Absolutely phenomenal. These are some of the most genuinely kind, attentive, helpful, and non-shady youngsters I have ever encountered. They are patient, they actually listen to the kids, they take their time, and they genuinely seem to care about making the experience fun. I've talked to several employees who I am 100% convinced understand the absurdity of the situation just as much as the parents do. You can practically see it in their eyes when a child proudly announces: "I WANT THE GIANT BUTTER." And the employee is like: "YES!!! YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED THE GIANT BUTTER!!!" Meanwhile, the parent is standing three feet away thinking: "The giant butter is HOW MUCH?" And the employee gives you that tiny little knowing nod. That nod says EVERYTHING. It says: "I know." "I see the price." "I know you're dying inside." "But look at that child's face." And honestly, I appreciate it so much. They never make the kids feel silly for being excited about something completely ridiculous. They get excited WITH them. They encourage them. They listen to their very serious scientific explanations about which squishy is superior. They help them figure out their slime concoctions. They make the kids feel important. And I've seen them give parents that subtle, sympathetic look like: "We both know this is financially irresponsible... but at least they're happy." That, my friends, is customer service. Learning Express has somehow created a magical little ecosystem where children walk in with $0 worth of self-control and parents walk out $87 poorer but strangely happy about it. It's wholesome. It's fun. It's entertaining. It's completely dangerous to my checking account. And I will absolutely be back. Because at the end of the day, I'd much rather spend money supporting a great small business, employing genuinely wonderful young people, and giving my kids something creative and entertaining to do than hand them another electronic device. So thank you, Learning Express, for being such an amazing small business, for having such awesome employees, and for consistently separating me from my money in the most wholesome way possible. My wallet hates you. My children worship you. And honestly? I'm on the children's side. 10/10. Would absolutely financially recover from another trip here. P.S. Olivia is the absolute best!! I just met her today and learned that she suckered her parents into bringing her to Learning Express when she was a yungin' and now she's an employee. Next stop, Business Owner read more

UPDATE: I emailed the owner of the store and she too let me know there will be no resolution. So again, just know that if you buy a blind bag and get damaged merchandise, they will do nothing to rectify it. Hats off to them for finding the loophole for running their business: take your money and sell you damaged goods! Buyer beware. If you purchase a blind squishy bag and an item is damaged, they refuse to swap it out for you. They said "they check every squishy before they bag it up". Yet, imagine the amount of people that squish on the bags before purchase to try and figure out what is in there. The quality control is gone after that point. What an insane, slimy way of doing business. read more

I've been going here since I was little, so growing up I wanted to keep supporting a local small business rather than ordering from places like Amazon. I am 17, and today my boyfriend and his brother went here to shop around. My boyfriend and I frequent coming here when we are on dates, and want to have fun. We have never caused any issues, but today we were not welcomed into the establishment. I don't think a toy store made for children should have an 18 plus rule. I understand if we were causing issues, but we had just walked in and were ready to spend money. Mind you we had never been asked to leave before, and me and my boyfriend come there often. I will no longer bring my business here moving forward. read more

NEVER GO HERE!!! All of the staff here are so so so disrespectful! They accused my friend of stealing after they just checked her out. The staff is a joke. I've been shopping here as a kid and always loved it but I will NEVER be returning due to the rudeness. read more

Such a great store!! However they have a policy that if you are there you have to be there with an adult. My sister who is 16 almost 17 drove us there and the workers told us we had to leave because she wasn't 18. We find it so outrageous that she can DRIVE but we aren't aloud into the store. So stupid. Especially because sometimes teens go to crestview alone without adults so automatically they are losing so much money from teens who are willing to spend money there. read more

Tried to go in today, but was refused. Why? Because Im not 18! I thought this was a kids toy store! I am months away from being 18. Plus, the worker was very rude and disrespectful when telling me to leave. read more

I wasn't sure how independent toy stores stayed in business until I visited Learning Express a couple of weeks ago. They sell high quality toys and have a play area for kids in the store. They have a birthday box program where you take your child to the store to pick things out and then they hold it so family or friends can visit to purchase the item. They even gift wrap it! The reason we visited in the first place? Because they do character meet and greets with popular cartoon characters. My son was delighted to meet a few characters from Paw Patrol and it was a simple, fun, and free thing for us to do on a Saturday morning! The line was long was moved quickly and the staff ran it smoothly. read more

BEWARE Bought 4 items during a BOGO sale. Two were $25 the other two were $8. They gave us both of the cheap ones free instead of one of the $25 free and one of the $8 free. When asked about it, they said that's how it works and all sales were final. Associate said that bought separately they would have sold them properly and still refused to fix the issue. They admitted to ripping us off and refused do anything about it. read more

Great selection but horrible prices! Traveled all the way from Cincy to check out their selection of squishmallows. Only to find out price gauging! As high as $80.00. AND it is the stores policy that they are all final sale. Not worth the drive. I looked around and saw Melissa&Doug items for $30.00 that can be found at Marshals for less than $10.00. They definitely take advantage of richer neighborhoods. Be rich and look somewhere else. But if you do want to stay and shop, make sure to check-in on Yelp and get 10% off your order. read more

I took my daughter here to pick out a birthday present for her friend's party! She found tons of gift ideas! If your looking for somewhere that's not a typical Walmart/target toy isle this is the place! Store is a bit small and hard to have 2 people walking opposite ways in the isle. They have a ton of toys for all age ranges! read more

Tried to go in the other day but I couldn't. Why? Because you have to be 18??? Isnt this supposed to be a toystore for children yet they cannot even come in. Very disappointing read more

I've forsaken the plastic, lead-tainted toys available at mass-market retailers. I'd much rather dole out a few extras dollars for the peace of mind it gives me knowing that my son's toys aren't going to end up on a recall list. Nothing's guaranteed in this globalized world, but at least I can reduce his risk by buying reputable, ethical brands. Last Christmas, after months of being bombarded by daily toy recalls, I decided that I would only buy toys if I knew they were safe and lead-free. I visited Learning Express and asked the salesperson if she could recommend items not made in China (I know that China makes good toys as well as bad ones, but I wanted to err on the side of precaution). She whipped out a huge list, but unfortunately we couldn't find anything on the list for my son's age range. However, after my visit today, I can tell that the company got the hint. Learning Express still has their share of plastic, Made-in-China toys, but they also stock a wide variety of well-crafted, educational playthings from HABA, Playmobil, and more. Learning Express also gift wraps toys (quite a convenience for last-minute gift-givers like myself), but I wish they had a single staff member devoted to the task. If several customers want gift-wrapping at the same time this can really back up the check-out line. However, this is my only annoyance with the store that is excellent overall. read more

Learning Express Toys - Toy Stores Near Me - Crestview Hills, Kentucky

I love this learning express! the customer service is beyond what I expected! I had the cashier named Ashley and she was so kind and helpful! She helped me look for toys for my sister and i can say my sister was obsessed with them! 10/10 will go back again! Thank you ashley! read more

Extremely rude employees. I love supporting small businesses... but bad customer service is one thing I will never support.

***Learning Express is a nice toy shop featuring all kinds of toys (Legos, many educational toys, games, puzzles, sports themed items like flag football kits, and a wide assortment of small toys that would make great stocking stuffers); live baby frogs are even for sale here; the cashiers were pleasant and welcoming and this is definitely a good shop to visit if you are looking for a unique toy*** Learning Express is located in a huge shopping and restaurant plaza that has its own free parking lot. It is easy finding an open space. read more

I love this store because it doesn't feature much that is electronic, but rather they are good solid toys like Melissa & Doug. As the parent of a special needs child, I have such a peace of mind knowing we can come to this store without fear of him getting overwhelmed by electronics. Additionally, I love knowing these aren't toys that will break in 3 uses nor be recalled due to toxicity. SIgn up for the list you get coupons ALL the time, and the staff are so friendly and helpful. I frequent this store for presents not only for my son but other kids in the family as well! SOLID A++++++ read more

My girls are really into "fidget toys", this store has every single one they've been asking for. The two girls working were very nice and helpful. read more

Small selection and expensive. Not sure how a place like this stays in business with competition like Amazon, Target, and Walmart.

I actually go to the one in Union, by Kroger. I love the products at Learning Express. I used to take my boys in there when they were younger. I've been able to find a lot of hard to find things in there, even games. The associates are friendly. The prices are comparable to a little higher on most things. It's a great place to go in and browse. read more

We love Learning Express! Love getting unique birthday or Christmas gifts here. My son did the Birthday Bucket for his birthday, which is like a gift registry. He went around the store picking out what he wanted and put it in a tote bin; friends and family could come get his bday present, knowing exactly what he wanted. Plus, get a discount! Only negative I have to say is their prices and they don't price match... Several times I have wanted to buy Lego sets or a board game and find it A LOT cheaper at either Target, WalMart, or Amazon. Would much rather give my money to Learning Express instead of a big box store. The difference is significant...Please price match!!! read more

I loved shopping at Learning Express. For me the prices are just right and I can find just about whatever I need when I am there. The customer service is great! I just am so overjoyed the way they always greet me with a smile. I love also how all the toys are not just electronics but rather good toys such as Melissa and Doug and stress relieving toys. The toys also have a great durability! I would absolutely recommend shopping here! read more