The Echo Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont, is a popular science and nature museum located right on the waterfront in town, but Retail Manager Olivia Burritt says the destination also acts a bit like a local children’s museum. Kids regularly engage in dozens of hands-on activities at the museum, from a magnetic ball wall to climbing areas for little ones.
“We rotate through some different STEM and science activities to get kids really engaged with learning related to exhibits on the floor,” she describes.
With these young visitors in mind, the Echo’s bright and colorful gift shop is overflowing with fun finds like dinosaur plush, sensory toys, building kits, educational board books and more.
“With more of an emphasis on children’s toys, I call our gift shop part toy store,” says Burritt. “There really aren’t a lot of toy stores in the area, so I like to be able to fill that void.”
Dino toys and plush are on the center display table at the Frost Science store.
Even with rising inflation, parents and grandparents alike are eager to spend money on kids these days, especially when it comes to toys, games and other items that engage play. According to the Toy Trends Briefing at Toy Fair in February, 77% of parents reported that they would rather reduce their spending elsewhere before eliminating toys for their kids in their budgets, up slightly from 69% in 2024.
Kids will always be drawn to the toy and game category, but The Toy Association noted that some patterns of play and popular toys are changing. Many museum retailers like Echo have also recognized these trends and are embracing toys, games and accessories that appeal to today’s kids.
Squishy surprises
Small toys that squish and surprise are trending for many destination retailers this year. Burritt keeps a large selection of squish and fidget toys available from brands like ToySmith and the ever-popular NeeDoh.
“Kids currently are obsessed with squishy things — it’s all the rage!” she shares. “I keep a lot of squishy, fidget and other toys I think kids are more interested in on our display centerpiece.”
Rachel Howard, museum coordinator for the Terry Lee Wells Discovery Museum in Reno, Nevada, is often asked about the museum store’s stash of squish toys.
“We get asked the most right now about NeeDoh (and other squishies)!” she comments.
The cute and cuddly Celestial Buddies plush toys are always a hit at the Museum of Flight store.
Blind boxes filled with squish toys can be even more popular than a standalone squish toy. They are a top seller at the Frost Science Museum gift shop in Miami. Magda Meza, senior director of membership and retail strategy at Frost Science, says these boxes are regularly moving in her store.
“If I had to sum up today’s trends in one word, it would be ‘surprise,’” she says. “Squishies, blind boxes and surprise collectibles are incredibly popular because kids love the excitement of not knowing what they’ll get.”
Plush picks
Plush is a staple with kids, and museum retailers find that relevant plushies resonate with kids and parents alike.
Wild Republic plush snakes always catch customers’ eyes at the Nevada Discovery Museum for their bright patterns and textures. Howard says she’s also a big fan of Douglas for their variety of plush and Nature Planet for their cute Paleozoic stuffies.
Aerospace-themed plushies stand out at Seattle’s Museum of Flight gift shop. Manager of Retail Strategy Mary Christensen says kids and parents enjoy adorable Celestial Buddies plush characters that personify celestial objects in the solar system. Soft Stuff Creations’ line of airplane plush also appeal to kids. And since Snoopy has been a mascot for NASA since the Apollo program, Christensen says the store features a variety of Snoopy toys and plush from Aurora.
“So many people are hooking their small plush onto backpacks and purses,” Christensen says. “They’re a great way to be expressive in a way that’s not just a T-shirt or jewelry.”
Laughing and learning
Lately, STEM-focused toys have been a hit, too. Museum retailers have noticed that parents love buying STEM toys and kits for their kids, especially if they’re screen free.
Burritt stocks a whole wall with science kits at Echo’s store, which is a win with the parents.
“Parents are always looking for things that keep kids off screen time,” she says.
STEM toys and kits win over parents and kids at Nevada Discovery Museum’s gift shop.
Echo carries a variety of Melissa and Doug toys to appeal to younger kids. For older kids, the store has several Smithsonian-branded kits focused on rocks and gemstones or volcanos. Burritt says she has also started to carry a new kit she found at Toy Fair from Thames and Kosmos that invites kids to build a pinball machine or robotic arm.
Screen-free toys are also popular at the Museum of Flight. Christensen says Hot Wings are always great sellers for her store.
“They have a huge selection of aircraft and added play value with a section of runway to build your own airport as you collect the planes,” she says.
Families are also looking for toys and games they can play with their kids. “STEM games, brain teasers and fast-paced family games continue to be favorites because they combine learning with laughter,” says Meza.
Tips for toys
Museum retailers say that it’s important to make sure their stores are inviting to families and that their toys are strategically merchandised.
Christensen says having a more open store layout encourages families to walk around and shop the Museum of Flight store more easily.
To keep kids occupied and test out some toys, Burritt says she always has some toy demo stations in the store.
“If you have capacity in your store, include spaces that kids can play in with demo items,” she says. “If I have a new item and I’m not sure how it’s going to do, I order demo items and have one open so kids can play and explore. I really don’t think there’s a downside to demos aside from finding the space for it. Always make those when you can.”
