Since 1987, Whiz Kids has had a front-row seat to some of the best moments in San Luis Obispo: first allowances spent, birthday gifts picked out with total convictions, and grown-ups who come back with their own kids after years away and gasp when they see our purple wrapping paper. When you spend 39 years on a toy store floor, you pick up a thing or two about kids, the grown-ups who love them, and about which toys will bounce hard enough to hit the ceiling.
So as we say goodbye to our 39th birthday, here's 39 things I've learned from all of you:
- The first thing most kids say they walk into Whiz Kids is "WOW!" and I will never get tired of hearing it. Our all-time favorite review came from a very serious young customer: "Whoever invented this place is a genius!"
- Kids with their own money in the pocket will take approximately 4.7x longer to pick out a toy than a kid spending their parents' money
- Maileg mice are as much for the moms as they are for the kids.
- If a dad wanders off, check the LEGO aisle first and the board games second.
- Moon balls can and will hit the ceiling if bounced hard enough.
- Grandparents may not always understand the latest trend, but they will move mountains to to get the exact thing their grandkid wants.
- The best system for grandparents with a lot of grandkids is a stack of sticky notes with everyone's ages on them. We can walk through the store together, pick a gift, stick on a note, and keep going until the stack is gone.
- Kids who haven't touched their train set at home in weeks will cry when they have to leave the train table at Whiz Kids.
- Babysitters give the best toy recommendations. They know all the mess-free, durable wins.
- The distinct sound of Spin Again discs hitting the floor will make new friends jump, but our staff probably won't even notice.
- Schleich animal figurines will always find a way to escape their rack and find new places in the store to hide.
- Nobody shops with more conviction that a 3-to-5-year. Robots, dinosaurs, unicorns: whatever they're into, they are ALL the way into it (and we love helping them find more of it).
- A special trip to the the toy store can help take the sting out of getting shops at the doctor's office.
- No matter where it's hidden in the store, kids can find the trendiest toy within moments of walking in. Right now that's squishies and 3D printed dragons.
- Ooly markers are much harder to share than anyone expects, so buy two sets.
- A toy store can be a grown-ups happy place too, even when they can't believe they're buying another slime.
- It's important to let kids get loud and messy, and aunts and uncles love giving gifts that help them do just that.
- There are some classics every kid loves. Stomp Rockets for big kids and the Pound and Tap Bench for babies prove it every day.
- The safest gift for a kid you've never met is a family game. Nobody turns down a round of Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza.
- A book about your own town beats and national bestseller. Good Night, San Luis Obispo outsells every other book in our store by a mile.
- Every trail is more fun on wheels. Just ask anyone who's ridden the Bob Jones Trail on a Micro Kickboard Scooter.
- There's no such thing as just one Maileg mouse. It starts with one little mouse and somehow ends with full dollhouse and a tiny toilet in every bathroom.
- At Whiz Kids, the kids play and the parents chat. Some of SLO's best friendships probably started here.
- Back-to-school trends spread faster than anything else. By October, we start hearing "Let's put that on your wishlist."
- In a toy store, you live at least a season ahead. We order Easter plush before Halloween even starts and all out Christmas favorites around Easter time.
- A great board games needs a great elevator pitch. If we can't explain how to play in 20 seconds, it's a tough sell.
- Birthday parties sneak up on everyone. That's why day-of gift shopping is our specialty: come in panicked, leave with a wrapped gift and a card.
- You don't need an expensive baker for the best birthday party. The most memorable cakes are made by mom and are decorated with your favorite Calico Critters or Schleich animals.
- A new baby means two gifts: a Sshlumpie for the newborn and a baby doll for the big kid to practice being a new big brother or sister.
- Once a gift is wrapped, nobody remembers what's inside. That's why "can you put a note on it?" is our most common wrapping request.
- Shopping at Trader Joe's while we wrap is a great plan; as long as you actually remember to come back. Way too many toys have been accidentally left behind.
- The day before Christmas, we affectionately call Uncle Day. It's the day when family who just flew in to town come by and we love helping them get something amazing under the tree just in time.
- You never outgrow your need for Jellycat plush or LEGO bricks; just as the Cal Poly students.
- Kids have their priorities straight. Given the choice between ice cream and a trip to Whiz Kids, one wise young customer explained, "ice cream melts, but toys are forever".
- Little traditions matter more than you'd think. Grown-ups who shopped with us as kids always say, "I can't believe you still use the same purple paper".
- Kids play longer and learn more when nobody shows them the 'right' way to play. They're geniuses at finding new ways to use their toys.
- Some things are worth never changing, like a warm welcome at the door and smart, quality toys on every shelf.
- Kids need to hold a toy to fall in love with it. Feeling its size, weight, and quality in their own hands create a sense of wonder they can't get online.
- Every kids needs a safe space to practice being a little human. At Whiz Kids, they can take all the time they need to spread their allowance across the counter and count it out, and practice their social skills by telling out staff all about the friend they're shopping for. Watching them grow up and become more independent is on the dearest things we get to see.
Thank you for 39 years of play, San Luis Obispo! Whether you've been shopping with us since the very beginning or just walked in for the first time last week, you're part of the reason Whiz Kids still gets to do what we love.
Here's to year 40!