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(Photo: Danny Kim. Toys Courtesy of Play Kids.) |
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- Play Kids
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676 Flatbush Ave., nr. Hawthorne St., Prospect–Lefferts Gardens; 347-715-9347; playkidsstore.com
Play Kids doesn’t just have great toy-store requisites like wide aisles and a big selection, with plenty of “manipulatives” and other items that encourage open-ended play. It’s curated with a conscience: Owners Shelley Kramer and Carl Blake, parents of two children under 5, heavily favor products that are ecofriendly or local (T-shirts from Brooklyn Rocks, sleep sacks by Baby Dee Dee, puzzles by Red Fish, building kits by Williamsburg’s OgoSport), or both. Every item for kids under 1 year old is BPA-, phthalate-, and PVC-free. Thanks to daily programming that includes art and music workshops and story time, the store has become a gathering place for families looking to make new local friends.