Fun Learning

Been in here a few times to buy gifts for niece and nephew and friends kids, they cover a whole range of ages and ideas, to suit whatever your kid is into.
Staff are really friendly and helpful in a not so British kind of way, and can give you some valuable pointers for people like myself who are pretty clueless.
Check it out if you have a budding scientist, artist, butcher, baker, candlestick maker (you get the idea).

One of the best toy shop. Excellent staff, who provide u with recommendations if you let them know age group etc. Highly recommended.

This shop reminded me of a store in my hometown called «Playful Learning». It sold educational games and gadgets aimed at children. It was the place where I purchased the stuff I needed for my science projects. It was also the place where my Grade 6 teacher purchased the activity books he would use for homework assignments for science class. I, being a clever kid, realized this, and purchased those very same activity books, and just copied the answers from the back. I got 100% on every homework assignment, but almost failed the final test. This was because I didn’t retain any of the information from copying the answers. A few days later, I saw my teacher at Playful Learning, and the jig was up. I ran out of the store and cried.
Anyway, back to Fun Learning. They sell great brainteasers, board games, and software that make learning, well, fun. It’s a nice change from the mindlessness that are inherent in other games (not that mindlessness in board games is a bad thing… I love Hungry Hungry Hippo’s). But if you wish to make education a fun and playful experience for your child, pop on by to Fun Learning and see what’s there. The staff will help you out too if you don’t quite know what you’re looking for.

Fun Learning is definitely my new favourite place to shop for kid-​themed presents. The selection of games and things-​to-​do-​on-​a-​rainy-​weekend was enormous and did, as the name suggests, often combine fun with educational.
Some highlights: a chemistry lab and a volcano making kit in the science section; friendship bracelette, knitting and spirograph projects in the arts section; big foam arrows and giant bubble makers in the outdoorsy section. Also on display were card games, board games and the ‘educational’ CD Roms (like Operation?).
Sales clerks were very friendly — I was greeted a few times despite the story being quite busy. When one sales clerk had stopped running the cash register, he blew bubbles in the centre of the store. Ah, what fun.

I’m not sure there’re enough toy shops like this aroung any more, so Fun Learning, a small south east based company, offers a great resource to Brighton. Okay, I’m also not so sure how educational many of the toys actually are, but there’s loads in there and certainly something to capture the imagination for everyone. You’ll find board games, outdoor games, science activities and toys ranging from the cute and traditional to the more modern. It’s great if you’re stuck for a present for a friend too — with nifty gifts galore from bouncy balls and stickers to a floating giant frisbee and mini plastic aquarium — you’ll be the best gift-​giver in town!

Shops like Fun Learning are not exactly aimed at me. I have learned the intricacies of the alphabet and my basic numerical skills are pretty impressive if I do say so myself! However, we all have to start somewhere.
Like a cheaper version of the Early Learning Centre, Fun Learning provides books, toys and games both with and without educational value (because sometimes girls and boys «just wanna have fun»!) The products are not the highest quality, but they do their job. Without going into the ethics of production, it is easy to criticise cheap products, but when it comes to education, I think everyone should have the opportunity to learn, so we shall cast our aspersions aside and think of the positives of a place like this.
Learning should be fun and Fun Learning provides affordable access to methods of enjoyable education. For this reason it wins my vote.