I'm sad about how this store is now compared to even a few years ago. This store used to be focused…read moreon learning and items for teachers. There is maybe one row of actual teaching supplies and the rest of the store is now not even books, but cheap toys like slime and other miscellaneous items like that. They also remodeled sometime in the last 6 years or so because it's now dark and gray with just fluorescent lights. The shelves are pretty empty. Overall, I'm sad that this store has had to pivot so hard from what they were to stay open.

I was super impressed with the Learning Post. They have things for every interest and hobby--art,…read morescience, math, make believe, crafts, reading, you name it! My kids could spend hours in this place. This is the perfect spot to find a unique gift for someone, or to find an obscure toy that the big box stores don't carry. Staff is super friendly and helpful, and they remained patient even when the place was packed with busy people. I scored a Mad Libs book that I've never seen anywhere else. Love it!

This place hasn't changed at all since I was a little kid and I'm so glad because now I can take my…read morekid there and get the same lovey feeling I did when I was young. It's always reminded me of the book store in You've Got Mail and just that lovely old school toy store feel. It was the only toy store we had but it was perfect. The marbles were always one of my favorites and the large stuffed animals of lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Worth the trip every single time

Pumpkin Patch is one of my favorite stores in all of Iowa!…read more It's a wonderful local independent Toy store, with fun for the whole family! I always loved walking by the huge stuffed animals in the windows when I lived in Ames! They have classic toys from the 50's, to modern stuff kids today would dig! Great selection of stuffed animals, books, nut crackers, games, toy cars.. you name it they got it! They also do a fantastic job of wrapping those Christmas gifts for the little special ones in your life! The store is a fantasy world of fun, for all ages and I highly recommend stoping in here if you make it to Ames ever! I feel like JOSH from the movie BIG when he walks into FAO Shwarz for the fist time! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yu62StlsMY

With other big name toy stores closing, it's great to have a place like Go!. They have a great…read moreselection of games and puzzles! We found items for both the kid and kids at heart. The layout is quite open and makes for finding what you need quickly. A lot of the t-shirts were fun and they had more accessories to match them. As far as other toys, we found many items of interest from superhero toys to Nerf fun. We even found some great items for the office such as Rubik's Cubes. We get lots of requests to return and it will be our "Go! to" toy store.

This is a seasonal store that runs through the holidays and then closes temporarily during the…read moresummer months. There is an awesome selection of games and toys! Right now the store is 50% off so we got some amazing classics for great prices! The cashier was really laid back but wasn't the friendliest. Maybe because the store closing or a bad day but everyone has their off days! We got some great deals and can't wait until they reopen next holiday season. (Usually about September/October through about February)

If you're looking for an affordable and unique party for any occasion, you've got to give Teddy…read moreBear Connection at Merle Hay Mall a call! From birthday parties, corporate family events to fundraisers, TBC is a guaranteed crowd pleaser for kids of all ages! Iowa's largest selection of stuffable animals and outifts and fabulous teddy bear technitions promise you and one of a kind experience!

Horrible messy store young girls working there HAVE NO IDEA on how to price quality name brand…read morechildren's clothing that you bring in! I will never step foot in that store AGAIN

Really great selection in just about everything for children! Name brand clothes, name brand shoes,…read morebooks, toys, car seats, bedding, strollers, bikes etc. Great prices as well. If you have kids this is a must-stop shop. You can save a whole lot of money! Everything we saw was in pretty good condition as well. So, it's nice to see good quality stuff.

I am a new mom and was very pleased to stumble upon this place while getting my hair cut across the…read moreway. The place is clean and put together very well. It's not like your typical consignment store packed with merchandise all over that it can be overwhelming. No, it feels like you have walked into any nice retailer, well laid out items and they are selective about what they take. The prices are wonderful and they have a mix of new stuff too (Doug & Melissa toys, etc..). The staff is very friendly and helpful. They also have a location in Ames. Good for baby, children and maternity too!

From the owner: Tons of clothing and toys for your kids, plus maternity. Don't forget the customer service, great…read moreinventory selection and fun shopping experience.

love this store!!!!! Employees are so knowledgeable. Great place to hang with friends and play…read moregames, Pokémon, YuGiOh, and Magic.

From the owner: A huge selection of Pokemon Cards, Pop Culture Items, action figures. A small game room for friends…read moreto come plays TCG, board games, d&d and more...

Quest Haven just opened during the summer of 2024. The owners, locals who went to school here and…read moreare part of the community, have added a few twists to this bookstore. As you can see from my pics, they are still a bookstore. But not to be out done by the online book seller favs, you can open the QR code (see my pic) or punch in bookshop.org and reference Quest Haven to order your books online and support this local store. (A fun fact, if you open my pic of the QR code on your desk top monitor, you can open the QR code with your phone while in photo mode pointed at the QR code.) But you can also see at the rear of the bookstore, there is a soda station. As you can see from my pic, they offer several flavors, leading to a ton of flavor combinations. As we head into winter, they'll probably be offering hot beverages. In the middle of the store there are racks of comic books. This has to be one of the few places where you can actually shift comic books to find the adventures of your latest hero or character.