We hate getting older, but not for reasons most people think. We're fine with gray hair and, frankly, it appears as though the paunch is unavoidable. What really sucks is how, as the years pile on, it becomes less acceptable to play with toys. So we step into blissful Froggie's, where everybody's a kid. The friendly staff encourages you to push buttons on farm animal noisemakers and give Walter the Farting Dog a squeeze. Froggie's folk really want you to check out science kits, Gnomads, Wonder Woman lunchboxes, Pull My Finger pens, glider kits, toy horses and the other fun stuff on the kid-level shelves. They're happy helping customers pick out gifts like Inventive Travelware luggage tags ("You Don't Look Like My Owner") or Wash Away Your Sins bath products and even provide what's needed to wrap them in. They carry old-timey candy lines like Banana Bikes and Blackjack gum. For the younger bunch, there's Tadpoles, a connected storefront that features children's literature, clothing and toddler toys. Even Fric and Frac, the longtime store cats, help out with selection by lounging in shopping baskets or on the checkout counter. Froggie's proves some toy stores don't just want to make money--they want people to have fun.

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Toys R Us Multiple locations