Bristol’s Old-Fashioned Toy Shop

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Friday, June 03, 2011

GoLocalProv Features Team

In this age of movie toys and the next video game, there’s one reliable place where kids’ imaginations regularly take flight - in Bristol.

The Toy Shop, marked with old-fashioned awnings right there on Hope Street, is the kind of place every RI parent remembers from his or her childhood. To this day, the shop is a neighborhood center for yearning children. It's mecca, brightly colored and smelling of playtime.

Proprietor Wayne Kneeland has been keeping a careful eye on the trends of toys and the whims of the under 4 four buying public for 16 years. Meanwhile, the shelves here stock evergreen beloved playthings, from wooden doll houses and castles, Playmobil to Thomas wooden railways, “pretend” kitchen kits, to the most sought-after collectibles, such as Go-Go Crazy Bones, Beanie Boos and Japanese erasers.

It's not only a kid's dream visit on a Saturday, but a great go-to for the merry-go-round of birthday parties every family.

Toy master Wayne Kneeland

Kneeland's well-suited to his work; he has a background in performing puppet shows for children and acting in Chicago theatre, movies and television. As a teenager he traveled to birthday parties to perform his one-man puppet show. In college he studied acting at Goodman School of Drama and landed speaking roles in movies like Risky Business, Uncle Buck, Under the Biltmore Clock and The Roommate.

But with his first child on the way, Wayne knew he had to get a real job, so he thought long and hard about his life-long desire to play, entertain and have fun. He began work on his biggest show yet. In 1995 his first child and The Toy Shop were born.

This weekend, parents and their kids are invited to celebrate this classic neighborhood toys store’s “Sweet 16” birthday: Enjoy a 20% discount on all purchases, all weekend long. Saturday, June 4, is party day, featuring cupcakes and refreshments, a raffle for a Playmobil Zoo set, Go-Go giveaways. At 11am and 1pm, Barrington’s own 12-year old yo-yo champion, Connor Madeiros, will demonstrate his award-winning tricks with Yomega yo-yo’s.

The Toy Shop, 450 Hope St, Bristol.