Hamleys

Hamleys Review

Besieged by pester power? Don't worry, help is at hand—this London institution has six floors of the latest dolls, soft toys, video games, and technological devices (plus such old-fashioned pleasures as train sets, drum kits, and magic tricks), with every must-have on the pre-teen shopping list. Some may find the offerings to be overly-commercialized (it's heavy on movie and TV tie-ins), and the store only got rid of its separate pink and blue floors for girls and boys in 2011 after a protest campaign. Nevertheless, when British children visit London, Hamleys is at the top of their agenda. It's a madhouse at Christmastime, but Santa's grotto is one of the best in town. There's a smaller branch in St. Pancras International train station.