Izilla Toys553

Izilla Toys, our 2009 Parents' Picks winner for Best Toy Store in Seattle, offers a well-selected array of better toys for infants through gradeschoolers, including Faber-Castell art supplies; craft materials; stocking-stuffer and goody-bag size toys; Folkmanis puppets; dolls and dollhouses (including the Calico Critter line - ask about the Calico Critter club); toys for pretend house play; wooden train track by the piece; whimsical Manhattan Toys stuffed animals that even the stuffed animal-averse parent will appreciate; and balls and games. What you won't find here is mass-market, plastic, or noisemaking junk. You'll also enjoy the type of knowledgeable customer service that makes independent toy stores so valuable to families.

We loved Izilla's nice selection of small Haba wooden fruits and vegetables, woven grocery baskets, and net bags, a clear step above the plastic play food found other places. We also liked the realistic stuffed dinosaurs with shimmery reptilian skin, and the imported wooden push toys. Dollhouse play stations are set up in one section of the store, so kids can pass the time quietly while their parents shop.

A second location in Wallingford opened in 2010.