I thought toy stores were supposed to be fun? This barn starts badly by herding you through a…read moreturnstile and narrow shelves before vomiting you out onto the main floor. Then it is all overpriced branded bits of plastic piled high. The toys are separated into girls (PINK!) and boys (way more exciting), and then you have to walk through the nauseatingly smelling baby section to get to the tills. Thankfully the staff were nice and the exit was clearly marked....

A great place to buy toys for the kids, but also great if your looking for a certain game, that out…read moreof stock in other shops. Helpfull staff, and fair prices, deifnitely a good place to get toys for christmas.

If your looking for that extra special toy, the more handcrafted look, or something you know the…read moreother children wont have then this is a good place to visit. A good selection of ealy learning toys is one of the best features of this shop. Everything is just a little more personal in here, and it feels as if you are looking for a toy for a special birthday. For the little Brunels growing up in Bristol the craft toys will provide a great source of entertainment.

In a world full of plastic toys and computer gadgets Playfull Toyshop is the perfect antidote. This…read moreshop is probably not for everyday toys - but is great for presents or special occasions. Not knowing the first thing what it's like to be a child in the 21st century I'm incredibly grateful for the helpful staff at Playfull Toyshop who took a great deal of time helping me pick the ideal gift for my new Godson. These toys are long-lasting, and the prices reflect that, so make sure you choose wisely.

The second The Entertainer in Bristol - find the original smaller store on the edge of Broadmead's…read moreshopping centre next to Boots. This one is bigger and feels like it is verging on Toys R Us territory - more plastic and brands than a feel that you are in an exiting toy shop. Staff are helpful at finding you things - understanding that I had no idea who Ben 10 was (but my nephew knew him very well - phew!) which is just as well as after a few circuits in here you tend to give up. Just not fun. Still, it is still better than Toys R Us.

This toy shop in Clifton Village caters for new born babies to younger children, providing…read morewholesome toys aimed at pleasing the more educationally corncerned parents. The toys on offer here are less commercial than the high street stores and aim to make your child grow into an intellectual. With the Clifton Village setting comes the clifton pricetag, but this is a great shop to visit for gifts for a new born baby or the first few birthdays.

Just So is a really cute toy shop located in Clifton Village. If you are looking for a more…read morepersonal gift than something from the Early Learning/Entertainer stores then I would recommend a visit here. They do a huge range of products aimed for babies, through to toddlers. They also do a really nice gift wrapping service. Prices aren't too bad if you are buying as a present, however I can imagine you bill could rapidly creep up if you are buying for your own child.

Pickles and Poppets is my Go-To gift shop for party presents, new baby gifts and treats for my own…read morechild! I go to the shop in Westbury Village, and love all the gorgeous clothes and toys there. The price range is varied- you can pick a lovely gift up for 50p or £50 so there's something to suit everyone. They also have very knowledgable staff in both shops and they are always on hand for ideas if I need them. There are always lots of toys out for little ones to play with and they are breast-feeding friendly too! They sell lots of well known children's clothes brands such as Frugi, Kite, Pigeon, Hately, Joules and Blade & Rose, I have bought lots of gorgeous dresses for my daughter and everyone asks where they're from and comments on how lovely they are. They also have an online shop so if you're not in Bristol you can still shop here! I love Pickles and Poppets.

From the owner: Pickles & Poppets is an independent children's shop in Bristol. We stock a wide range of clothes,…read moretoys and gifts for both boys and girls from newborn to eight years old. We are passionate about providing families, friends and kids with items that they need as well as want, and we offer a unique and alternative range of options from both international and local brands so that many different styles and preferences can be met. From beautiful newborn bamboo blankets, organic rompers and environmentally friendly kids plates and cutlery, to silver plated christening gifts, books, wooden toys, and alternative clothes! Hopefully you'll find something too! Do pop in and say hello sometime. We'd love to meet you. Love the Pickles & Poppets Team

As much as the taste of a Werthers Original reminds me of being five years old, so does the memory…read moreof walking into the old fashioned toy shop around the corner from my house. The shelves were lined with simple tricks and toys to entertain even the most petulant or hard to please child. Zoom forward twenty years and a walk around the joyful Avon Models is always guaranteed to take me right back to my childhood. Tucked away in a corner of the indoor section of St Nicholas' Market, it would be all too easy to walk past this stall unnoticed, but I beg that you don't. Not just for kids, this is a great place to find stocking fillers and gag gifts. Whenever I look through their build-your-own kits, sets of dominoes and paint-by-numbers I am positively swept over by a wave of nostalgia. Not to sound too old before my time but if you have children, tear them away from their Wii's and iPod's and get them down to Avon Model's for true old fashioned fun!

Despite the nauseating name, this is a nice little toy and gift store with an emphasis on…read moreold-fashioned wooden toys, stocking fillers and feminine gifts. They had a mini vintage racing car made of wood which is just beautiful and at £40 not bad prices at all. They also had things like Flower Fairies and mini robots.

This shop has been in existence, in one form or another, for over 100 years and has evolved into a…read moresleek and stylish independent gallery and shop for homeware and art. Difficult to pinpoint, the Guild offers not just ridiculously over priced kitchen accessories but also smaller trinkets and gifts, postcards and gourmet food - you know the kind, fancy jars of jelly beans and unpronounceable preserves. The various sections within this surprisingly large shop cater for the kitchens, living rooms and what I consider the best bit - kids bedrooms. Cuddly toys and traditional board games are on offer, as well as the more unusual, such as life-size green dogs made from moulded rubber. Bristol Guild is the kind of place I imagine Kirsty Allsopp would frequent if she lived round these parts, and is somewhere that should make it on to your list if visiting the area.

Bristol Guild is a small gallery crammed full of things. It's quite narrow in here but they sure…read moreknow how to get as much in as possible! Just don't visit with large bags or a clumsy personality! There are some hidden gems in here if you are willing to give the gallery some quality time, however I have never really found anything that tickles my fancy. Staff pretty much stay in the background and won't approach you unless you go up to them. They have a nice coffee shop at the back of the gallery if you have exhausted all your energy supplies. It has a nice terrace overlooking Park Street if you are able to brave the cold and rain too!

This used to be a place I went to once a very long ago when I still actively collected trading…read morecards, action figures and other nerdy collectables. Being in a less than genteel part of town was an interesting experience to say the least! It always seemed quite pokey and crammed with stuff which at least was an efficient use of space. I was often surprised how much interesting stock they had but I never really bought that much, I thought it a little dear, especially since I knew one mail order dealer really well and got really good personal service from him. Still it was nice to be able to browse a physical shop and not a badly photocopied a5 booklet. Nowadays my hobbies have mostly been relegated to memories, but occasionally i drive past this place whilst at work and am surprised that its still going, good for them!

A warning to all you ladies out there: if, after dragging your doting boyfriend around the retro…read moreshops of Park Street, you loving ask, 'is there anywhere you want to go?' you may just end up at Forbidden Planet. This comic book and sci-fi mega store is every boys dream and every girl's nightmare. Be prepared to lose several very important shopping hours here. Having said that, it's easy to admire the scale of the store and the quality of the goods they have to offer. Even I, a sci-fi phobic, enjoyed flicking through the comic books and eyeing up the DVDs. It's a great place to shop for presents for boyfriends, friends and little brothers. And, luckily for me, the shop assistants are so helpful so even the clueless can pick the perfect stocking filler.

Comic book nerds and geeks (or those that think Sci Fi is so square that it's hip) from all around…read morewill love forbidden planet. It's not the easiest place to find - it's on the less visited part of triangle, so a little away from the main shopping drag on Park Street, but definitely worth making the effort for. If you're not into comics too much yourself, this is definitely a brilliant place to grab an original gift for someone who is - there's endless amounts of memorabilia. The stuff here is pretty expensive though.