Photography by Jonathan Pollack
The mark of a good toy store is often its appeal to grown-ups—the novelty of its products, the quality of the goods it stocks, and the nostalgic bells it manages to ring. From our delight at LagoonaMagoo Toys, it’s clear that someone is getting it right.
That someone? Shawntá Ray, who opened the store’s new Clayton location this past October. In 2006, Ray and her husband, Rick Harmon, bought LagoonaMagoo and Once Upon a Toy in Edwardsville, Ill., from their original owner and established an umbrella company, Happy Up.
“I don’t want to play Candy Land anymore,” Ray says. “In addition to catering to children, we cater to our lives as parents. In order to engage properly, we need to enjoy our children’s toys as well.”
It’s not a large shop, but it’s packed to the rafters. There are Erector Sets, Brio trains, wooden Melissa & Doug items. You’ll find the latest things here, too, such as Magformers, nanoblocks, and Master Kitz. Then there’s our particular, more humble favorite: little windup skeletons with groovy dance moves.
LagoonaMagoo also stocks a thrilling selection of sciencey things: pots of stuff that becomes fluffy wet snow when you add water; crystal- and volcano-making kits; and a circuit board (Snap Circuits) whose lights, once connected correctly, react to the music in your iPod. (“That’s nuts!” we couldn’t help blurting.)
Babies are catered to as well—Ray and Harmon, parents themselves, do toy-testing in-house. LagoonaMagoo stocks soft Kathe Kruse dolls; dishwasher-safe teething jewelry; and even a friendly, pull-along chicken that deposits eggs with chicks as she goes.
In the general spirit of fun, LagoonaMagoo stocks wink-and-nod things specifically for adults, like Boozie Bear flasks, Day of the Dead corkscrews, and squirrel underpants.
And the mission doesn’t end there. LagoonaMagoo goes beyond its commercial venture to take play into local schools, sending in a team of toy experts once or twice a month to encourage playful interaction among families.
