Toy Story

Enchanted Forest Toy Shoppe is a ‘kid-friendly oasis’

BY MARTINIQUE DAVIS

Ski towns, by nature, tend to cater more towards adults than their kiddo counterparts. But Telluride’s new toy store, Enchanted Forest Toy Shoppe, seeks to change that.

Co-owner Matty Kuzmich says he and business partner Carolyn Soules envisioned the store to be a kid-friendly oasis in the midst of a grownup world. “We wanted kids to walk in and have the feeling that this is a magical space, geared just towards them,” Kuzmich says.

A cacophony of color and texture greets visitors entering the cozy space on the corner of Pacific Avenue and Fir Street, where spacious windows and a muraled ceiling make for a welcome respite. All

manner of games and toys fill the 800-square-foot shop, for babies to teenagers and beyond.

The shop opened last winter and has since become a go-to for visiting and local families alike. General manager and buyer Madison Waller says that Enchanted Forest’s selection has something for everyone, including nostalgic toys, craft kits, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities, art supplies, puzzles, games and more. Waller carefully curates brands that run the gamut of both price point and interest, from well-known and specialty toy makers such as Playmobil, Magna-Tiles, Gund, Douglas and Miniland.

Waller says fidget and tactile toys are all the rage, and Enchanted Forest has a large selection from makers like Squishables, addictively squeezable plush toys that come in shapes like corn dogs, tacos and avocados. Gift and souvenir shopping is a breeze at Enchanted Forest, with an always-evolving selection of Lego kits, puzzle cubes from Shashibo, World’s Smallest miniature games, Speks magnets, slap-band digital watches and much more. Extra long-lasting, high-float helium balloons are available for parties and other events. Plus, candy.

“Customers appreciate that they can shop somewhere local, rather than ordering from Amazon or going to Target,” Waller says, adding that the store offers a loyalty program that gives enrolled customers 5 percent off their next pur-

chase. Loyalty points can accrue over time.

The inspiration for Enchanted Forest came from co-owners Soules and Kuzmich’s travels to other ski resorts for ski races with their respective families. “It really evolved out of us being very in touch with what our kids wanted to do at other ski areas — which was basically to go to a toy store after every race,” Kuzmich says.

With the closing of longtime local toy store Zia Sun last year, the timing was perfect for Enchanted Forest to take form. Soules purchased the space last summer, located across from the Ah Haa School for the Arts and adjacent to the Wilkinson Public Library, and by July the trio were elbows deep transforming the space into a kid-friendly paradise.

Waller also has children, and says her and the owners’ kids have quickly become the shop’s top product testers. She and Soules also make trips to buying shows, ensuring they stay on top of today’s toy trends.

Waller, Kuzmich and Soules envision Enchanted Forest as more than just a toy store and plan to offer community-minded events like crafting afternoons and group games this summer.