Oodles 4 Kids

“Look-look-look! It makes marbles go and it makes music!!!” yells Asher, dropping a ball into a big wooden Hape marble run. The 4-year-old’s resulting shriek of glee is the soundtrack at Oodles 4 Kids, Carolyn Miye’s boisterous Sellwood shop, opened in 2012. Here, you can find a lovingly chosen roster of multilingual picture books—and Legos, Stomp Rockets, and Spooner Boards. “She’s so beautiful,” croons Ellis, 6, stroking a plush Groovy Girls doll. Meanwhile, her pal Alex, 4, communes with teeny flocked bunnies, hedgehogs, and baby elephants in miniature tree houses and vintage campers. Miye smiles and goes back to business: “testing out” a French card game with a competitive mom. “It’s better than other kid stores because it’s just so friendly and old-fashioned,” Alex explains. “And because I can touch everything. You should really go to this toy store.” Agreed.  7727 SE 13th Ave, oodles4kids.com

Smallfry

Sunny, tidy, and taking children’s clothing resale to chic new heights. 4107 NE Tillamook St, smallfrypdx.com

Black Wagon

We covet every inch of this small, cool-kid fortress, from robot-festooned Hatley raincoats to teeny Vans slip-ons. 3964 N Mississippi Ave, blackwagon.com

Spielwerk Toys

A Waldorfian Santa’s workshop: hand-carved German beasts, catapults, and fluttering butterfly wings. 3808 N Williams Ave, #121, spielwerktoys.com

Seahorses

The city’s first “for the dads, run by dads” kids’ toy, clothing, and gear shop. Genius. 4029 SE Hawthorne Blvd, facebook.com/SeahorsesPDX

Finnegan's Toys & Gifts

Downtown’s answer to FAO Schwarz (RIP!) still rules. 820 SW Washington St, finneganstoys.com