Last updated on April 1st, 2023 at 10:49 am
The joy of seeing children run into a toy store filled with towering shelves of toys, board games, and action figures is one of life’s great pleasures. Seeing their excited faces light up as they come across the perfect toy would brighten anyone’s day.
Busy parents might wonder which toy store in Dublin is the best for taking the kids to, or has the most helpful staff for occasions where they’re shopping for birthdays or Christmas alone and need extra support. There are quite a few toy stores in Dublin and only a few go the extra mile in entertaining the kids or providing helpful advice on the latest must have toys.
We’ve combed through all of the toy stores in Dublin to pick out the best of the best in our list below. Whether you are stockpiling toys for a birthday and need some help, taking your kids to pick out a toy for a treat, or even looking to get some educational toys for your child’s development, there is the perfect toy store for you.
In this post, we share the best toy stores in Dublin.
Map of Toy Stores
The following map shows the location of every toy store highlighted in this post:
Smyths Toys Superstores
Best for: Taking the kids out to browse for new toys.
For sheer size and scope of toys, there’s no beating Smyths Toys Superstores. With a good presence both in the city centre on Jervis Street and in the main retail parks of Dublin such as Blanchardstown, Tallaght, and Swords, there’s bound to be a store close by wherever you live.
Smyths is the perfect toy store if you’re shopping with kids, as the wide aisle and huge selection let them browse easily for as long as their heart desires. While the staff are generally very tolerant of kids browsing noisily in the aisles, be sure to hover nearby to make sure they don’t cause too much of a ruckus! Overall, the stores are well-staffed, so there should usually be someone on hand to help or advise you, and the wait to checkout is rarely long outside of the Christmas rush.
The stores stock almost every toy type imaginable, including action figures, consoles and video games, stuffed toys, dolls, Lego sets, board games and bigger items such as outdoor playhouses, trampolines, bikes, and pedal karts.
Locations: Unit 1, Airside Retail Park, Swords; Unit 424 Blanchardstown Centre, Blanchardstown; Fonthill Retail Park, Fonthill Road, Dublin; 1 Jervis Street, Dublin 1; Tallaght Retail Centre, Belgard Road, Tallaght; 1 The Park, Carrickmines, Dublin 18.
Website: https://www.smythstoys.com/ie/en-ie/
Banba Toymaster
Best for: Taking the kids toy shopping in the city centre.
Located in the heart of the city on the busy shopping zone of Mary Street, Banba Toymaster is another great option if you’re looking to take the kids toy shopping in the city centre. The spacious toy store is excellently stocked with every conceivable type of toy.
The staff are generally very helpful and will happily give advice if you’re not sure what to buy. You can also ring the store to reserve items or inquire about whether an item is in stock.
While the store is clean and well laid out, it has an undeniably retro feel to the place that is somewhat endearing for a toy store. If you’re in the city centre with the kids, Banba Toymaster is a no-brainer to while away an hour searching for that perfect toy.
Location: 48 Mary Street, Dublin 1
Website: https://banbatoys.ie/
Lego Store Dublin
Best for: Toy shopping for Lego fans and first class customer service.
Lego’s first store in Ireland is definitely a big deal. The Danish toy company’s classic bricks took the world by storm and its popularity among children and adults alike has shown no signs of decreasing.
The Dublin location on Grafton Street is much more than just a simple toy store with Lego sets – the store boasts a minifigure factory where you can build your own Lego minifigure, a demonstration table, and a pick and build wall with a gigantic selection of individual Lego bricks and pieces. Plus, the selection of Lego sets is second to none, as you’d expect!
The staff are superbly helpful and polite, and are well placed to give advice on what set to buy if you’re not sure when gift buying.
The store does operate a wristband queuing system on busy days such as school holidays and weekends, so be sure to pay a visit during a weekday if you can to avoid the inevitable crowds.
Location: 41 Grafton Street, Dublin
Website: https://www.lego.com/en-ie/stores/store/dublin
Nimble Fingers
Best for: Quality classic toys that will stimulate the imagination.
For something a bit different when it comes to toys, look no further than Nimble Fingers in Stillorgan. This charming toy store is a throwback to a simpler time before Playstations and Game Boys. The toy store, which has traded since 1962, offers a wide range of well-made classic kids toys and games.
Nimble Fingers is the place to go if you’re looking to buy something for your kids to play with that will stimulate their imagination more than sitting in front of a TV screen playing a video game. The store has a great range of wooden toys for younger children, Brio train sets, toy soldiers, arts and crafts supplies, and jigsaws. The store is also a supplier of Berg playbase outdoor playground sets.
They also stock a good range of educational toy sets that are still plenty of fun, such as science kits.
If you’re looking to pick up some toys and don’t want to buy the latest plastic figurines or video games, Nimble Fingers is just the spot.
Location: Nimble Fingers, Old Dublin Road, Stillorgan, Dublin
Website: https://nimblefingers.ie/
Cogs the Brain
Best for: Educational and creative toys for kids of all ages.
Cogs the Brain is the toy store to go to for some really out of the box toys! This small but jam-packed store in Saint Stephen’s Green shopping centre specialise in toys and games that will help improve children’s memory, cognition, and motor skills.
The toy store carries ingenious games, challenging jigsaw puzzles, creative wooden toys, and a broad range of clever desk toys, gadgets, and brain teasers.
Cogs the Brain also stock a range of adult level games and puzzles, so there’s something for everyone!
Location: 1st Floor, Saint Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre, Dublin 2
Website: https://cogsthebrainshop.ie/
Barn
Best for: High-end quality toys and gifts for young children.
Barn is a cute little store in the city centre that sells children’s toys and other items with a focus on good design and quality. The sister store of the lifestyle company Industry & Co, Barn is the perfect place to go to buy a beautiful gift for a newborn or toddler.
Barn stock a decent range of goods, including wooden toys, soft cuddly toys and dolls, and small wooden trikes.
This is an excellent spot to shop if you’re buying for a new mother and her baby, as you can easily pick up some beautifully made gifts for both mother and newborn!
Location: 21 Exchequer Street, Dublin 2
Website: https://wearebarn.com/
The Toy Shop
Best for: Toy shopping with a personal touch.
The Toy Shop in Malahide is a charming toy store that has been delighting customers since 2017. If you’re on the North side and looking for some help picking out the perfect toy, we definitely recommend dropping in to The Toy Shop.
Location: 2 Main Street, Malahide, Dublin
Website: https://www.thetoyshoponline.ie/
