8-18-21 This shop is next door to Thinker Things and the impressive part is they have toy items for babies up to possibly the young at heart. We were on our way back to the elevator to return to our car and leave Kahala Mall. Just then the animal hand puppets in the window caught our sweetie's attention. I know from the past and from my own experience it's worth it to let a grandchild or yourself enter even on a whim to seek simple joy---just to browse or find something delightful: okay just go inside and look. She found something for herself and her little brother. Each was Less than $10. After paying she spotted a tray of mood rings by the register. For $2.99 it was like the happiness we got way back when for inserting 5 cents or a quarter and getting a round bubble gum or a few square ones out of those put the coin in and turn the crank machines. The male employee even squeezed the adjustable butterfly mood ring to fit her tiny ring finger. Such a nice guy. After that she said we didn't need to go to buy her new shoes for school, just go back to my house. It's so very cool to see the wonder that lights up a child's eyes and hear them say Thankyou and mean it. read more

I frequent Think Things often (I have a 7-year-old!). Every time we visit the store, I can always count on friendly banter with their employees when I am checking out. Occasionally, the store will be slow and we will talk story with Marcus, who is always very helpful when we're looking for "something"! Their selections of toys, especially ones that encourage a child's interest in STEM, is pretty decent. They also have a good amount of the toys that are trending at any given point in the year (Pokemon (figurines and cards) as well as Bakugan). I also appreciate their selection of nostalgic toys such as lava lamps and plasma balls! Their prices are higher than what you would see on Amazon or Walmart or Target; however, I can imagine they need to factor in shipping costs and their rent at Kahala Mall. I recommend checking Thinker Things out! Even if your kid doesn't find anything, you may find a piece that reminds you of your childhood! read more

I had heard they're running a Memorial Day discount so I came by to pick up some presents for the keiki in my life. I've been to Thinker Toys a couple times before, and now remember why I don't come more frequently. They have some cool toys, but on average the best way that I can describe most of the selection is "expensive stuff your kid never knew they needed until they saw it." It's an odd selection of toys and random "stuff" for lack of a better word. If you're not sure what to get as a gift, you can find something unique here. Not many practical gifts and overpriced in my opinion. read more

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Save your money and go to Target/ Walmart if youre not a "collector" as this store has a pretty good selection but $10 is way too much for a hot wheels car and most of their toys are marked up 25-50% higher. My kid collects hot wheels so Ive seen the same exact toy priced at 20$ here and 9.99$ at Longs in Kahala. read more

I'm not sure why they removed my initial review... so I'm posting it again!! I'm browsing their "50% sidewalk sale" and it's almost laughable. They've doubled the prices then marked them "half off". The lego friends (#41125) set is 'originally' $67.95 and on 'sale' for $33.97... a quick google search lists regular price (Walmart, toys r us, etc) at $31.99. I even asked the sales staff if the sale was accurate and both of them confirmed it. Same with several other items I was interested in purchasing for my kids... I'll go elsewhere. read more

Customer service could be a little bit more happy working at a kids store. Just sayin. Found some giant book of stickers by Melissa & Doug brand for cheap :) my daughter loves this store for the animal critter dollhouse in the front of the store and the train set in the back of the store! Most of the toys are expensive, overpriced much :( so heed caution when bringing young ones in here lol read more

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I splurged on a $50 toy for a close friend's child at Thinker Toys, then looked it up online after gifting it. The exact same toy is less than $19 at Target (available in-store) and even cheaper on Amazon. I was also charged $1 by Thinker Toys for a bag without being notified of the price first. I'm embarrassed that what I thought was a generous present actually isn't. I always try to support local businesses, but this one has lost my trust. read more

My son bought a 4 square Rubik's cube not even 5 minutes it fell apart! When we wanted return it the cashier lectured us and we need to careful with it?! No ware on the package it was fragile! Wait it's a kids toy? You need to be careful with it?? The cashier did try fix it but she couldn't! The Cashier later gave us our money back defective toy?!?! read more

This is where I go to buy some of my boys as well as close friends' childrens toys. They are not the cheapest, but they have good things that your kids would enjoy. My friend got my boy his favorite toy from here and I bought something for his boy's first birthday 3 months ago from there. I saw my friend yesterday and he said that toy was his boys favorite to play with as well. read more

Worker woman was extremely judgmental and rude. Seemed like the moment I walked into the store I was being stared down and judged. I will never come here again. Felt so uncomfortable. Also everything was expensive. Don't waste your time. read more

My daughter has a couple stores that she begs to go into whenever we go to Kahala Mall. Thinker Toys is definitely one of those stores. Even though we think she has way more than enough toys, she finds more joy in playing with THEIR toys. After seeing how much pleasure she got each time playing with their little rinky dink dollhouse in the front of the store. My hubby and I actually made her one thanks to a DIY I saw on Pinterest. Even though the one we made has way more furnishings, dolls, rooms etc...she still gets a kiddie high playing with the one at Thinker Toys. She also loves to play with their Thomas the Train set table in the back of the store. (Picture Uploaded:) http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/thinker-toys-honolulu-2?select=F98SC8s7SjRYlzpVTN6GoQ#F98SC8s7SjRYlzpVTN6GoQ Our daughter plays in their store so often, I'm sure all of the sales people there know her. They are always friendly and never give us any problems that she's there so often. They keep their store very clean and organized. The only reason I gave them one less star is their prices for some of their items are a bit high. I've seen a few items in their store that you can find much cheaper at Walmart or Target. Don't get me wrong, they do have some toys/educational items that I haven't seen at Walmart/Target, and are reasonably priced as well. TIP: GO TO TODDLER TIME ON WEDNESDAY'S AT KAHALA MALL. THEY WILL GIVE YOU A TODDLER TIME DISCOUNT CARD. A FEW STORES SUCH AS THINKER TOYS PARTICIPATES IN GIVING A DISCOUNT/SPECIAL OFFER IF YOU MAKE A PURCHASE ON WEDNESDAY'S AFTER TODDLER TIME. read more

Thinker Toys & Thinker Things - Great Thomas the Train table in the back of their store. - Toy Stores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I don't think I would have ever stepped in here, if it wasn't for fellow Elite Jenny F. I always make weekly, if not daily stops to Kahala Mall to either shop, eat ,or kill time, and always pass by Thinker Toys on the way to wherever I may be going at the time. Thinker Toys sells toys and other items for developing minds of kids as young as 2-3 years of age. Let's just say that going to these kinds of places helped me look at myself for the future, just in case I were to be a father some day, I have some experience shopping for kid type toys and other stuff they will be needing. But today, wasn't that day and I am grateful for that. :-) Located in Kahala Mall, near the Consolidated movie theaters and across the way from the Fun Factory and the Hallmark stores, Thinker Toys has a pretty limited variety and selection of what kids like. While there is a good assortment of stuff, I felt that there's a limitation to that. What they do have is great for the kids and that's great. As the name of the store implies, the toys are geared towards the education of the young mind, trying to educate and explore the world around them, while being protected by the warmth and courage of the parents they are attached to. Needless to say that Thinker Toys is a winner and I hope that they stay around for a long time. So my experience at Thinker Toys is limited, but it was an eye opening experience to see how this side of the world goes. Yes, I could be shopping for gifts for a young relative, like I will be doing for my new niece in the coming years or shopping for a friend's kid's b-day, or even shopping for your own bundle of joy(s), but that wasn't happening today anyway. Just a small snapshot of what will probably come to pass and I am happy that I am getting my feet wet now before the big day comes. The staff here is quite friendly. I was tagging along with Jenny F, who happened to be buying something for her 3 year old cousin, whom adores Harry Potter. Unfortunately, they did not have anything Harry Potter related in stock. It has been a while since the last movie came out, so I thought for a moment that the fad really did die down for keeps. In any event, the store is great for what's its doing for the local community to nurture young minds outside the classroom with the help of mommy and daddy buying the right tools and toys from Thinker Toys to set the kid up for possible greatness in the future. Who knows? With the right things, he/she could be very successful later in life. And that would be awesome. I didn't really take notice on the prices, but I'm sure it's not as comparable to other like minded stores who are their closest competitors including Wal-Mart and K-Mart. Quality products for your kid. Other than that, I feel like this place is worth the money because your child(ren) will be better for it in the long run. Parking in the Kahala Mall Shopping Center can be a hassle at times, but do park at the Theater parking up stairs for added parking spots. If you come during the day, don't mind the hot sun too much, since a lot of people don't like to return to the car in the heat. You're good to go. Support local! A+ read more

Thinker Toys in the Kahala mall is top notch in my book. Despite being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean the store manages to get a hold of the very best of what Specialty toys has to offer. Need something from an infant to a big kid? No problem, it can be found here or next door at Thinker Things. The range of toys in not-a-big-space is amazing. Toys from around the world - Germany, Japan, England, Isreal, and countless other countries are represented here. Customer service? Always has been top-notch - from the simple greeting upon entering to the enthusiastic, knowledgable, helpful staff. Don't know what to get? Stumped about an appropriate toy for an age? No worries - they will always have a selection of toys for you to choose from. Can't wait for my next visit here! read more

The best toy store on the East side! They are so welcoming and kind and always available to share a story or listen to a story about how the toys in their store impact their customers kids, parents and wallets. Worth every penny! The selections are great - from educational to just plain fun. Now they have Hot Wheels and Monster Trucks! Game over. Hello Holiday Shopping. Great store and we will be back. Mahalo plenty! read more

Came to Thinker Toys to buy a gift for a three year old girl. When I walked in there were several people so a little busy. I was so lost did not know what kind of gift to get. Walked the small store back and forth, front to back looking and looking for the right gift. I was in the store for around 15-20 minutes and NO ONE asked me for assistance. I know someone saw me but NOTHING!!! The final thing was when I went to the register, the lady did not even acknowledge me. She was too busy folding packages that they charge .10 cents if you want one. Also a second clerk came to ring me up, what???? So so so disappointed with the customer service but was too tired to shop in another store, plus there are not too many store at Kahala Mall to buy a cute toy for a three year old. I am so surprised that I received terrible customer service like this. I have shopped at this store many time and have never had an experience like this. I will think twice next time before spending money at this place. read more

Babies are the dumb. I came to this realization when fellow yelper Scott K told me a revelation he had one morning over brunch. He said and I quote: "You know how people say that babies are so smart. Well if you think about it, they're actually the dumbest they're ever going to be in their entire lives!" - Scott K. (Amazing yelper & very cool dude) At first I thought, well that isn't very nice. Then I looked over at my then two month old baby Isabel and realized...holy shitzu, he's RIGHT!!! Although extremely intuitive when it comes to emotions, my baby doesn't know how to do anything! For those of you in disagreement you can see my Q & A argument here: Q) Can she talk? A) Goo goo goo gaaaaa. Ah...no. Q) Can she read? A) Well if she can, she has yet to share this ability with me. Q) Can she write a Yelp review? A) So that's who's leaving all those 1-star reviews about Babies R' Us! I don't think so... Q) Can she poop in a toilet? A) The poop on my hands is proof that she indeed cannot. Q) Who does my baby find most interesting? A) The four bears which float above her head when she's lying in her crib. If you follow the rule that you are the average of the five people you hang out the most with...we're in big trouble. Her average will be me and four stuffed bears. "Dammit!!!" I scream. "My baby is dumb compared to the average grown human!" (Throwing fists up in the air) Frustrated, I furiously drove my car to Think Toys determined to make my baby smart! There are enough dumb people in this world! I don't need to add to that growing statistic! Thinker Toys is not cheap. It's barely what I'd consider affordable, but they have a great assortment of educational toys that will hopefully help my baby's brain develop and make her a genius compared to other babies. That's the only fair comparison right? I bought a few toys for her there and I also picked up a couple of Kumon workbooks for my other children. They're not dumb, but they could use the extra worksheets to give them an edge in school. Yes, I may be part Tiger mother but if my kids don't grow up to be super smart and successful, guess who gets blamed....ME! read more

It's the holiday season. Returns are still being made. My 3 month old daughter received two of the same toy. She doesn't need two, so I went to exchange it. I didn't have an original receipt or a gift receipt. Let me comment on the service: 1. I was NEVER greeted upon entering the store 2. As I approached the cash register, the girl was playing around (1/3/14 @ 11:00 am) & blowing into a bamboo stick. I stood there for a good 35 seconds before the young man finally said something to me. Now, for their return policy.... OH MY. 1. Their return policy is posted. No where does it say "No receipt? SOL". It just depicts what you can do with each receipt. & the timeframes. They weren't going to let me return this gift, I asked to speak to a manager. She sent the associate back out, "Sorry. We can't". I asked the manager to come out & she still didn't but they came out & said they would 'make an exception'. They took 25% off the selling price. They justified this with "we have discounts during the holidays, so we don't know how much you paid." But the current selling price was 18.95. I gave them the $4 since they needed it that bad. I wasn't asking for money back. I wanted to EXCHANGE it. So I did & left. I will NEVER shop there again. Horrible customer service!!!!! Too bad, I love the brands in there. But I surely won't be returning. read more

This store has a terrible return policy. The receipt says that after 30 days items with original receipt in sellable condition can be return for store credit. I tried to return an item after 4 months, sill in plastic bag, ORIGINAL receipt and in UNTOUCHED condition. The sales person refused the return stating that after 90 days, returns are not accepted. Yes, I'm a busy person and I took my time in returning, knowing that I would only get store credit. However, NO WHERE on their return policy does it state that after 90 days returns are not accepted. Note, the reason that I returned the item, was because the same toy was bought at Ross for half the price. This store is over priced, you can purchase the same items at Ross or online for much less. All the Bruder trucks can be purchase on Amazon for a third less their price. I gave them two stars since if you are in a hurry, they have some good stuff. However, their custormer service needs improvement. read more

This is one of my go to places when I need to find a gift for kids. They've got lot's of fun educational toys and games for kids. If you're looking for something for older kids, then you can head just next door, and you'll find Thinker Things. Pretty much the same store, but for older kids. The staff here are very friendly and always willing to help you make your decision. Whenever I walk in I'm always greeted with a smile and an offer of assistance. Another awesome thing about this place is that if they've got free gift wrapping for purchases of $20 or more! Once I saw that sign I was sold! read more

I come here all the time to buy presents for my children and their friends especially if we have a birthday party to go to. I like the convenient location and the variety of toys they offer. However, during my last visit one of the sales associates recommended the game "crocodile dentist" to me where you push the teeth of a crocodile down until the mouth snaps on one of the players. I bought two of them, one as an early birthday present for my son and one for my friend's daughter who had a birthday party coming up. When we played the game we realized quickly that it was broken. What a let down for a four year old who is excited to receive a new game to play only to realize it's not doing what it's supposed to. We sat there pushing the teeth down and the mouth didn't snap once. We tried resetting it playing multiple times, still nothing. I decided to return both toys as I definitely didn't want to give it as a present now if it's going to be defective like ours was. The customer service was HORRIBLE, they did not say sorry once for selling me a toy that doesn't work and when I mentioned that someone there had recommended it to me they said that it wasn't the first time someone had returned it for being defective. WTF??? Why are you telling people to buy a toy you know doesn't work. I have spent hundreds of dollars here before, but will not be returning due to the lack of customer service. The unfriendly demeanor and lack of apology from the person who did my return was the icing on the cake. BY THE WAY ANY PRODUCT IN THIS STORE CAN BE FOUND ONLINE FOR 1/2 THE PRICE! Maybe learn to teach your employees about customer service and customers would be content over paying for kids toys. read more

I don't normally write yelp reviews, but had to give a shout out to an employee named Marcus from this store. He helped me find the perfect gift for my nephew that was cognitively stimulating and within my budget. He also went above and beyond in helping me wrap the gift. He seems to take pride in providing top notch customer service. Thanks Marcus! read more

This is a great store with thoughtfully-selected, educational and fun inventory. They have a wide variety of products for children aged 0 to late elementary. It's a great spot to visit for gift-giving. My son and I visit often and love to preview the products. Unfortunately, the prices are not competitive, so it's hard for me to "pull the trigger" and hit the register. I've had a $50 gift card for over a year now and just recently bought a $13 item with it. Everything else I've liked has been passed on and purchased elsewhere at lower prices. I know they have to pay the bills, but maybe an occasional promo or special offer would help budget-conscious customers feel good about supporting the store with their hard-earned funds. I have rarely seen items on sale or discounted, which means I can usually save 25-50% by shopping elsewhere. This is unfortunate, since I really like this store! I want to support my local small-business, but prices have to somewhat realistic. read more

I would give this store 0 stars if it was possible. I was working in the Mall and my 5 yr old daughter asked for an LOL confetti pop every store that sells these sells it for 12.99. I walk in I ask the sales associate if they have LOL confetti pop she said yes I tell her that I would like to purchase 1 she pulls it from a display behind the counter and tells me it's 29.99 I told her excuse me I told her that is ridiculous everywhere else sells them for 13 bucks I told her no thank you I told her that is a rip off price. I can go to any other store and get it for 13 dollars she looks at me and shrugs her shoulders and gives me a stink face. I would never shop in this store all of their toys are WAY over priced. read more

This store is conveniently located in kahala mall. I wanted to pick up a craft items for my child and her cousin. This store has surprisingly wide variety of toys, and it looks like those toys were carefully selected with the kahala mall shoppers in mind. I want to support this store, but if i can wait, i may buy the same item online because this store is pricy. But if you need to buy a nice toy in hurry, or if you have no idea what to buy for kids, this is a great place to shop at. read more

I have purchased gifts here on more than one occasion and had a good experience until now. As usual I purchased the gift that the salesperson recommended and asked them to gift wrap it for me. Gift wrapping is offered free with purchase and this works well for me and I don't mind paying the high prices in this store as they take care of this item as well. This past time that I purchased a gift the gift wrapping was so ugly and very little effort was made to make it look pretty. The ribbon color was found nowhere on the wrapping paper. I asked the to sales clerk and they said because the gift itself is an odd shape they could not make it pretty. I have a picture if there is a place to post it and you will see how hideous it is. I did give the sales clerks an opportunity to make it right and they said sorry your gift is wrapped ugly and there's nothing we are going to do about that. That is absolutely unacceptable. read more

Thinker Toys & Thinker Things - The free goofy wrapping is an embarrassment to your store and to me as a giver of this gift, that I paid top dollar for. Not acceptable. - Toy Stores Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I have never been to this store since I live in California, but I did purchase a gift certificate for my goddaughter over the phone. Anita answered the phone and was very helpful with my gift certificate. I asked if they could mail it out for me and she said they could do that for me. I just had to pay for the postage, which I didn't mind at all. I had to call back to ask another question, but Anita was gone for break. The other sales associate (I'm drawing a blank on her name) was just as helpful. Days after my purchase I received a letter in the mail from Anita. The letter was a copy of the birthday card they had chosen (a princess card per my request) and my receipt. I'm only giving this a 4 store rating since I'm not sure if they have a large selection of toys, but the rating is for their top notch service. read more

This place has so many great games for children of every age! This is a store full of fun ways to learn! Unique toys, environmental friendly toys and sophistication sums it up. Staff has always been friendly and helpful. read more

Small store with a great selection of toys but customer service lacking. We were the only ones in the store and the sales associate passed us a few times without once saying anything. When we were ready to check out, my "hello" was returned with "hold on" as she spent the next minute fixing a stapler. I was with my 8 month old and maybe he at least warranted a smile in a toy store. read more

I have been trying to call this store for 2 days with no answer nor answering machine. Who in this day and age does not have voice mail, even if it is just an outgoing message? I would be walking--about 4 1/2 miles--and wanted to make sure they are open and in the same location. The reviews on here are not very complimentary about the customer service, and I am inclined to agree. There seems to be no other toy stores in Waikiki. There's a void here, and someone could make a killing in this niche. read more

Customer service and return policy sucks! We will never shop here again. We received a present which our child already had and tried to return. They gave us a hard time saying that we needed to choose something else at that right then. We were not planning on shopping at that time they made a big fuss about making an exception and giving us a store credit despite our gift receipt from two days prior. Since they had made such a deal about the store credit we decided to use the credit as well as a $30 credit we had prior. The salesperson told us that the store credit was no good since it expired after 90 days. We are busy parents and don't always have the time to shop here. Don't buy gifts for others from here since this store will hassle your friends if they try to exchange it. They may have some cool stuff but not worth the high prices or poor customer service. read more

My son loved this place. My nieces love it. They brought in some Barbies which was a smart move because as much as we love the learning toys, girls sometimes just want a Barbie. I love the selection for the babies to littles that shop here. My son loved the Thomas The Train items and my nieces have grown quite fond of accompanying me into this store to have a spree! read more

Thinker Toys has been just about the only store that I will buy gifts for my children. They have a good selection of toys, gifts, projects which are educational. Learning toys, scientific, electronic, experimental.... They are the kind of gifts that can be used all year long. The staff are helpful if you are looking for a particular age group. The products are not cheap, but you get what you pay for. They make learning fun, and are what the entire family can do together. I didn't see as many electronic projects as last year. It looked like that section was replaced with more puzzles.... Which didn't seem to be selling. I hope they bring more electronic projects back for next year. read more

If I could I would give 0 stars. I wanted to purchase the LOL dolls for my daughters bday and when I seen them I was so excited until I seen the prices! Outrageous and crazy!!!! The big LOL surprise doll is $150 and at target and Walmart they are $70! Omg! What are these owners thinking! $30 for the big sister doll and $20 for the little sister? No wonder this store still has them in stock cause no one is dumb enough to buy them for a ridiculous price. Just because I seen the rip off prices of these LOL dolls I don't want to shop there cause what else are they selling to rip us off. I'm so glad I the big surprise doll from amazon for $60. Even though my daughter is getting it late she will still be happy with it and I'm happy that I bought it for $90 less then thinker toys! read more

They have toys of enjoyment and learning for a wide variety of youth ages! The prices are a bit costly but many worth what you pay for it! My keiki love to go in and play at the different play stations set up such as the train table, doll house or other learning toys that rotate out for kids to try out! One of the places one can get touchable bubbles! The have a nice assortment of art supplies and craft kits for keiki! read more

A great variety of toys for kids of all ages, I love that nothing in here reflects the current digital age we live in. Allowing children to use their imagination is even more necessary, and this place will help with that... although be very careful, because of the selection of unique toys in here, it can be very dangerous to your wallet if you bring your children along and they have jedi mind-trick powers... I speak from personal experience. read more

All the toys grown ups miss and think kids will really love, but rarely do.

I've been in tinker toys several times with my son and the customer service is always meh. Today it was especially horrible, so much so I am on here giving a review. For a children's toy store, it's shocking how cranky and unwelcoming the sales reps are here. I honestly don't think I will patron the store again. I had been fine paying too much for toys there because my son enjoys visiting the store, but I just can't support a place with an acrimonious vibe. read more