by Maria Mantini ’26 on February 27, 2026
Opinion - Society
Who could forget the rush of excitement? Once the sliding doors opened, every toy currently on the market was available to you. A seemingly infinite amount of aisles contained the newest Barbies, Legos, Hot Wheels, Crayola products, and everything from alarm clocks to giant stuffed animals inspired by the latest animated movie. The shelves loomed far larger than your four-foot frame and stretched far longer than the hallways of your house. There was no better phrase to hear when getting in the car than, “If you are good, you can pick out one thing at Toys “R” Us.”
With a 4 and almost 3-year-old cousin, these past few years have reintroduced me to the modern toy market. Family gatherings are spent helping put together Bluey puzzles on the floor and sorting through the cards for Candy Land. The joy they get from inventing games or opening a new toy reminds me of the excitement I felt as a kid. Don’t you remember when there was no better feeling than waking up on Christmas morning and no greater disappointment on your birthday than when the colorfully wrapped box turned out to be a new sweater?
While I am able to remember some childhood experiences through their eyes, there is one experience that we will unlikely share to the same degree: spending time in a toy store. While there are some that remain, the availability of online shopping has made many retailers obsolete. According to stories published by The New York Times and CNN, Toys “R” Us closed all of their stores in 2018 after filing for bankruptcy. Their formerly infamous presence as the place to find every toy has now been relegated to a corner of Macy’s.
Arrangements like this do not even come close to replacing what is lost, though. Toy stores are entire stores devoted to children and their interests. The wonder of seeing aisles filled with your favorite games and characters cannot be matched with five shelves of dolls and stuffed animals across from the perfume counter. Many stores like the Disney Store and the American Girl store also had interactive displays and decorations to further enhance the experience for young kids.
Toy stores were not only places for fun and exploration, they also created some memorable lessons. I can still remember when my kindergarten class raised money to buy toys for charity during the holidays. Instead of simply donating the money, our parents took us to the store and we all picked out things we thought other children would like. The ability to hand-pick the gifts and know they would end up with a child who otherwise would not have them provided a much more impactful lesson than looking at pictures on Amazon.
The changing landscape of the market is evident, however. In the past several years, I’ve seen the Toys “R” Us, Disney Store, and American Girl store I went to growing up close. It is disheartening to think that these places that held so many great childhood memories will not be there for younger generations to experience. While it is undeniable that online shopping offers measurable convenience, the unique assets of retail should not be ignored, especially when it comes to the experiences of children.