➜ Clothes

THE PIED PIPER. Thanks to high- end brands like Ella Moss, Lilly Pulitzer, and Polo, tiny fashionistas ock to this one-stop shop in the Village at Cross Keys. The store offers a wide variety of styles, with sizes for children ages infant through 14. Village Square, 410-435-2676

WEE CHIC. If you are looking for the latest designs and gear for your toddler or tween, consider taking
a drive to Green Spring Station to check out the goods at Wee Chic. With clothing, candy, bags, books, and toys, there’s something for every age and size kid in this store. 2360 West Joppa Road, Lutherville-Timonium, 410-878-7400

BELLE BAMBINI. Serving the Baltimore community for more than 10 years, Belle Bambini Children’s Boutique has everything from suits and occasion wear to pajamas and onesies for your mini-me. The store carries sizes from infant to teen
and is even developing a section for moms. The experienced and friendly staff will make sure you never leave empty-handed. 1330 Reisterstown Road, 410-653-5437

THE LILY PAD OF TOWSON. If you don’t want to spend a fortune on clothes your children will quickly grow out of—or if you have a closet full of stuff that doesn’t t any of your kids—the Lily Pad of Towson is the place for you. Whether you’re looking to consign or to shop, this store specializes in gently used and affordable kid’s clothing and furniture. 6907 York Road, Towson, 410-377-0025

AWW BABY ORGANICS BOUTIQUE. With a mission to sell only the best eco-friendly products, Aww Baby Organics Boutique does all the work for you when it comes to finding quality items that are environmentally safe for your growing family. 8600 Foundry Street, Savage, 443-540-8377

TINY TOES. Tiny Toes is a one-of-a-kind children’s store situated among the quaint boutiques on Bel Air’s Main Street, offering clothes, swimwear, and accessories. Considered a Harford Country treasure, the shop focuses its efforts on providing the community with only the highest-quality merch for kids. 4 North Main Street, Bel Air, 410-420-6727

BABY PEA. Baby Pea Clothing specializes in pint-sized outfits for all occasions, from family photos to baby showers, weddings, and more. But the best part? If you don’t see an ideal design for your baby pea, they will create a fresh one for you! Based out of Damascus, Baby Pea Clothing is not exclusive to babies, with designs for teens and even adults.

➜ Toys

SMART KIDS TOYS. Great for teachers and conscientious parents, Smart Kids Toys is dedicated to the learning development of children. In addition to timeless favorites, the store has educational activity books and placemats, as well as remote-control cars and outdoor activity sets. Run by the former owner of Learning How, it’s the place for unique and high-quality toys. 11121 York Road, Cockeysville, 443-286-4975

AMUSE TOYS. With a carefully curated selection of cool stuff to play with, aMuse Toys is a go-to store for kids. But these toys are more than just fun distractions. Offering award-winning, smart toys from around the world, aMuse encourages creativity and innovative thinking for children aged newborn to 10-plus. 1623 Thames Street, 410-342-5000

➜ Bookstores

THE CHILDREN’S BOOKSTORE. Recognized as one of the top 50 indie bookstores in America by The Huffington Post, this Lauraville bookstore carries children’s chapter books and illustrated books of various genres for a range of ages. A hub for young readers, The Children’s Bookstore also partners with local schools for book fairs and author book signings. 4717 Harford Road, 410-532-2000

OLD FOX BOOKS. Seeking that rare quiet afternoon with the kids? Old Fox Books & Coffeehouse is where you’ll want
to go. Little ones are able to browse books while you grab an afternoon caffeine pick-me-up. When the weather is nice, settle out on the back patio for a magical garden view and relax with a good read. 35 Maryland Avenue, Annapolis, 410-626-2020

Our kids are now 3 and 1, which means one of them has a slight idea about what’s happening on Christmas morning and the other will just be excited to watch her brother rip at wrapping paper and wonder why we’re all so busy so early. The holidays are only starting to be a big deal at our house (especially after years of not having kids or any sense of Christmas spirit), so I’m trying to get a head start on preparation.

I’m also committing to only buying gifts locally this year (and no, Amazon’s Dundalk fulfillment center doesn’t count), so each of the suggestions below are here in Baltimore. So go! Shop! Be festive! And do your best to spend your money right here in town.

Amuse Toys

My love affair with this store began immediately after our son was born and has only grown over the years. The toys are beautiful and require imagination, and the shopping experience is fun and well-informed. And, because kids love nothing more than playing with toys they’re 100-percent sure you didn’t spend money on, the Amuse Toys Quarry Lake location offers open play a few mornings a week. Grab a coffee, let them go nuts, and take a slight break from the holiday madness.

The Book Thing of Baltimore

My kids develop deep, emotional obsessions with books and just when they’ve broken my spirit and I’ve consigned myself to a life of reading nothing but Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day, they lose total interest and find something else. Capitalize on this irrational behavior by clearing out your shelves while simultaneously choosing new-to-them, free books to give to your family.

Baltimore Chef Shop

Edie and Lou are still in the stage of life where food is optional at best and, when properly mashed, table art at worst. But if you’ve survived the early childhood years (good for you!) then perhaps an afternoon spent at the Baltimore Chef Shop would make a lovely gift for your kid who loves The Great British Baking Show. (And if your kid loves that show, again, good for you!) BCS is a beautiful kitchen in Hampden offering classes for 8-17 year olds and their parents on making donuts, dim sum, pasta, cookies, and other important food groups. There are also summer camps available if you’re the kind of long-term planning gift giver tweens love so much.

SIDESHOW at AVAM

Is there a more incredible gift shop in the world? Every inch of the shop is filled with fascinating, beautiful, useless, important, and affordable stuff. On a recent trip, I found cool rings and laser-cut wood earrings for $2; beautiful art coffee table books for under $20; a tiny drawer filled with plastic babies for 50 cents a pop; and a t-shirt offering an apology for the president in 14 languages. I highly suggest taking an hour (sans kids, if you can swing it) to wander through. You’ll check off most people on your list and walk out with the ultimate stocking stuffers.

Worthy Threads

Over the last few years, locally owned Worthy Threads has been popping up in Baltimore’s social media and retail worlds. Our friends gave us a sushi-printed pinafore dress (Sushi! On a dress! For an infant!) for Edie when she was born and it was so wonderful that I eventually cut the elastic in the waistband to eke out a few more weeks of wear. These clothes aren’t cheap, but they’re the kind that you treasure and begrudgingly-but-lovingly hand down to your favorite friend’s little one.

Shananigan’s Toy Shop

Similarly to the SIDESHOW gift shop, this is a store that will put your head on a swivel. It’s filled floor to ceiling with toys and games for all ages just as you start to get overwhelmed by decision fatigue, their knowledgeable staff swoops in and leads you right where you need to be.

Crème de la Crème
Walls of lavish linens, kitchen accessories, and ornate conversation pieces await you in this Mediterranean-inspired home store. 207 N Market St., 240-651-1714.

Tiara Day
Unleash your inner Marie Antoinette in this ultra-femme, ultra-French boutique full of apparel, accessories, gifts, and jewels. 153 N Market St., 301-694-4911.

En Masse Luxe
Part florist, part gift shop, this self-care mecca carries swanky bath and beauty products, as well as gifts and accessories. 141 N Market St., 240-379-7100.

Velvet Lounge
You’re guaranteed to find something you have to have in this women’s contemporary boutique filled with popular brands such as Free People, Hudson, Wildfox, and Rebecca Minkoff. 203 N Market St., 301-695-5700.

The Muse
The Muse makes it easy to support artists locally and beyond with its carefully curated selection of handmade goods. 19 N Market St., 301-663-3632.

Curious Iguana
This independent bookstore is chock-full of newly released titles and globally diverse works. 12 N Market St., 301-695-2500.

Cafe Nola
With a vast selection of coffees and teas, this cozy café will fulfill all of your caffeine needs. You won’t want to miss out on their signature lattes—try the delectable coconut and vanilla creation they call “Hot Betty White.” 4 E Patrick St., 301-694-6652.

Dancing Bear Toys + Gifts
Children and adults alike will get a kick out of this shop full of battery-free toys and games. 15 E Patrick St., 301-631-9300.

Relish Decor
If Anthropologie’s home selection had a little Frederick baby, this store would be it. It’s loaded with pretty little things for your kitchen, table, or bar. 38 E Patrick St., 301-698-7360.

Venus on the Half Shell
Expertly curated, beautifully merchandised, and full of one-of-a-kind apparel and accessories, Venus on the Half Shell is vintage heaven. 101 E Patrick St., 301-662-6213.

Anam Cara Apothecary
The sign outside of Anam Cara Apothecary reads, “When science meets magic,” and that is exactly what you’ll find when you enter this bright shop with modern fixtures, an array of essential oils and herbal blends, holistic services, and one very friendly feline. 113 E Patrick St., 240-527-1627.

Maven Beauty Bar
Owned by a former cosmetic buyer for Nordstrom, this trendy beauty bar will make you feel like you just stepped off the streets of New York. Get your brows threaded, enjoy a makeup tutorial, and browse the great selection of organic skincare and beauty products, all in one trip. 118 E Patrick St., 240-578-4192.

Some people jiggle their leg—others click their pens or doodle in their notepads. Fidgeting and finding outlets to control these ticks aren’t new, but there is a trendy toy that has spun its way into the hands of consumers everywhere to help channel these urges. 

A fidget spinner is a palm-sized toy that has a central core and usually 2-3 propeller-like blades that users can spin with two fingers. The kid’s toy is said to relieve nervous energy, even calming ADHD and psychological stress.

“They really came fast out of nowhere,” said Flora Stelzer, co-owner of Shananigans Toy Shop in Roland Park, whose original supply of fidget spinners didn’t last long before they had to order more. “We would get 10 phone calls a day from people asking us to look for them. We had kids line up after school waiting for them.”

Stelzer says the popularity started for her store in April, when kids ages 6-14 would ask for the toy in high demand.

But, in reality, the origin for the fidget spinner dates back further. While there is no clear inventor of the product, Catherine Hettinger is cited as being the creator of the toy by The New York Times and The Guardian because of a “spinning toy” she got a patent for in 1997. But Hettinger acknowledges that there is no concrete connection between her own invention and the fidget spinner.

The little gadget has taken over the Internet and is sold by everywhere from Amazon to street vendors. Videos of fidget spinner tricks have gone viral, with one YouTube video garnering more than 42 million views.

Unlike most toys that have had their five minutes of fame (think slime or hoverboards), these spinners claim to actually be helpful to users rather than solely existing for entertainment. 

Dr. Pilar Trelles, a psychiatrist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, acknowledges the benefits in an interview with health.com and encourages using gadgets like this along with actual treatments. Trelles admits that the effectiveness of these spinners depend on each individuals place on anxiety/autism/ADHD spectrums, so it won’t work for everyone. 

One post on Amazon furthers this and claims that they can be “helpful for anxiety, focusing, ADHD, autism, quitting bad habits, staying awake. Definitely a blessing for someone with a nervous disorder where keeping the hands busy is a symptom.”

While fidget spinners have primarily been used as entertainment or an anxiety reducer, they can also be a source of scientific inspiration. Such is the case for artist C. Harvey, the mobile maker manager at Open Works in Greenmount West.

Coming from an engineering background, Harvey noticed that there weren’t enough high quality and relevant STEM programs for black youth so she wanted to introduce 3D printing technology, in a way that was non-intimidating and relatable to their lives.

“These kids don’t relate to making sailboats or robots, so I asked them what they would want to invent if they had 5 million dollars and they said fidget spinners,” Harvey said.

So with 3D printing pens in hand, Harvey went over to a local recreation center to meet with kids K-8 and that’s exactly what they did. The kids were excited to make their own spinners, and learned a lot about how to use advanced technology the entire time.

With that said, not everyone has such a positive attitude towards these toys. Though many find the spinning to be calming, others find the spinning to be incredibly distracting. So much so that schools and some individual teachers from multiple states including Florida, Connecticut, and New York have already banned these toys from classrooms.

According to a report on WMAR, spokesmen for the Baltimore County and Anne Arundel County Public School systems say they haven’t experienced any problems to impose a similar district-wide ban.

Though this gadget seems to be taking the world by storm, Stelzer at Shananigans is sure that this is only a fad. She laughs and says, “they’ll be on to something else soon, maybe even by the time you print this.”