PSA: Acorn Toy Shop Has The Best Gift For Kids Of All Ages

Want to get ahead of the gifting game this year? Stop by Acorn Toy Shop, a meticulously curated spot in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn. Karin Schaefer and Diane Crespo opened the Atlantic Avenue shop in 2004 with a credo that prides quality over quantity: Not hundreds of toys, but the right toys for the right age. “We carry local goods and things other shops don’t carry,” says Schaefer. Even better: The toys in the shop are sustainable, and ethically made by people who earn a living wage. And maybe best of all? The duo is happy to share gift picks for those new to the toy shopping game — or just short on time. (Surely we aren’t the only ones doing all our holiday shopping on our lunch break…)

For babies: “Grimms rainbow stacking toys are as beautiful scattered on the floor as they are on a shelf.”

For toddlers: “Hazel Village makes organic woodland animals for imaginary play, while Kapla blocks are the simplest pine blocks out there.”

For big kids (and, ahem, adults, too): “Pencils from Karen Dash act like paint when mixed with water, while a handmade sound-recording device from Brand New Noise is crafted from sustainable wood — and done up like in a very David Bowie way.”