West End Toy Shop Trail

This is the ultimate West End retail safari... the kind of shopping kids actually love. Start at Selfridges, in Marble Arch, where on the fourth floor you can gawk at eye-watering £750 giant Jellycat stuffed moons (we saw someone actually buy one) and the fish and chip store, watch the life magic demos and let kids test retro arcade games and futuristic robots on the tech floor in the basement. Probably a good time to set a budget so they can pick one toy from one store for the day - or whatever your budget is. It's worth taking a gander at the food hall too. Next, continue down Oxford Street. Your Big Game safari stops include Build-A-Bear, the Disney Store, and the children's department at John Lewis, with lots of sit-ons and a few games to play. In Liberty London on Great Marlborough Street you can visit its whimsical, beautifully curated children’s section filled with heirloom wooden toys, craft kits, and dress-up gear. Next, on to the mothership: Hamleys and its seven-story temple of live product demos and interactive play zones on Regents Street. You'll be here for a WHILE. There's a LOT to see and buy and play with! When you're free, if you've still got energy, options include: walking 10/15m to Leicester Square's flagship Lego Store to build custom minifigures and see giant brick installations. Or Waterstones Piccadilly - if you have book lovers in tow, take a short detour south to the massive children's department at Waterstones Piccadilly, which also has cosy reading nooks and play spaces. Alternatively, hit up Kingly Court for a snack or dessert in the open-air courtyard at Kingly Court off Carnaby Street. For the truly hardcore, push on to Leicester Square/Covent Garden to watch street performers and explore Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop—an iconic vintage shop packed with classic puppets, theatrical shadow boxes, and wind-up novelties.