Unearth The Voyage
There is a toy store in Montclair, New Jersey, that people drive from neighboring towns just to visit, and once you know what is inside, the reason becomes very clear. It is not a big-box chain with fluorescent lighting and rows of identical plastic packaging.
This place has a carefully chosen collection of toys, games, crafts, and gifts that you simply cannot find at the average retailer. The staff knows every product on the shelves, the holiday displays stop people in their tracks, and the whole experience feels more like a treasure hunt than a shopping trip.
Whether you are picking up a last-minute birthday gift or looking for something truly special for a child in your life, this Montclair gem delivers every single time. Keep reading to find out exactly what makes this toy store one of the most talked-about spots in all of New Jersey.
Where the Magic Begins: Address and Location
Right on one of Montclair’s most lively commercial corridors sits a toy store that has earned a reputation far beyond its zip code. Just Kidding Around is located at 507 Bloomfield Ave, Montclair, NJ 07042, and the address alone tells you something about the neighborhood.
Bloomfield Avenue is lined with local businesses, restaurants, and boutiques, making it one of the most walkable and community-driven streets in Essex County. The store fits right into that character, offering something independent retailers rarely manage to pull off: a curated, thoughtful shopping experience that feels personal from the moment you arrive.
Parking is available in the area, and the store is accessible from several surrounding towns, making it a convenient stop for families throughout northern New Jersey. The neighborhood has a strong local identity, and Just Kidding Around has become one of its most beloved fixtures, drawing repeat customers year after year with a consistency that speaks for itself.
The Story Behind the Store
Not every toy store earns the title of community institution, but Just Kidding Around has done exactly that over the years. The store is woman-owned, which is something longtime customers often mention with genuine pride, and that ownership philosophy shows in how the business is run.
Every product on the shelves feels like it was chosen with intention rather than just restocked from a catalog. The team behind the store has built a selection that balances classic toys with newer options, educational products with pure fun, and budget-friendly picks with premium gifts.
That kind of curation takes real knowledge of what children actually enjoy, and it is clear that the people running Just Kidding Around have spent years developing exactly that expertise. The store has grown into something that transcends retail, functioning more like a neighborhood resource for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and anyone else searching for the right gift for the right child.
A Selection That Covers Every Age Group
One of the biggest challenges when shopping for children is finding something age-appropriate that also feels genuinely exciting. Just Kidding Around solves that problem with a range that stretches from infant toys all the way through teen-friendly options and even adult games and puzzles.
Baby toys with an educational focus sit alongside science kits, art supplies, puppets, cooking sets, and outdoor play equipment. Board games for family game nights are stocked in solid variety, and the recommendations from staff consistently lead families to titles that actually get played more than once.
The store also carries workbooks and screen-free activity sets, which makes it a go-to destination for parents looking for travel-friendly entertainment that does not involve a screen. Finding everything on a diverse wish list in a single visit is genuinely possible here, and that kind of one-stop reliability keeps families returning to Bloomfield Avenue long after the first discovery.
The Jellycat Connection
Ask any parent of a Jellycat fan about Just Kidding Around and watch their eyes light up. The store carries a strong selection of Jellycat products, which are the plush stuffed animals that have developed a devoted following among children and adults alike over the past several years.
Jellycat has become something of a cultural moment, with teenagers and young adults collecting the soft toys right alongside toddlers, and Just Kidding Around has kept pace with that demand. Families have made special trips to the store specifically for the Jellycat section and walked away thoroughly satisfied with both the selection and the overall experience.
For anyone who has tried to track down a specific Jellycat character at a big-box store only to find empty shelves, the depth of inventory at Just Kidding Around is a welcome change. The store treats the brand with the same care it applies to everything else, keeping the display fresh and well-stocked throughout the year.
Shopping Online Has Never Been Easier
Not everyone can make it to Bloomfield Avenue in person, and Just Kidding Around has addressed that reality with a website that is genuinely useful rather than just decorative. The online store at jkatoys.com allows shoppers to browse the inventory and filter products by age group, which is one of the most practical tools a gift-buyer could ask for.
Knowing a child is turning four does not always translate into knowing what a four-year-old actually wants, and the age-sorting feature bridges that gap efficiently. The site reflects the same curated approach as the physical store, meaning the products listed online have been chosen with the same care as those on the shelves.
For customers who live outside the Montclair area or who simply prefer the convenience of online shopping, the website extends the Just Kidding Around experience beyond the walls of the store. The option to call in for personalized recommendations adds another layer of accessibility that most online retailers cannot replicate.
The Holiday Experience Is Something Else
During the holiday season, Just Kidding Around takes on an entirely different energy. The store has been known to set up a Christmas village display that draws attention from passersby and becomes a destination in its own right for families in the Montclair area.
The display is detailed enough to stop people in their tracks, and it adds a layer of seasonal magic to what is already a well-loved shopping destination. Combined with the gift wrapping service and the knowledgeable staff ready to help with holiday lists, the store becomes one of the most efficient and enjoyable places to handle holiday shopping in the entire region.
For families with children, a visit to Just Kidding Around during December doubles as both a practical errand and a genuinely festive outing. The store leans into the season with full commitment, and the result is a holiday shopping environment that feels nothing like the crowded, impersonal experience of a large retail chain.
Screen-Free Fun for Every Occasion
In an era when screens compete for every spare moment of a child’s attention, finding quality screen-free entertainment has become a genuine priority for many parents. Just Kidding Around has positioned itself as a reliable source for exactly that kind of product, stocking a solid range of workbooks, art supplies, science kits, and hands-on activity sets.
These products serve multiple purposes: they keep children engaged on long trips, provide structured creative time at home, and offer an alternative to passive screen consumption that parents actually feel good about. The store’s selection of screen-free travel activities has been particularly appreciated by parents preparing for flights or long car rides.
The fact that a single store can cover everything from a toddler’s first puzzle to a pre-teen’s science experiment kit speaks to the depth of the buying decisions made by the Just Kidding Around team. Play that builds skills and keeps hands busy is clearly a priority in how the shelves are stocked.
Toys You Will Not Find at Big-Box Stores
Walk into any large chain toy retailer and the selection starts to look the same after a while: the same licensed characters, the same popular brands, the same rows of plastic packaging. Just Kidding Around operates on a fundamentally different logic, stocking items that require actual research and taste to find.
Puppets, real cooking sets for children, yo-yos, stomp rockets, jacks, costumes, and carefully selected books are among the kinds of products that line the shelves here. These are toys that encourage active, imaginative, and physical play rather than passive consumption, and they represent a category of childhood experience that is easy to overlook in a world of batteries and screens.
Customers frequently mention discovering products they had never seen before and leaving with gifts that turned out to be far more popular with the recipient than anything they could have found at a mainstream retailer. That element of discovery is a big part of what keeps people coming back.
Hours, Visits, and What to Expect
Planning a visit to Just Kidding Around requires a quick check of the schedule, since the store keeps focused hours rather than staying open seven days a week. Tuesday through Friday, the doors are open from 11 AM to 6 PM, while Saturday hours extend slightly to 10 AM through 7 PM, making it the best day for families who want a little extra time to browse.
The store is closed on Sundays and Mondays, so weekday visits work best for those with flexible schedules, while Saturday remains the prime option for working parents and weekend shoppers. Arriving with a general idea of what age group you are shopping for helps, but the staff is equally prepared to assist those who show up with no idea where to start.
The atmosphere inside is relaxed and browsable rather than rushed, which means a visit rarely feels like a quick errand. Most people end up spending more time than they planned, and that is rarely a complaint.
Why This Store Has Become a Montclair Institution
Some businesses become fixtures in a community not because they are the biggest or the loudest, but because they consistently get the details right. Just Kidding Around has earned its place on Bloomfield Avenue through years of thoughtful curation, genuine customer care, and a commitment to the kind of play that actually enriches childhood.
The store has helped families through ordinary Tuesdays and extraordinary holiday seasons alike, adapting to changing needs without losing the core identity that made it special in the first place. It has become the kind of place that grandparents recommend to their children and parents recommend to their friends, building a web of loyalty that no marketing campaign could manufacture.
For anyone in New Jersey who has not yet made the trip to Montclair, the store at 507 Bloomfield Ave is worth the drive. It is a reminder that the best shopping experiences are not about scale or convenience alone, but about the care that goes into every single shelf.
