Gumdrop is the cutest kids store! They have so many high quality kids toys and clothes. I love that…read morethe onesies they carry come with feet flaps that fold over, so you can determine if you want footie pajamas or not. I also love the selection of wooden toys and it was very difficult not to buy everything. I particularly love the wooden espresso machine and lady bug counting puzzle. They also have a cool secondhand area in the back where you can buy kids clothes for cheap because they are worn or damaged! I found a one size here for $5, normally close to $40. Give it a stop if you are in the area!

Cuteness overload. The sister shop of Handzy Gifts Boutique next door, its "a shop for tots and…read moretheir grown ups"! Perfect for picking up cute and unique children's clothing and gifts.

The Play Library is such an incredible place to visit for both kids and adults alike. I have taken…read morethe kids I babysit on multiple occasions and we always have such a great time. I was so excited to check out their new space on Main Street and it is absolutely beautiful. The main room when you walk in has some tables and practically every board game you can think of is available to play. The next room is more kid focused with TONS of board/games, blocks and manipulatives, cars, dress up and more! My favorite aspect of the room is the table that has swings instead of chairs! It is just so fun and whimsical. There is also a chair made entirely out of stuffed animals! You can become a member of the Play Library, and they have different levels of cost to check out different numbers of items at a time. I think this would be so great for families to have fresh toys and games to play with. Even if you don't want to become a member you can stop in their storefront just to play! This is a wonderful part of our community, and we are lucky to have it!

Great place to play. Board games just games. You can also give away Games books to. I highly…read morerecommend it for anyone grown-ups two

I would like to begin this review by formally stating that I have no idea how Learning Express…read morecontinues 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

UPDATE: I emailed the owner of the store and she too let me know there will be no resolution. So…read moreagain, 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.

What a cool little gem. The Cozy Cottage in the heart of Bellevue. The Cozy Cottage is located in…read moreone of the historic buildings on Fairfield Ave. We were originally turned on to Cozy Cottage when my brother gave me some Savory Cracker Seasoning. Folks it doesn't get any better than this. Ummhumm. This little shop has about everything you can think of. Covered wall to wall with great quality and a lot of local items from art. toys, fashion, snack and dip mixes scarves. You name it they might have it. You have to check out The Cozy Cottage in Bellevue. It's a perfect fit in the historic up and coming area. I believe The Cozy Cottage has been there a long time. This was my second visit. Super friendly clerk. Interesting when we arrived to get our Savory Cracker mix no one was in the store. Not a real concern since it is located in Bellevue which is one of the towns left today where they could pr leave your doors unlocked and keys in your car without worry. In comes the clerk with a warm cup of local coffee from the coffee shop across the street. This place will bring you back to simpler times. We chatted for around 15 minutes and bought a few more dip mixes. I can't say enough about The Cozy Cottage. I will pass the word along and definitely be back again. No doubt.

Great atmosphere. Great food. Eat, drink, and be cozy. Love it here. Definitely recommend coming if…read moreyou're in the area!!

What a lovely local store. Although they were open only by appointment due to COVID precautions,…read morethe store owners are happy to accommodate. Impeccable service. They have a great website and a beautiful selection of toys and accessories. Highly recommend!

From the owner: Styled by Mama is a toy store and baby boutique located in Over-the-Rhine and owned by a local…read moremother-daughter duo. We specialize in contemporary and whimsical wooden toys, as well as modern baby accessories for the design driven mom. We believe that good design isn't only for adults and should extend to children's toys and baby accessories alike. Everything we feature will be loved by your kids...and the best part is that the design is styled for you!

When you live in Covington and don't own a car, you discover shops you'd never go otherwise. Like…read moreFamily Dollar in Newport. It's the closest place for us to get stuff other than grocery (that you can get in economy market). So this weekend we were out of Bounty and when you have a baby you need a lot of Bounty (a lot!). So we went on a stroll to Newport on the Levee, had a nice icecream, admired the Bell and bought Bounty in the Family dollar store. It's not a nice store and some of the people who where in it scared me a bit. But it is a store and I'm thankful for its existence in the so car focused Cincinnati / Covington.

Rude. Rude, rude, rude. I spend a few hundred a month at this store since it sits right by my house…read moreand I frequently have a dozen or more kids who love toys, clothes, and candy. I went in this morning and for the fourth time in a row the person working was outrageously rude. to emphasize how rude, this is the first complaint I've posted in my life. the worker had blonde curly hair and when I asked for cash back after my purchase she snidely replied, "Really?" and then lectured me about "asking if they have money in the register." She was rude from the moment I walked in but that was above and beyond. I will never shop here again and advise anyone who doesn't enjoy being spoken to like a child to likewise avoid it.

Super cute, but petite shop with lots of Cincy/ local stuff. Great for gifts and a few small home…read moregoods. Things I liked: all the Charlie Harper tiles and gift items; gloriously unique and high quality looking fabric napkins; a leather clutch with a map of Cincy burnished into it; handmade ceramics - both mugs and other practical items, as well as flowers.

Mike & Carolyn the name's behind MiCa are truly amazing curating the best homemade handcrafted…read morelocal gifts from a variety of artists in their shop at the corner of 12th & Vine in the heart of Over The Rhine There's no finer store in Cincinnati for amazing gifts for all members of your family, friends, colleagues and business gifts. I've purchased gifts here countless times through the years and still amazed by their selection and service. Mike recently helped me with an important corporate gift providing a variety of gifts which was hard to make a selection. MiCa 12/v is your must stop for gifts year round in Cincinnati!