What a surprise. FYI: I am in my late 30s and do not have children. I can't remember why my…read morehusband, my brother in law, and I wandered into Doc Taylor's Toy Emporium when we were exploring Old Ellicott City last weekend (something in the window must have caught our eyes), but it was such a pleasant surprise. The store is very large (two stories) and so well stocked. We found lots of classics that we remembered from our childhoods and even made a purchase for ourselves (toys are for adults, too, right?). If you need to purchase a toy for someone or if you're just looking for something a little fun as a treat, stop in. They might have something surprising and fun!

This is what the world is missing. Toy stores seem to be a thing of the past and that's sad because…read morethey bring so much joy. We surprised our daughters with a Friday afternoon trip to Old Ellicott City to visit this toy emporium I saw on Instagram. We were met with what I believe to be the largest selections of squishables I've ever seen. I even left with a sizable one myself. My kids were pleasantly surprised by all of the options and had fun exploring both floors of this establishment. The prices were on the higher end in comparison to Amazon but who wants to wait for the mail when you can just go home with what you want? :-) There appeared to be only one person manning the place at the time but he was friendly. It wasn't busy at all. I heard it's only been open a year or so and I can see the growth potential if we keep spreading the word about this hidden gem. I'm excited to bring others back to find their new squishy friend.

The Forget Me Not Factory is an absolute gem and time capsule located right in the heart of…read morehistoric Ellicott City. After living in the area for years, I always passed by the whimsical exterior. I finally ventured in for the first time and wish I had done so sooner. It not only has the charm and magicalness of walking into a witch's cottage or a fairy garden shop, but is also a time capsule where you can find calendars from 2007 with whimsical fairies that you can still buy today. In other places, I would absolutely be put off by the old merchandise, but in a place like Forget Me Not Factory, it absolutely fits the vibe of the establishment, and I actually really enjoyed finding old things for sale there. It felt like stepping into the past, and I cannot wait to go back. Whether to find new items for my garden or supplies to make my next Ren fair costume.

This place really captured it correctly when it picked its name. You will not forget this place…read moreonce your visit it. You walk in and are transported into many different lands. This place is multi-level and can take quite some time to explore. If you are looking for items for a fairy garden, you will definitely find it here. Honestly, there is so much in here that it can be overstimulating. I know I wandered about this space for quite some time and contemplated buying so many items in here. Everything miniature you can think of is in this space. A lot of the items in here can possibly be used to construct Christmas villages as well. If I remember correctly I was mesmerized by the Ghostbuster items. I just couldn't justify the prices they were asking for some of the items. In short, this place is quirky and definitely worth a stop if you want to grab a unique gift for someone. Or if you have a little one with you that might want to indulge in some make believe.

This place is a pleasure to visit in large part to Jake. He's friendly and helpful. You'll meet…read morehelpful adults of all sorts of professions including art teachers, various aged kids and families. It's quiet and Jake and others are willing to teach games and painting. I started looking for a painting class and Jake said if I came in on slow nights he'd just help me and most of my paints are another brand. My painting has improved. I've watched his calm demeanor with kids and while running the store. They have game tables you may use and they're sturdy. I should have written a review long ago. I look forward to normality so people can hang out again.

This has to be one of the best Games Workshops I have ever used. A middle-sized store (seating for…read more6 modelers and 3 full-sized gaming tables), I think it is the management and clientele that make this place great. Tony busts his butt running this store and makes sure that regulars are having fun and visitors are taken care of. Unlike some of the other gaming shops, you do not get a horrible mix of elitism or social ineptitude. Many of the regulars are married with kids and use this place to relax and have fun. Hardcore gamers mix with part-time hobbyists and rules arguments take a backseat to enjoyment. If you want to get into Warhammer, 40k, or Lord of the Rings wargaming? This is the place to start.

BLUF: Located inside the Columbia Mall, on the second floor, this is a sizable book store with…read morepuzzles and other paper goods. I passed by a store called BAM! and it conjured up visions of Emeril Lagasse but the only resemblance this store has to Emeril is that it sells cookbooks. Little did I know that BAM! Is short for Books-A-Million and this store has plenty of books, stationary, puzzles and other gifty items. Preferring to listen to audio books, I'm not one for physical books but this store had some lovely displays and vignettes that sucked me in. Although not as large as Barnes & Noble there is still a very healthy selection of well organized merchandise. There was something very nostalgic and cozy about browsing in this store. Overall, a nice experience.

I really like this bookstore. It's well organized and it smells good. Wasn't really in the market…read morefor a book tonight, but it was fun looking around. Friendly staff greets you on entry, but then everyone leaves you alone.

Would I recommend this establishment...absolutely! Can't wait to go back!…read more I found this place by searching for play activities near Columbia mall. I had never been here and wasnt sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. Location: Inside the mall, on the first floor, right outside the Nordstroms. Easy to find. Cost: Worth the entrance fee, both child and adults have to pay. Fair price. There are also take home activities and play that cost extra, such as slime, treat making, soap making, and more. These extra activities are also fairly priced and and so much fun. The entrance fee to the Kids Playseum allowed you access to the establishment nextdoor, Playseum upstairs. They also have playseum bucks as well. Staff: Super nice, helpful, experienced and attentive staff. Everyone one we interacted with for our time there was fabulous. We were able to go to both the Be with me playseum and the playseum upstairs. Cleanliness: The kept a tight shop. The toys and amenities were well kept, organized, clean and in good condition. Options: There were so many rooms to play in, so many cute toys, books, dress up and imagination play. My favorite was the ice bucket where the fish were kept in the Safeway. Super cute! The girls loved playing here and definitely want to come back. Overall wonderful experience!

This place is awesome. We came here for a birthday party and they had individual stations for kids…read moreto interact with. There's literally something here for everyone. When we entered we were given $8 of their currency to spend inside. Most items or adventures are $3-5. My daughter ended up making her own body scrub and slime. While I like the idea of have kids "budget" their fun I wish it wasn't that serious. I can't imagine it would cost them much more, especially based off what they charge for birthday parties. Overall the staff were very friendly and helpful and everything inside was clean and santized. It would be nice if they placed a handwashing station in the middle of the venue. Currently there's a bathroom in the far corner that seemed very sketchy.

My wife made a purchase & within 1/2 hr realized she had made a mistake & returned for a…read morereplacement item. She was due a small refund but instead of putting the difference back on her credit card they issued a credit memo. I both called & emailed there "customer service" with no answer and after talking to the store manager who blamed this on the stores "system". My next call was to the credit card who did a charge back. All this for $8.09. We live close to 2 hours away so the chance of us going back any time soon is remote but after this I can assure you we will never be back. BTW, the receipt says you have 7 days for a return and the refund would be in the same method you originally paid, no mention of a credit memo. Buyer beware of there refund policy

Toys are set up on a table right at the entrance to lure kids into the store, only to have Mr…read more Type-A promptly march up and make sure NO ONE touches anything, SCOLDING my child for merely picking up the car they have sitting on a track covered in lights, with a non-functioning "go" button that doesn't even do anything. And Mr. Type-A had the audacity to tell us to take pictures of the items the kids want, AS IF I would ever give this store money after scolding my child for doing what the store themselves designed the display to get kids to do. Mind Games, indeed.

The store is well organized, bright, and well stocked. There is some debris over the floor in every…read moreaisle. The trash can outside of the store is atrocious. It overflows and blows all over the parking lot, an unsightly and environmental hazard. I couldn't park in a spot because it had cotton candy and trash all over. The workers don't seem all that busy, so it's a management and motivation issue.

So my experience today at Five Below was really good! Today, everyone smiled and was attentive…read more There was one young man, who was very helpful. He helped me figure out how an item worked (as my kids were acting crazy in the store). He helped me ring all of my items up in self check out and helped bagged the items. My kids were running everywhere and he helped me get all of my bags in my trunk. The manager came from the back to help bc the machine ran out of paper. Another person asked if I needed help. The manager was responsive. I have been in the store before this staff has been the most responsive and courteous. Great customer services and thank you for ensuring that we had a great shopping experience! I asked the guy several times and forgot. I will make an edit soon!! Thanks again!

Got two bears stuffed today and the entire time the woman who worked there that stuffed our bear…read morehad a strange way of speaking per-say? Her first comment to me was that she liked my outfit and followed that with, "I wish I could wear something that comfortable." Which is just a little awkward. During the stuffing process, I attempted to make small talk about how I also work in retail, and during this exchange she joked about banging her head on the wall which I also felt was weird. Another older woman was subsequently very overbearing during this process. She came up to us twice prematurely to ask if we needed our bears tied (we hadn't even put the heart in yet). Then the older woman mentioned how "this is the first time we've had kids in here all day." Mind you, it was around 3pm (on a Wednesday) which is around the time most public schools let out. She made this comment in such an odd and demeaning tone. The younger girl who had been stuffing the bears even cemented the fact to her that "the adults are the ones that have the money," almost to lighten the fact that her comment was uncomfortable; as she herself had just gotten done talking to us about her collection of Build-A-Bears at home. Overall strange experience, and I only write this review because I work in customer service as well and this type of behavior seems a bit unacceptable. I have had bad days at work before, but never do I make it apparent to the people i'm working with or the people i'm helping; we all have jobs to do. I have always argued for Build-A-Bear and the idea that it is expensive because it is an experience. I remember it very fondly as a child and hope to pass on the tradition with my children too. This location fell short and that rarely happens. Their selection of bears and other plushies was good, one of the birth certificate kiosks was down, which left two available, and the accessory selection was nice. I want to add there was a younger brunette with braces (as a cashier) who put out bears in the condos in an extremely cute way and definitely made the ending of our trip better. Grateful for her. Will be back to Build-A-Bear, maybe not this location.

We bought my son here after hearing about the birthday month bear ! We came when the store first…read moreopened and Ms Michele was very helpful, kind, and energetic with my 4 year old! He was very into helping her build the bear. He picked out outfits, got the bear dressed, and made his birth certificate. We even got some cool pictures ! Our bear was only $4! but of course after the outfits and all it can add up! I high recommend this location! Thanks Ms Michele!

12.14.24 I came in…read moreto look at the calendars. I was hoping to get a large desktop calendar, but they were all wall calendars. As the store name indicates, they sell calendar, toys, and games. It was a fun store to peruse. Currently, select toys are 30 to 70% off and puzzles and games are buy one get 50% off. They are located on the lower level at the Mall in Columbia closest to Macy's.

We took a detour into here on our way to another store inside the mall. They have a ton of board…read moregames inside. That's what I was really impressed with. Every variation you could think of they have. They even had niche types. Such as Jurassic Parks tribal game. The store recently transferred to a new owner/management and they have some big changes. The plan seems to turn it into a true toy store. The employee make it feel like a local hometown type store. It's definitely worth a visit. Especially in a few weeks when they undergo the changes. If you are looking for games or the mini figure collectibles or kinetic sand. It just a neat little store that seems to be getting its footing. You also can't beat that it's locally owned!