Kaleidoscope

This is a quaint little local toy shop. I had a gift card and decided to check it out and finally make my way in to redeem it. I found a wide variety of items we were interested in purchasing, but we settled on the Simon game, yes the same one that was popular in the 80’s. I remember having fun with my family playing the Simon game but have a different perspective as an adult, I could see how it works well to help increase memory for repetitive hand eye sequences as well as hand eye coordination. I found a wide range of toys that were educational but not lacking in the fun factor for children which is so important. I liked the choice of books but would have preferred a lower price range. It’s easy to spend a lot of money here.
The people who were working there were very helpful and friendly. I was looking for something that could help my daughter with unbuckling her belt and other things to help fine tune more intricate motor skills. A product was suggested along with consideration for placing an order for that specific product The place also has a vintage and cozy feel to it and is easy to get to. One of my neighbors also recommended that I try movie night for my little one. That is an awesome option for parents and encourages a sense of community, which is commendable.

I will always give this store 5 stars because of the amazing toys they have and over all great customer service. Unfortunately last week I was in the store for some gifts and was in a bit of a rush. There was a young lady there with I am guessing school work laid out on the counter I did not get any help from her the entire time I was in the store looking which was about 15 mins. She didn’t even look up at me. I was pretty disgusted and took my business elsewhere. Hopefully I will not have to go through that again.
P.S this is not the first time with this same young lady.
Kaleidoscope still ROCKS!

Good thing this store isn’t bigger or I’d spend way more time playing than is appropriate for a single adult.
The check-​in deal is just as awesome as the toy selection. The staff were very helpful in pointing me to top sellers, creative toys, and age-​appropriate gifts. I wish more things were made locally rather than in China. Nevertheless, I would rather support a small business than box store. Perk– free and fast gift wrapping!

I’ve returned to the Kaleiscope for my fifth or sixth time, and for the fifth or sixth time, I feel GREAT about having given them my hard-​earned money.
The store feels like the type of carefully curated boutique that should be far out of my budget. The toys are a great mix of fun and educational, with almost no junky plastic «filler» toys that you’d find at a big box store. The gifts I’ve bought for my two nieces have almost exclusively been toys, crafts, or activities that they’ve enjoyed with their parents, grandparents, or aunties. Who doesn’t need more quality family time these days?
I’ve probably been helped by six or seven employees over the year or two I’ve been shpoping at Kaleidoscope, and I couldn’t tell you which one was an owner versus paid sales clerk. They are all incredibly helpful, patient, and knowledgeable about their products. The two employees who greeted and approached me yesterday were helpful and accomodating without making me feel smothered – this is not an easy balance to strike!
The entire shopping experience is designed to make the shopper as comfortable and calm as possible. The employees asked if they could hold my potential purchases up front for me, and even offered to keep the gifts separated according to which child would be receiving each gift. What a fantastic touch, and for such a tiny store!
My friend picked up a gift for my nieces last year when I was too busy to do so. Instead of adding the purchase to my «loyalty program» account, she started her own. When I mentioned this to the sales clerk yesterday, he offered to merge our accounts, and I was able to gift wrap the purchase I had made. This is another nice touch, especially for someone like myself who travels out of town to deliver said gifts.
Keep it up, Kaleidoscope!

It had been almost a year since my last visit and friends were still raving about Kaleidoscope. I decided to give it another go because local business. This experience was so unlike the last that I almost felt like I was in a different store. I was greeted immediately upon my arrival and the sales associate led me right away to some great gifts and wrapped them beautifully. I was infinitely more happy with our visit this go round.

I really debated whether to give Kaleidoscope three or four stars. I want to love this place. The set up is great, there’s room for strollers and my kids love playing with the sand box while I look through the store. Plus the selection of toys are the type of high quality, educational toys that I prefer to buy my kids.
That being said they seem to have a hard time keeping things in stock. I get that it’s New York’s top toy store and that’s the nature of the beast but you’d think that when something was about about to run out there’d be an order all ready in place in order to replace the items quickly. There’s been two times I’ve been in looking for something specific and both times the item was about to be ordered and would be available in a week and a half to two weeks. They’ll put your name on a calling list and call you when the item was stocked but only one of the two times I did this did I receive a call. I’d rather support a local business but when you promise your kids scooters and then there aren’t any in stock, sometimes you just have to order online. (That being said the prices seem to be in line with what you’d spend for the exact same thing online.) We’ve even been once not looking for anything specific and we must of just been there on a off day since there wasn’t much to choose from.
As far as the staff goes, they are all pretty friendly. Some are more helpful then others but I have no real complaints there. I do like that they offer loyalty points and even a discount for Military and Teachers.
In the end, if you’re looking for something specific, call ahead. Also check the hours that day because they may have an event that night for which they close early for. But definitely go and check it out because you never know what awesome toy you’ll discover.

So this place has an interesting selection of toys. It’s nice being able to walk around a toy store that has successfully acquired a unique catalog of products that are both interesting and fun. It’s unfortunate, however, when you show up to such a pleasant place to find it closed before it’s posted hours for a movie night event.
Apparently Kaleidoscope offers a night-​care movie and toy shopping experience for kids whose parents want to booze up for the night, or whatever. I know I’m a little cranky about this, but I walked across the neighborhood to get something specific during posted business hours, and I can’t shop? Outrageous. Change the hours or delay the event. I can’t respect the status quo.

The best toy store.

Cute stuff! The selection of toys are focused and they have a nice collection but they seem to be more geared towards younger children. I picked up a birthday gift for a 6yr old and they wrapped it up nicely for me
My son loves doing the daily riddle and playing with the train table and the staff is really sweet!

This is a true bay ridge gem! Obviously, the owner is passionate about his store and providing high quality toys. The staff are trained beautifully. Every time i go, i am floored at the personal. Each staffer has greeted us immediately, asked us if we needed help with a friendly smile, and acknowledged our son. Our son will inevitably touch everything he can, but they don’t appear to be swayed. They always ask again, and even will politely butt in if they overhear we are looking for something in particular. Once, a girl looked through almost every item in the store to find pirate toys… With a smile. The owner was such a pleasant guy. They have Unilocal check in coupons and fair prices. Gift wrapping service was phenomenal. Im very impressed.

Place is great. they entered my name into their database for loyalty points. Pretty thoughtful. Guy at the counter was really nice and knows how to make his customers feel welcomed. Very nice selection of toys. very small store and the space is used very well. Mom and pop shop always gets my support as long as the effort is put in. I’ll probably be back to check out new stuff for the kids.

This is a great neighborhood store. They carry a lot of toys you don’t see in big chain toy stores. The owners Paul and Inna are very friendly and treat each customer with great customer service. They also do a lot of the community as well. If you need a gift for any child in your life I highly recommend coming to this store.

This toy store is fantastic! I’ve gone bananas there (to my daughter’s great delight). However, today I needed to run in and buy a birthday gift before the party. I was there at 10:05 a.m. (store sign and Unilocal says they open at 10:00 a.m.) and the place was still closed when we left at 10:15 a.m. I had to buy the gift elsewhere. :(

I go to Kaleidoscope whenever I need a gift because I usually have no idea what to get and they always help me find something creative and fun. I recently went in looking for some little toys for Easter baskets. I am always amazed that even when I am looking for something that costs very little, they take the time to help me find something that I can feel good about giving.

This toy store is adorable. They have a wide selection of toys for a small shop. The people that work here are very friendly and helpful. I love the décor it’s bright and decorated beautifully during the holidays.

I don’t shop here often (I’m a little more of an online shopper when it comes to toys), but whenever I need a unique gift for my children or their friends, Kaleidoscope is the place to go. We shop here for most birthday parties (The kids always enjoy the gifts they receive.) and love that they gift-​wrap on site. They have a good variety of age groups and personalities of children to purchase for in the store. Good location and I love the riddles of the day outside the store.

The best toy store in Brooklyn. The owners and salespeople are friendly and are great at recommending age appropriate toys for gifts. Love the free gift wrap too! The toys are unique and educational. My only complaint is that I wish there were more square feet!

I love Kaleidoscope! Every time I step into the store I know I can count on amazing customer service and high quality toys for my children. Paul, Inna, and the rest of the staff always make awesome recommendations and greet every customer with a smile. They even know me and my kids by name! There is something for every kid or kid at heart here. They are also extremely involved in the community. Did I mention the very generous discount rewards program and the free gift wrap service? If you have any child on your shopping list, this is the place to go hands down

The new owners (although after two years they’re not SO NEW) Paul and Inna have truly transformed Kaleidoscope into the most enjoyable and friendly toy store experience in Brooklyn.
I’ve often stopped in for a gift and as the staff deftly guides me towards appropriate gifts, Paul often is blowing up balloons for my kids to keep them happy and content. They do the most beautiful (and FREE!) giftwrapping. They also stock hard to find items and toys that you cannot find anywhere else in Bay Ridge or even all of the surrounding neighborhoods. The prices are always fair and they have wonderful sales.
In addition to the retail aspect, Kaleidoscope has become a community space where they show children’s movies, host parties and truly are a hub for parents and children in the neighborhood.
Even though there may be larger selections or more «typical» toys in big box stores or Century 21, I shop exclusively at Kaleidoscope for toys and gear for my children and for gifts. We need more stores like Kaleidoscope that values its customers, provides outstanding service and truly gives back to the community!
Thanks, Kaleidoscope!