Nature At Play

I own a small toy startup, and they never paid us for the toys they ordered. Not running a trustworthy business.

So happy to have found this store! I’m an avid board gamer that’s been looking to get my 3 year old into the hobby, but HABA’s line of first board games are often sold out online and go for $ 70+ on Amazon. This store had a bunch of them in stock with more on the way. If you’re looking for games like First Orchard, Mini Monsters, etc — look no further!

Quality toys! European brands, excellent service — I even had the proprietor there to help me pick out a few options for my 6 year old nephew — who loves science and figuring things out.
They gift wrap at no charge. Easy to park nearby. Im going back.
Thank you

Located in a mall right next to Books, Inc, it’s a little small, but packed with quality toys — lots of Plan Toys, Haba, Kathe Kruse and other european toys. Much better than Toys R Us (and even Talbots) where they couldn’t even find any toys that were NOT made in China. Free gift wrap and excellent customer service from Jana every time we see her. We always stop for a visit when we go to Too Cute downstairs.

I love coming to this store to check out Haba and other European toys that are all well-​made, safe and beautiful crafted. The price is slightly higher but the quality is worth it.

This place is great.
Hidden in a somewhat «Mall». you actually have to be exploring to come across it, it seems.
Unique toys and alot of woodent toys/​games…
Price is above normal, but its worth it.

I went to this store today looking for a play doctor set for a friend’s 3 year old. They had the best one I’ve seen so far and lots of other cool and educational toys. Toys R Us is awful but this place was pleasant — with free gift wrapping! If you’re looking for a less crappy, plastic-​y toy for a tot — try this place next time.

This store is nestled inside the small mall on Burlingame Avenue that also houses Books, Inc (which is easier to find from the street). It is a small store, and I do imagine double-​strollers having small wiggle space. But the store is a treasure trove of wooden toys and puzzles/​games, much of which are good family activity starters. The toys and games are classic and timeless, and, mostly, made from natural and renewable materials. Most of the items are European-​made, but I noted that a line of alphabet blocks sets in different languages were made in the U.S.A.
I always buy my toy presents from this store, I am always confident in the products I get in terms of quality and longevity, and, since most of the items are not found in nationwide stores, uniqueness. I can buy the same thing over and over for different babies (and there is always a new baby to buy for!).
Today I had the pleasure of chatting with the owner, Evie (sorry I didn’t ask how your name is spelled). Since I usually come in on slow hours I’ve come to expect the storekeeper of the day to come and make small talk of sorts. Today was no different, and we were talking about what I’ve bought in the past, what she’s recommending, the trends in the toy industry, how to survive as an independent toy store amidst the commercial stores all over, come to think of it, things I don’t normally discuss. It was not until she said she phased out a product I’ve seen there before that I realized I was talking to the owner. She was otherwise very well-​informed and informative, without being pushy, and you could sense a pride in ownership with her, that she enjoys what she does, she knows everything in and about her store. I felt proud to have spoken with her, and I know I will definitely be back. More.

I like this place a lot! Small but sweet :)

I buy my daughter’s toys from here. You’ll find European toys such as HABA and a lot of unique toys you won’t find at Toys R Us. It’s a small store with lots of toys to choose from — I love the various European selection of toys. These toys are pricey but well worth it as it can be toys passed down from generation to generation.

Back-​to-​basics concept toys & games for your tot.
Exceptional service, reasonable prices & FREE gift wrap!!!

Again, after the bookstore and visiting the store Too Cute, my daughter comes to Nature at Play. Once again, the owner/​employees got to know my daughter on a first name basis and after that, she welcomes us to the store with open arms. The best part is that the owner/​employees lets her play in the store as long as she wants. Again, another place to visit when in Burlingame.

I’m a big fan of the independent toy store and want to love this place, but unfortunately I find that it’s just plain too small. As a result, I find myself claustrophobic if there are even two other shoppers in here, much less if I’m on double stroller duty.
That said, the small selection they do have is high quality, and the staff I’ve encountered has been very pleasant. So if you’re in the neighborhood and looking for gifts, by all means check this place out.
I wish any indie toy store well in the unenviable fight against Walmart… so would love to see these guys buddy up with the investors in Talbot’s (San Mateo) and get themselves a bigger footprint.

I love this store. It is not as purist (there is some plastic but most of the time it is good plastic) as The Playstore in Palo Alto but it is much closer to where I live. They have a lot of the good Haba games. They also seem to change their stock a bit, so there is new stuff all the time.
It is where I buy all my toy gifts for friends who would shop at Toys R Us, because it provides a varied selection that appeals to a wide audience. They have a wider range of toy prices. If my budget if 15 – 20 I know I can always find something wonderful at Nature at Play.
However my natural toy friends still get their gifts from the Playstore.

I buy all my birthday party and baby gifts here because I know that they will be unique. Nature at Play carries a great selection of European made toys. They are mostly wood and always better quality than the plastic version sold at Toys R Us. They also have some very unique baby items that are just darling.
One of my favorite toy shops for kids.
Warning — it can be expensive, but you do get what you pay for

This is a great place to shop for alternatives to all of those plastic, battery-​operated toys you find at large retail toy stores. This small store provides friendly customer service and is packed with high quality wooden toys as well as unique baby items, craft projects and children’s accessories.

WOW what a store. Okay, it’s really small but it’s jam packed with excellent toys, especially wooden ones!!! It’s a little confusing as I thought the name of this place was called «Wooden Toys» as the sign right across the door said that. However, its real name is Nature At Play and it’s embossed on the window to the right so if you’re walking into the ‘mall-​like space’, the first thing you’ll see are the words «Wooden Toys». Anyway, this place has great wooden toys from Germany (a little expensive but well worth it as they’ll last forever) and little nifty things you wouldn’t ordinarily see in other toy stores. Perfect place to get birthday gifts for children or just toys for kids to play with.