I know I'm going to sound like a girl when I say this, but...I love pretty little, shiny things!…read moreThat's why I can never stroll past Abode without a cheeky browse at whatever they have in there. It's hard to define what this store is about, it has home-wares but it also has plenty of awesome novelty gifts. I'll admit I am guilty of walking in there, buying a present for a friend and then falling so in love with it that I keep it. I'm a horrible person, I know, but you try it! You'll go bonkers for all the gorgeous, funny and random things in there. Whether you feel like adding something quirky to your home, buying a card for a loved one or getting a present for someone, you'll find it in Abode. Just make sure to give yourself at least half an hour in there, I guarantee you'll keep getting side tracked.

Abode is the home of pretty things! This is the sort of shop you could browse in for hours trying…read moreto decide on the right card or gift for someone. The wooden floors, non in-your-face staff and quirky Things make this a really welcoming place to hang out in. Much like a place called Abode should be really. I don't see the point of greetings cards that aren't tailored to the person being greeted, and Adobe has a great selection of fun/arty/beautiful cards on top of the wide array of unique gifts for another person (or yourself of course). If you're looking for the likes of a unicorn lamp to a Dali-esque "melting clock" or just have no idea what to get your funky friend for their birthday, Adobe is a damn good place to start.

Aren't we all just kids at heart? Well, i know I am.... here's the thing, I don't have kids, but I…read moredo like this store.... I find it a fun place to visit when I'm in Woollahra to see "what the kids are up to these days".... and let me tell you "things have changed since I was a kid..." It's amazing the variety that exists for children and the quality is pretty amazing..... Kidstuff had two levels - a downstairs with more fun dolls and games, where as upstairs seems to have the more "mature" or "practical" toys.... This place does make me want to have kids just so I can buy them all this awesome stuff, so that I can play with it when they're asleep... and no, I'm not going to buy it now - as that's super creepy.... I do occassionaly stop off here if I'm looking for a "fun" silly prezzie for a friend - sometimes they have cute picture frames o trinkets that are little more different than what you'd see in a grown up store. It's a toy store, it's fun, so why not reconnect with your inner child and enjoy the colour and fun of being a kid.

We came here with barely a minute to spare - we were due to meet a good friend in Surry Hills and…read moreas by way of an ass-saving act told her we were closer than we really were (never works, I promise you) - wanting to find a last-minute gift for my cousin's 5 year old son to occupy him on his long flight the next day while simultaneously giving his mum a break. My favourite bookstore in Woollahra was a dud (only in this regard) so this was a last resort of sorts. I walked in not clear on where to look (toy? book? toy? toy? toy? book?) when the lady at the desk, clearly sensing my utter and absolute desperation, offered her help. We walked me past all the fantastical toys, straight toward the books, picked up something she touted as educational and thoroughly entertaining and that was it. "The Winky Wonky Donkey" book which came with a CD of the same name (sing-a-longs) along with a Winky Wonky plush donkey. Boy, was I lucky to be there when he read through the whole thing over and over and over and over and over again.

The Flying Penguin is a Newtown mum's haven/money sucker…read more Miles away from the Kmarts and Toys-R-Us of the world, Flying Penguin stocks a choice of kids toys and play equipment that is both eco friendly and encourages kids to develop a healthy relationship with their environment. Flying Penguin has everything from amber phosphate baby teething necklaces (which argue that amber has soothing properties), paint-it-then-play-it ukuleles, wooden hand made tricycles that you (or perhaps someone more child-sized) can test run around the shop and puzzles, maps and costumes made from entirely organic products. They're bringing home the idea that you can make your own fun, encouraging creativity amongst the little-uns. This message goes out to the big-uns too, and purchasing a gift from Flying Penguin somehow seems far more satisfying than buying a run of the mill factory produced present, despite the potentially large difference in the price-tag.

Flying penguin is a quality toys and educational store for kids aged 0-15.Located in the heart of…read moreNewtown the shop stocks environmentally friendly toys. Their toys are designed with the purpose of fostering imagination and creativity. They also aim towards making the kids understand our relationship with the environment. Its bright and colourful and very well designed so kids and go and explore the toys and see what appeals to them. It is by far one of the best kids toy shop who just don't stock toys mindlessly. In this day and age we should all be very careful about our impact on the environment and also to make sure that our children are playing with chemical free products. Very creative and different products and the service is very good as well.

I visited Morris and Sons in 2018 and again this year (2025) and what a glow up they have had! Love…read morethe addition of local dyers, Rowan, and Project redesigned bags! Staff was friendly, even being close to closing. The store is bright and welcoming and I could have spent another hour there pursuing yarn goodies if I had the time.

Most anyone will be pleased by the selection of fibres, weights and colours found at Morris and…read moreSons. I really enjoyed visiting this store, I found exactly what I was looking for (sock yarn at a decent price) and even found some Cashmere blend fingering weight yarn to make a hat (it turned out perfect for the short cold spell we recently had). The atmosphere is very pleasant, especially compared to the raucous sounds of the city just outside. The staff is helpful and not overbearing. One of the employees helped me carry my pram down the steps as I was leaving and that made a permanent impression on this mama.

An awesome dream factory where the past is created in the present. Toys for, not only for boys…read more Just White Toy Shop on the top level of the QVB in Sydney is a mountain of great quality toys not just for kids either. It's a crowded carnival of boxes, sounds and ambient memories from toys come to life. Many of you may not even recall how amazing recreated wind up robots, cars, tanks, people can take you back to a place where only your memories are. It's a tight fitting space and if it gets crowded, which it does you have to be careful not to knock toys of their shelves (not knock off as in steal people). There is something here for every occasion. My boys love just exploring the shelves and screaming in excitement whenever they discover some item of curiosity. Look I'm a big fan of branded products and enjoy watching my lovely boys interact between the movies, books, and activities of branded merchandise, however at Just White Toy Shop it's the freedom from branding (well mass branding as Just White offers quality branded products we don't buy as often as we might otherwise. There is a fantastic range of boys and girls toys but it's the expanded diversity of non gender specific toys that makes the store even more of a jewel. Prices for the hundreds of awesome toys cover all budgets and there are some lovely well made products that when you're looking for a present for one of your children or a children's friend will always bring total surprise. Games, books, wind up robots, cars, characters and tanks, creativity sets, soft toys, collectibles, jigsaw puzzles, problem solving toys, nota computer game in sight. Though I may be wrong in that statement because when I go to Just White Toy Shop it never occurs to me to look for computer games. This space is magical and worth the visit, even simply to enjoy the curiosity of your kids and yourself.

'Queen Victoria's Toy Shop' it claims. Better have plenty of stock then, Victoria sure knew how to…read morebreed. There is a bit of an old-fashioned vibe to this literally and spatially upmarket toy shop. Old fashioned wooden toys and mechanical windup robots, golliwogs. Hang on a sec, golliwogs? Really? Since when did they resit the PC exam and pass? If you're shopping for toys in the QVB you've obviously got a few coins to spare, so we're talking pricey here too. And I have to wonder, a lot of the toys seem more aimed at nostalgic adults than kids of today. French flash cards? Hmm... Even the dollshouse furniture is Swedish and uber-designed. The staff seemed friendly enough, but eyed me carefully. Or maybe it was just all the dolls. I hate dolls. Beady, beady eyes...

An excellent toy shop and an excellent junior science shop. Terrific Scientific trumps rivals…read moreSocrates and Australian Geographic purely by range. It doesn't have the biggest range, but it has the most desirable and dynamic one. I remember going as a kid and spending what felt like hours gawping at every shelf. There was (and probably still is) an unspoken rule that if you don't know what to buy a child, buy them something from here. It will always work.

A needlework hobbyists paradise, Lyn's offers classes and all the accoutrement for patchwork,…read morequilting, tapestry, cross stitch and any other type of needlework you care to think off except home dressmaking. She as an on-line store and sells BOM and has several designs to choose from. Needlework books, charts and kits and patterns for doll clothes are all available for those with time on their hands. It's addictive!

One of Sydney's newest art spaces. Sew Make Create has been around for almost a couple of months…read morenow. The owner, top Sydney designer Melissa Tan-Lu and Sew Make Create's resident dog Pepper are just adorable. The whole shop is quite funky :) I was fortunate to have been invited (through another blog) to experience their beginners crochet course with Bronwen. I arrived on a Wednesday night at 7pm a little tired yet eager as anything to learn, and learn heaps. My manual dexterity skills deflated me for a while, yet I was amazed with the crochet stitch and getting into a granny square so soon with confidence. The class sizes are rather small which is great. Lindt chocolate balls were provided with water as stunning refreshments, as well as biscuits and tea. This course is also available on selected weekends. Sew Make Create also run a variety of other craft courses. After the beginners crochet course, if you wish to take things further, then the crochet clinic is for you. Instead of yarn, turn that yarn into 'plarn' with a plastic bag crochet course. Sew Make Create is a dynamic arts space that also rents out sewing machines, and hence provides ample working space to design some pretty clothes. Sew Make Create also sell sewing machines and craft supplies. Sew Make Create (from the request of many parents) have put together a fantastic course schedule for the kids school holidays coming up, as at the time of writing this. Beginners crochet is also covered, and kids can also learn cupcake decorating and also learn how to make these adorable felt brooches. Located in Chippendale right near the Broadway Shopping Centre. If you're curious (in more detail) as to how my beginners crochet experience went recently, then follow this link: http://www.weekendnotes.com/crochet-for-beginners-sew-make-create/ For more information on the various courses put on especially for kids these school holidays, then follow this link: http://www.weekendnotes.com/crafty-school-holiday-activities-sew-make-create/ With many initiatives to ensuring that Sydney is an arts and crafts focused city, when is now a better time to learn a new craft? Go on, unleash the craft master within!