Now We Are Six

One of the greatest joys for a child is going to the toyshop and running amok. Although you wouldn’t want your kid to go too wild in here, as many of the toys are based on vintage designs and thus are attractive even as an ornament. As a result there’s a conservative atmosphere about Now We Are Six that makes you question whether your kid would be told off for playing with their stock. For standard presents you might as well head to Toys R Us but if you’d like your kid to have something a little more special you should definitely check out this place.

The window of this toy shop is so promising– stacked full of unusual wooden toys in bright colours, cute soft toys and Babar goodies. I agree with Sarah-​Jane though, the inside is very disappointing, it seems strangely aimed at adults rather than children. I would feel okay going in here myself to buy a toy for my nephew/​niece but would’t particularly plan to take them in. Somehow the vibe seems to be– play nice and don’t mess up the toys! Not that the staff were unfriendly, quite the opposite. It just felt a little neat and plain… I’m not sure, there’s definitely something missing. I appreciate the nod to A. A Milne in the shop name but I have to say that to me it suggests toys for kids older than six whereas the toys stocked seemed younger than that.

At weekends, the delightfully named Miss Sparkle hosts magic shows, puppet shows and face painting in the back room of Now We Are Six. If I took my favourite four year old to one of them, I’m sure she’s be delighted.
If I took her shopping there mid-​week however, I don’t think she’d crack a smile. On the surface, Now We Are Six stock everything toddlers of one to six might want from dressing up clothes, soft toys and books to dolls houses, castles, musical instruments and wooden bikes. The problem is, neither the layout or atmosphere feels or looks very exciting. I understand the owners want the place to educate as well as entertain children but I think they need to sprinkle a bit more F.U.N. and M.A.G.I.C. in there. Maybe Miss Sparkle could work in the week too…

A curious name for a shop, Now We Are Six isn’t exactly a catchy one that rolls off the tongue. I am not quite sure how I ended up stumbling into this place, because I don’t exactly think I form part of their target market, being over six years old and not having any children, but nevertheless I am going to give this review a bash.
Imagine being a child in the Victorian era when toys and games were all very much solid and durable things that could be passed on from generation to generation. They were generally made from wood and weren’t influenced by passing fads of TV shows that would be obsolete in a matter of months. Now imagine being a child today and finding a toy emporium that had updated modern classics that, in a future you have yet to experience, you will look upon with a sense of subdued sentimentality. The toys and other products on sale here are beautifully crafted and every one of them feels like it has the potential to hold a special place in a child’s memory. Children are, after all, children and their innocence is unrivalled. Don’t spoil it by plaguing them with commercial crap that will fall out of favour as quickly as it is bought.
They even have story readings: I mean come on, this place is making me broody!
Now We Are Six: the toyshop with the least catchy name in the world. In fact, the name is so not catchy I cannot forget it! I guess it caught on!