Five Little Monkeys

I have been a fan for a few years, this is really a wonderful quality toy store. They have toys you will not find at a big box store and are choosy about what gets put on their shelves.
I love that they carry educational toys, green toys, Bruder, books, pogo sticks and so much more. I always end up finding something cool for the kids here. The staff will do free gift wrapping and are fast and always helpful. they are great at recommending ideas for kids you aren’t too sure about buying for, they know the products well.
I was shopping before the Christmas holiday and looked around and for the first time there were no kids in the store, it was all adults. I thought that was really funny.

This is the worst toy store ever, because clearly children are clearly not welcomed. My son and his friend were accused of stealing, asked to turn out their pockets to prove they had not stolen (they had not) and were completely humiliated. When I called the store and the corporate office they were dismissive. They said «oh well it happens» and «we hope it doesn’t happen again».
Do not shop here, their overpriced junk is not worth the aggravation.

Great toy store, very helpful staff and excellent gift wrapping. Pretty good selection for such a small store.

Located on Grant Avenue in Downtown Novato! Cutest little toy store ever. Love to support local businesses like this. They gift wrap your purchase at no extra charge. Stop in to buy a gift here for some lucky little child. Lots of selection for such a small store.

Omg so fun so cute stoped in today to buy my niece a bday gift. found so many cool toys i loved as a kid, i felt like a kid again in there… lol love love love this place but it is seriously over priced!

We have been going to Five Little Monkeys since they opened. Always a terrific selection for all kinds of kids. I can spend 10 minutes or an entire hour getting presents.
Four stars instead of five because their prices can be higher than Amazon. But you can get everything gift wrapped here!

It turned out that my friend’s son is actually 23 months old, not 11. FML.
But he loved the toy and played with it graciously. His mother loved the brand, too.
Thank goodness my friend is preggers with baby #2 so this toy will be handed down to him/​her. o_​O I am still dying of embarrassment.

GREAT independent toy store!
I shop for toys a lot with a 5 year old and was very impressed by 5 Little Monkeys in Novato’s Old town (Grant Avenue)! There are several smaller toy stores in Marin and Sonoma (small chains & single store), but, in my experience 5 Little Monkeys is the best. LOTS of toys, well organized, name brands as well as smaller producers, great pricing, good staff… what more could you want? Oh yeah, easy parking. Highly recommend.

This is what I just posted on my social media… I thought Five Little Monkey’s would appreciate it.
So, a few day’s ago my wife, grandson and I went out to brunch in Novato and after brunch we decided to go look at the little local toy shop in Novato. We all had fun watching our Grandson looking at all of the toys and trains. He really liked the trains. Being an awesome Grandma, I decided to look at Train Starter Kit’s. I found one that looked like a good choice (wooden train set) and saw that it was $ 89.00! My chin hit the ground.
We decided to take our Grandson to Toys R Us to look at their trains. When we got to the store I B-​Lined directly to the train sets and was completely shocked to see that the same exact train set was ON SALE for $ 104.00 with a «savings of $ 35.00! So it’s regular price would have been $ 139.00. I went to go see how much elbow and knee pads would be for Landon. $ 27.00… and on Amazon it was $ 12.92,
WOW, really… I’ve always thought that you can get decent deals, and get fair prices on everything at Toy’s R Us.
I decided to pull up my Amazon app and compare prices to some other things that I have bought for my grandson… and low and behold… Amazon was selling the train set for $ 79.00.
Toy’s R Us was outrageously over priced. I later went to Target and found the same train set … it’ was $ 99.00. Target’s elbow and knee set was 14.00.
So, that’s my RANT. I’m not going to Toy’s R Us ever again… other than to let Landon run around. I’ll shop at Target or Amazon.(I buy everything on Amazon, by the way!)
Be forewarned Toy’s R Us Christmas shoppers!
By the way, the name of the adorable and reasonably priced toy store is Five Little Monkey’s. Here’s their website. Super cute stuff…

I feel lucky to have such a great toy store. They have a lot of wood toys, baby dolls and dollhouses, play kitchen stuff, dinosaur items, art supplies, lots of Lego and Duplo options, toy cars, Bruder trucks, horse toys, gardening toys, dress up clothes, fairy items, board games, puzzles, birthday cards, sport toys (jump ropes, frisbee, nerf, balls), party favors, toy musical instruments, and more. Go local!
I used to assume that they were really expensive before going in, but after shopping there, I found that they are often the same price as other toy stores. They may be a couple dollars more than Amazon, but I often find they are the same price on many items. I gladly pay an extra couple dollars to support a local toy store.
It is really great for buying gifts because if the person doesn’t like the gift or really wanted something else, they can take to the store to exchange it for something else without any problem. They definitely can’t do that when you purchase online.
There is a train table and marble track in the back to help keep the kids out of the toys for purchase.

After some additional visits for a variety of reasons I am prompted to change my rating from one star to three and explain a little about my personal feeling about not supporting this business again to going back to the store and taking the time to update my review as a result of what happened both in and out of the store.
First, a new star because they are a «local toy store» which is evident in not just the address but in the variety of ways they support/​give back to the community and clientele they serve by advertising in places like «Parent ‘s Press» and participating in numerous «kid-​centric» events (trick or treating, school fundraisers, etc)
I think their «community» involvement should be commended as they are a local business that supports local and walks the talk of the «local» shop.
I am adding a second star for their undeniable reputation amongst kids as «the place» to go for «great gifts and new toys».
I still find service hit or miss. I understand sales people and the bottom line. However, I think somewhere in the equation of both the bottom line and sales either as an individual or a store that a consistent smile and a genuine sense of zealous for customer service is imperative to any business or person hitting the mark on sales and the reason most people enter business… make money and hopefully enjoy what they do and become really good at it.
I would suggest some added employee product training around a number of areas but developmental and educational needs are hot buttons for me and how their store and inventory can meet the needs of anything you might want from something «fun» to something «fun and …» Say educational.
So, for the first few items I mentioned in the beginning of this long review I am adding a few stars and will see how it goes when I stop in on my way to run errands in the next week. Maybe a smile and some rapport building and a new review as I want to see the local businesses do well.

Little pricey but so much fun! You go in and it is very difficult to walk out without spending a bit of money. There is a very wide variety for all ages. Each time I have gone in I have been met with very nice, polite associates. It is also nice to support the downtown businesses.

I love all their stores. I buy all my gifts from here and I always get great service! My grandson loves this place I love that their toys are more on the learning creative side not typical toys r us stuff.

The store itself was ok (very cluttered) but the customer service and experience was poor. There were two employees and I was the only customer in the store. Nobody said hi or asked if I needed help. I stood at the register to make a purchase for over 5 minutes before the employee came over and rudely said, «are you ready to check out?» She was very unfriendly and acted annoyed to be there. I wouldn’t go back, just based on the customer service.

I love this toy store ! They carry wonderful and quality toys. The staff is always friendly and never pushy. My children and I have shopped here for years and will continue to.

This place is really cute. Yes, it’s super pricey, but I always find something unique and adorable when I’m looking for a gift. The staff are friendly and they are nice to the kids, which seems obvious, but too often isn’t the case in higher end places like this.

LOVE this place! Every time that I come here, I am greeted warmly by extremely helpful staff! They respect your space if you say that you do not need help, but are extremely helpful if you do need help!
BEST place for toys! Green toys, and toys are all ages. I love that its not just the mainstream Disney & Barbie toys. Awesome variety, plus great books!
It is a bit expensive, but its all quality toys! Well worth the money to have toys that last!

We had Christmas shopping to do so we headed down to 5 little Monkeys! We walked in and the store was full of the most fantastic gifts! They have such unique and specialty toys! They greeted us when we walked in and even demonstrated a toy to my husband. I had a few things in my hand and one of the employees asked me if she could hold them for me. When we went to pay for everything they asked to giftwrap it for me and I asked how much, they said FREE! I about fell over! Of course I want you to wrap it. they even whited out the price tag!!!
I love this store, they had some items that were made by someone here in Novato. If you have any shopping to do for the little ones, it is the only place to go!

WONDERFUL Independent Toy Store!
I happened to be in Old town Novato recently and stumbled upon a magical toy store. Though fairly small, 5 Little Monkeys is well stocked and well organized. Many fun toys from smaller manufacturers mingle with larger brands such as Playmobil, Thomas the Train & Lego. Workers were courteous and efficient (bad reviews from before do not apply now). Free wrapping and advice on gifts were a bonus.
My favorite toy store in Marin!

This is what a toy store should be. If you live anywhere in Marin County, it’s worth the trip to Novato to shop at Five Little Monkeys. This place is a cut above.
Located in the heart of Novato’s adorable downtown district, Five Little Monkeys offers plenty of free parking near the store. The shop is filled with all manner of special and carefully selected toys. There is a baby section up front, with lovely stuffed animals, rattles, bibs and developmental toys. I’ve purchased several gifts for new mothers here and always find things that are sweet and special.
We normally make a beeline to the back of the store, where the trains are located. My little guy is obsessed with trains, and the big section devoted to Thomas is a huge hit with him. There’s a large train table decked out with tons of track and trains, and children can play to their heart’s content. Getting my son out of here is the hard part. He never wants to leave. Prices are very reasonable. About the same as you’d pay on Amazon for Thomas trains.
Near the trains, there is also large collection of books. Five Little Monkeys stocks an impressive amount of books, from paperbacks to gift-​worthy illustrated hardcovers. There is also a large art section, with easels, paper, paints, sticker books and everything your little artist could want. There’s a costume section, a ton of Legos, several lovely wooden play kitchens with accessories and a bunch of beautiful dolls and stuffed toys. The store has taken care to stock really nice things, not a lot of junky toys, and so you’ll find plenty of Melissa & Doug and reputable names on the toys.
The other wonderful thing about Five Little Monkeys is the service. The people who work here are unfailingly nice and helpful. I was once here when a woman came in needing a birthday present for a toddler, and I watched as the saleslady spent about 20 minutes personally taking her around the store, pointing out options, asking questions about the birthday girl, going through the pros and cons of various brands. You just don’t get personal service like this at most places, but at Five Little Monkeys, you do. This place is a treasure.