The 10 best toy shops in Britain

The finest toy shops in Britain are magical, tactile wonderlands that inspire children and nostalgic adults alike. And there is one legendary London institution whose dramatic history outshines them all: Hamleys.

Discover more about the 260-year saga of this world-famous toy retailer at the end of this article. For now, discover all in:

The 10 best toy shops in Britain

1. My Small World Toy Store (Bath, Somerset)

Taking our number one spot is not a sprawling multi-storey department store in the capital, but an extraordinary independent boutique in the heart of Bath. My Small World has built a passionate following across the UK for creating what visitors describe as a genuinely spellbinding space. Instead of stocking generic, mass-produced plastic aisles, the store features a hand-picked collection of quirky, imaginative, and beautifully crafted playthings. Organised into imaginative sections like “The Traffic Jam of your Dreams” and “Insects, Animals & The Big Wide World”, the shop actively encourages children to test out and play with everything in sight. Whether you visit their welcoming showroom in Southgate Bath or receive one of their famously hand-wrapped online parcels, this award-winning haven captures the joyous soul of what a toy shop should be.

2. Hamleys (Regent Street, London)

We could not possibly leave off the oldest and most famous toy shop in the world. Dating all the way back to William Hamley’s humble “Noah’s Ark” shop in 1760, Hamleys’ seven-storey flagship on Regent Street is an absolute institution of British childhood. It feels less like a traditional retail store and much more like a non-stop indoor carnival. Enthusiastic staff members constantly perform live toy demonstrations, fly drones over shoppers’ heads, and blow thousands of bubbles across the aisles. It is a bustling, high-energy rite of passage for any family visiting London.

3. Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop (Covent Garden, London)

Step inside Covent Garden’s famous Apple Market and you will feel as though you have stepped through a secret portal into the Victorian era. Operating for over a century, Benjamin Pollock’s specialises in the enchanting world of traditional paper toy theatres, intricate shadow puppets, and mechanical curiosities. It is a delightfully theatrical boutique that celebrates the history of storytelling and stagecraft, proving utterly irresistible to collectors, artists, and curious children alike.

4. The LEGO Store (Leicester Square, London)

As the largest official LEGO store on the planet, this London flagship is a jaw-dropping monument to the humble plastic brick. Spanning nearly 10,000 square feet across two floors, the shop is dominated by massive, million-brick sculptures. Visitors can marvel at a towering replica of the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) featuring a working clock face, and even sit inside a life-sized London Underground tube carriage made entirely of bricks. Complete with interactive building tables and massive “Pick-A-Brick” walls, it is an absolute paradise for builders of every generation.

5. Eve’s Toy Shop (Llandeilo, Wales)

Nestled in the charming Welsh town of Llandeilo, Eve’s Toy Shop is a multi-award-winning independent gem that prides itself on heirloom-quality, sustainable playthings. Renowned for their warm customer care and a gorgeous selection of traditional wooden toys, puppets, and bilingual Welsh children’s books, walking into Eve’s feels like visiting a friendly community hub where children’s imaginations are fiercely protected.

6. Harrods Toy Kingdom (Knightsbridge, London)

For a taste of pure retail luxury, the Toy Kingdom on the fourth floor of Harrods is simply unmatched. This sprawling, beautifully themed wonderland is divided into distinct, immersive zones, including an enchanted forest and a cutting-edge science and gadget arena. From life-sized Steiff studio animals and bespoke rocking horses to exclusive designer playsets, Harrods delivers an unforgettable, upscale experience where fantasies come to life in spectacular fashion.

7. The Olive Branch Toy Shop (Castle Donington, Leicestershire)

A shining example of Britain’s thriving independent toy scene, The Olive Branch is a beautifully curated shop dedicated to classic and contemporary toys for children from birth up to ten years old. Championing traditional screen-free play, sensory development, and sustainable wooden designs from respected brands like Bigjigs and Hape, it provides a calm, welcoming environment that parents appreciate just as much as their little ones.

8. The Entertainer (various UK locations)

While independent boutiques hold our sentimental crown, we must give a nod to Britain’s favourite high-street champion. The Entertainer has worked tirelessly to keep traditional town-centre toy shopping alive across the UK. Famous for its friendly staff, accessible floor tables where children can play, and their brilliant initiative of running regular “Quiet Hours” for autistic children and those with sensory sensitivities, it remains a vital, welcoming staple of the British high street.

9. Jaques of London (Kent heritage / online)

While operating primarily as a direct-to-consumer heritage brand today, Jaques of London deserves a place on any British toy countdown. As the oldest games manufacturer in the world (established all the way back in 1795), they actually invented Croquet, Ping Pong, and the iconic Staunton chess set. Today, they remain the UK’s leading champion of screen-free wooden toys, delivering beautifully packaged educational games that carry on over two centuries of British history.

10. Grasshopper Toys (Helensburgh, Scotland)

We conclude our countdown with one of Scotland’s largest and most beloved independent toy shops. Located in the seaside town of Helensburgh in Dunbartonshire, Grasshopper Toys was founded by a neuroscientist and puts a brilliant spotlight on educational play. Alongside classic wooden toys and puzzles, the shop is famous for its incredible selection of science kits, astronomy gadgets, and STEM learning games, making it the ultimate destination for inquisitive young minds.

The history of Hamleys

Back in 1760, a Cornish man named William Hamley opened a little shop in High Holborn, London, called “Noah’s Ark”. He simply dreamed of bringing joy to children, but by the time his grandsons took over the business in 1837, his humble shop had become a famous London landmark counting royalty and nobility among its loyal customers. Over the next two centuries, the business moved to its iconic Regent Street home in 1881 and proved just how indestructible a British toy shop could be.

It survived a devastating fire in 1901, bounced back from receivership during the Great Depression in 1931, and famously kept trading even after being bombed five separate times during the Second World War. Since then, the oldest toy shop in the world has fascinatingly changed hands many times, passing from Icelandic banks and French retailers to a Chinese fashion group and, finally, India’s Reliance Retail in 2019.

This wild 260-year saga reveals a curious truth about Britain: we have a fierce, deeply historical attachment to our toy shops. They are not merely places to buy boxes off a shelf; they are resilient palaces of imagination that survive wars, economic crashes, and the digital revolution, inspiring wonder for generations to come.