Incredible selection and helpful, dedicated staff. Perfect for gifts. A true neighborhood gem.

Zero really. I'm extremely disappointed in the lack of flexibility and customer service I experienced here. I was told by the manager that teachers receive a 10% discount, but when I asked to apply it, she insisted I present a physical teacher ID. I explained multiple times that I didn't have a physical ID on me, but that I am the owner of a preschool. I offered to show my professional email and even attempted to log into my school's website to verify my identity. Unfortunately, the reception inside the store is very poor my phone calls dropped as soon as I walked in making it difficult to pull anything up online. I asked if she could simply look up my school on the computer behind the counter, and she refused. For a toy and bookstore that promotes educational materials and community engagement, I expected more effort and support toward educators and school owners especially those who have direct access to hundreds of families and students. Instead, I was met with rigid policy enforcement and no willingness to problem-solve. It's disappointing to see a business that markets itself around education and community be so unwilling to work collaboratively with local educators over a modest 10% discount. Customer service should feel supportive, not transactional and dismissive. I think I should take a peek at when their contract is over. read more

Love shopping local and have been here many times and have had mostly good experiences, great gift options for kids. Also love that they happily wrap the gifts in the shop (no gift limit like doodlehopper) . However this past December, the customer service was not as friendly as I recall. The exception was the woman working in the book section, she was soooo helpful suggesting tons of age-appropriate books that I never would have thought of. read more

what a fantastic local toy store! we stopped in as we were going to Arrowine next door. the kids loved the store as it was packed to the brim with books and toys for everyone. they have a whole selection of Brio trains that I haven't seen before. stuffed animals like jelly cat for the animal lovers. Legos for all different ages. downstairs is a lovely area of different books for children of all ages! we purchased a toy here and some books as a birthday present - we even got the toy wrapped at no cost to us!we'll definitely be back! customer service here is fantastic & they are just so welcoming. read more

Barstons Child's Play is a great store in my favorite strip, Lee Heights Shops. They have two of my favorite things: a great book section (the entire downstairs) and a great Playmobil section. I love that the book section has plenty of books for babies and younger children. Overall, the toys are cool and unique here. The staff is super friendly and very willing to help, which is always appreciated. It's the perfect place to get great gifts for the children in your life. read more

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PROs: -Good location. -Most of the staff is friendly. CONs: -OVERPRICED. I am supportive of local businesses, but this place's prices are ridiculously high. -Super left-of-center book selection. You would think President Obama and Ruth Bader Ginsburg were the only President and Supreme Court Justice in the country's history. You're allowed to have children's books on President Regan, Sandra O'Conner (first female Supreme Court Justice), etc. Offer a little variety. -Closes early at random times. read more

This is nothing but an over priced target. I am willing to pay more to help small business when the staff were being bigots using exclusionary words I left. read more

Great selection and amazing service. They will help you find the perfect gift every time! When you really want that special gift kids will remember, this is your place. read more

How did I not know about Barstons? If you're in need of a kid book or present, this is a great neighborhood shop in Cherrydale. Thoughtfully curated, and not precious or pretentious, Barstons is serious about toys, fun, and great books. First time? Don't miss the basement book section: They had a particularly strong selection of award winning, well written and hard to find paperbacks for all ages and interests. If you aren't sure, a DK nonfiction book on a topic of their interest is sure to be a hit! Also, a good selection of children's books written in Spanish, French, and other languages. They have a fun puzzle section upstairs if you're hooked on Ravensburger like me! Also, a nice array of stocking stuffers, party favors, etc. Barstons gives local teachers a 20% discount if you're purchasing books for your classroom! I'll def be back. read more

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I hate the toys. The management is super disorganized, it smells bad like cat pee and mold. It is also very messy and the manager seems very pushy to her employees. I would NOT advise you to visit this gross children's store. read more

The person working stayed open so I could place an emergency toy order and pick it up. Very kind!!

Made a rainy day plan to visit with my 13 mth old and made an appt online per the business's COVID guidelines. When we arrived though, the staff member wouldn't let us in unless my 13 mth old also wore a mask. This is both unrealistic for a child that age and counter to the CDC's mask guidelines. The staff member then suggested I put my child in the stroller and drape it with a blanket, which is just absurd. I appreciate their efforts to be excessively safe, but this is a toy store that apparently doesn't want children to visit. I'm happy to take my money elsewhere. read more

The customer service offered is above and beyond every time. I love this store and the knowledgeable staff. There is a great selection of toys, arts and crafts, books, etc. And the staff will help you find just the right gift for anyone. read more

We received a book for our daughter from this store for Christmas. We unfortunately already had 2 copies of the same book. They refused to take the book back for exchange saying it was too damaged. The book had not left the bag we received it in. They sold my friends a damaged book then refused to exchange it. Their customer service was horrible. I will not shop here again. read more

I was very pleased by the customer service I received from the staff that helped me today. Four people that worked there in particular were super helpful. The new hire Janine surprisingly gave me a lot of helpful recommendations. Devon and the Assistant manager Cisco(covered in tattoos) were charming and showed me around the store and took care of all my wrapping needs and questions. Last but not least the book lady downstairs Sarah told me about some books I will have to get for my next visit. I took the time to ask for their names because I spent a lot of money on this visit and it's all for my grandchildren. So I'm very happy to know I'm getting all the cool stuff my grandkids will like. I will shop at the Arlington store again for sure. read more

Fantastic Toy Store. Huge selection and very knowledgeable staff. If you give them a few details about your niece or nephew, they are off and running with several creative and original ideas. Recently, I have been trying to avoid ordering from Glamazon and the Child's Play folks have been making every effort to help me out by special ordering things. I give a slight edge to the DC location as the store layout feels more open or user friendly. read more

Extremely friendly staff (although I couldn't tell who was staff and who wasn't because there didn't seem to be uniforms). There are many unique toys for infants, toddlers, children, and even teenagers. They don't carry your normal fisher price type of toys for babies. These are more unique toys and if you are shopping for someone, I'm sure you could find something. They also have a great and surprising large collection of board games for sale too. I could get lost at this store for hours. read more

Love love love this store !!!! I come here for my Lego addiction! They always have something that'll peak my interests (older Lego sets, Lego accessories, and double sided baseplate !!!!!!) and they are one of the 40 Golden Stores in America that has a contract with the Lego company Therefore they'll always have goodies that satisfy my Lego Neeeeeds! Don't get me wrong they have soooooo many different toys and gift ideas you wouldn't even think of !!! (Although they are a little pricy !! Not to much tho ) read more

Barstons Child's Play - LEGO MEN (Sadly not for sale) - Toy Stores Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Great selection for all ages: toys, books, stuffed animals and costumes. Incredibly helpful staff; i went in and told them the age of the child I needed a gift for and they asked my budget and then began to show me their "favorites", showing me how they work and what not with the display models. I got the same assistance in the book section. Incredibly knowledgeable and kind staff. They even wrapped it for free at checkout. This will be my go-to gift store from now on. read more

Great toys and amazing customer service. Worked with me to pick out items over FaceTime, then personally dropped it off to me!

It looks like most everything is at full price, but the selection at this store is overwhelming, and the staff is very friendly, helpful, and ready to answer questions or guide your decisions. You won't find that on Amazon. read more

Barston's is a great lccal alternative to the nightmare that is Toys R Us. The have a good slection for all ages, including an impressive selection of children's books on the lower level. Sure, it's a couple bucks more and they might not have every gizmo that a larger store would, but this is the kind of toy store experience I remember from my youth and I hope sticks around for my kids to enjoy. read more

My kids are getting so old it's hard to find excuses to keep going to this amazing store. It is staffed with people who know what to stick, know what's in stock, and if you're lucky enough like us to live a block away from the store, will get to know your kids and their likes from the time they're old enough to press their noses against the storefront windows until they drive off to college. Frequent advice to my middle school son: "Just go to Child's Play and ask Sue to find a good book for you." read more

the hours and store are very crappy, like"duh,we are closed for snow!" so what?!?!?!? even starbucks is open during snow! this is somewhat a very crappy , lousy place!!! 1. they are not organized 2. smells like mildew! read more

I walked.by Bartons in Arlington. Since I've bought toys there, I peeked in the window on Christmas Eve. There were no Christmas decorations but there was a large picture of a menorah in one window and the other snowmen. It makes one wonder if Barstons wants the business but doesn't want Christmas. Very sad. read more

If you prefer shopping at local stores rather than big box chains, this is your place. Games, stuffed animals, arts and crafts, sports, make believe. You name it, they have toys covering an array of ages and interests. Their lower level book selection is quite impressive. Story Time on Fridays is wonderful for the little kids. Bonus, it's in the Lee Heights Shopping Center near Arrowine, Pastries by Randolph, Starbucks and a few other great clothing and food boutiques. read more

This place is awesome! The staff are soooo helpful and knowledgeable about toys/gifts for all ages. I've gone here on multiple occasions to buy gifts for my younger cousins and they always have the best suggestions! read more

I ducked in here on impulse today on my way to the bakery nearby, and was really impressed by what I found. I was shopping for my two year old daughter and my three year old niece, and I had a hard time narrowing down what I wanted to buy. I really wasn't sure about this place from the window--it looked intriguing, but it also looked small and cramped and it was hard to tell how much stuff it would have in it. The store's a lot bigger than it looks, and it's well laid out inside. I've been meaning to buy my daughter a stuffed mermaid, and one of the first things I saw was a big display including stuffed mermaids. I also got her some reasonably priced stickers, a book, and a puzzle. My niece also got a book and some stickers. I didn't even make it to the downstairs--I found so much that was tempting in the short time I was in the store I thought I'd better get out quick! I was also expecting higher prices than I found. I came across a specific Melissa and Doug toy that I had recently purchased from Amazon, and it was exactly the same price. A few things struck me as having high (though fair) prices, but in general I was pleasantly surprised. The people who helped me check out were pleasant, and there were plenty of people around who seemed to be helping other customers. I eavesdropped on a few minutes and it seemed like the staff member was patient and knowledgable about the craft toy in question. I had fun in this store in a way that I don't in stores like Toys R Us, or that you don't get shopping online. I look forward to going back and discovering more great toys. read more

Great local toy store that has a large selection. It's our go-to shop to swing by and grab a quick gift on our way to birthday parties. Friendly staff! read more

This place is great. They really pack it with thoughtful toys and games and other things for young ones. I love going here because the staff is helpful and friendly and it is not Target - ii is a locally owned and run mom and pop shop - we need to support these wonderful independent businesses. They also wrap gifts for free - with a smile. Price are on par with the big-chain competitors. read more

Wow. Great service, great selection. I was there for a birthday present, but it was around Christmas, so there was a wrapping service as well, by the Make-A-Wish foundation in a donate-what-you-can format. I'll definitely be back. read more

Two popular Haba games I was looking for were priced at the same rate as Amazon.com. I also tried a few demo copies of games and ended up going home with an unexpected purchase. The store is oriented towards kids and parents, but as a professional educator who loves to play light strategy games in my personal life, it was a win-win-win. The space is not very good for playing demo games. read more

I used to visit Child's Play with my grandmother when I was a child, and my eyes were always googly with amazement at their variety and selection; one present wasn't ever enough! I went in again the other day, shopping for a friend's child, and was still impressed; they also offer excellent customer service and competitive prices. They're conveniently located, there's good parking in the back, and there's a Starbucks in the strip. read more

It is 7:20 pm on the night before Thanksgiving and I have just arrived home in the District after making a special trip to Barston's Child's Play in Arlington to buy a game I put on hold earlier today. I called the store this afternoon to ask if they had a particular game in stock. The person I spoke to was very friendly, confirmed that they had the game, and offered to put it on hold for me. He took my name and phone number and said the game would be waiting for me behind the register. I then made a point to ask him if the store would be open until its usual closing time at 7pm. I knew that this is a small business and that it may close early the night before a holiday. The man I spoke to said, "Yes, we will be open until 7pm." I told him that I would come by the store tonight after work. Well, I arrived at the store at 6:30pm to find a darkened store with a locked door. The cheery sign on the door said that they had closed at 6pm in honor of Thanksgiving. While I applaud any business owner who gives its employees time off for a special occasion, I feel that they dropped the ball on customer service in two ways. First, someone could have called me to tell me that the store was going to close early since I had expressly told them I was coming tonight. Then I would have had the chance to stop by earlier or I could have at least skipped the trip altogether if I knew I couldn't make it. Now, I know there are lots of reasons why they may not have called - they forgot I was coming, a different employee closed shop, etc., so I would be willing to chalk that issue up to really bad timing. But the second way they failed me was that, if the owners of the store were planning to let their employees go early, they should have told them well in advance, so that when people like me call, the employee will know they are closing early and pass that information on to the customer. Even better: you could also post it on your website. Somehow I can't imagine that the guy I talked to would have forgotten that he was leaving early when I asked him point blank whether the store was closing early for the holiday. This makes me think that the owners may have surprised their employees with an extra hour off. While that may have been a delight to the staff, it wasn't a delight to me to find I'd wasted my time driving over there. A business that cares about getting and keeping customers makes sure their employees and customers know when their hours will change, especially during the holidays when places like toy stores do the most business and people like me are looking for last-minute gifts. I was planning to give that game to the person hosting the Thanksgiving dinner I'm going to tomorrow and we were going to play it after dinner. Now it looks like I'll be buying a bottle of wine at the grocery store. I see that this shop has a lot of rave reviews, so I don't want to be too hard on the owners, who are surely lovely people, but I do think this is a message that will help them improve their business, so take this as friendly (and slightly disgruntled) advice to the owners rather than a criticism of the shop as a whole, with which I have no previous experience. Happy Thanksgiving everybody and, despite any inconvenience it may have caused me, I do hope the employees of Barston's Child's Play enjoyed the extra hour of (paid!?) free time! read more

Barstons Child's Play in Arlington has been a local favorite to shop in since moving here earlier this year. It was a great outlet in the summer months for escaping the heat with my 2 children and finding great educational games and books. I look forward to continuing to shop in and recommend Child's Play to friends and family however I need to alert you to something that made me rethink this. On Friday afternoon I was shopping in the store and an employee I hadn't seen before was talking loudly to other customers. I didn't catch her name but she is tall and has very short blond hair. I overheard her openly talk about having to fire an employee that day and felt that was very unprofessional and not appropriate for the sales floor or customer conversation. I don't know the name of this employee as I hadn't seen her before but the mood in the store was definitely less enjoyable than it has been all summer. I'm hopeful this was a one time blip in an otherwise great experience in your store but I may have to rethink where I shop if I see this type of unprofessionalism in the future. Otherwise I would give this store high reviews! read more