AVON — Rose knows toys.

Rose Wiegand of Vermilion had spent 25 years in the toy business and always harbored a dream of owning her own store.

So when the opportunity arose last year, she wasn’t going to let a recession get in the way of making her dream a reality.

She and her husband, Michael, bought what had been a PLAYmatters store in Avon Commons and, on Jan. 1, OK, Let’s Play! came into being.

More photos below.

“It was a tough time to do this,” Wiegand said. “But I felt like things would turn around. And even when times are tough, parents will still buy for their children, even if it means going without something themselves.”

Wiegand started her toy career 25 years ago at Hobby Center Toys at Midway Mall and later went on to become a buyer for Once Upon a Time in Rocky River. For the last two years, she served as a recruiter for LifeShare Community Blood Services.

Then a friend, Michael Ziegenhagen, offered her a chance to buy his PLAYmatters store. She took over in November and ran it for two months before unveiling OK, Let’s Play!

The name of the store, she said, came from something she and her husband often say to their five grandchildren.

The store offers toys designed to inspire creativity, curiosity and activity. There are toys for children from infants up to tweens.

“Play is such an important part of a child’s life,” Wiegand said. “It’s how they learn and develop.”

What OK, Let’s Play! offers, Wiegand said, is an alternative to passive video games that exercise thumbs but not the imagination.

“We’re going to have a generation of adults who can’t think or invent unless we nurture their creativity now,” she said.

To that end, there are a lot of arts-and-craft-related items, from easels to potholders to mosaics to jewelry. Many items come from Cleveland-based Creativity For Kids. The store also hosts regular craft events on weekends in its activity area, which is also available for birthday parties.

A child’s curiosity can be sparked through science toys such as solar-powered robots and worm farms, Wiegand said. And role-playing is a key part of creative and emotional development,. To that end, there are dolls, puppets and toy kitchens with accessories such as toy food and cooking utensils.

There’s even a wooden cupcake set with which kids can put different-colored wooden “icing” on cupcakes and decorate them with washable markers. There are also toy forts, cars and pirate ships for children to create their own worlds with their imaginations.

Family interaction is encouraged at the store, with an area featuring puzzles and games.

“Kids absolutely love board games,” Wiegand said.

One section of the store is devoted to music, with toy guitars, harmonicas and melody harps. And a nearby shelving unit features supplies for magic tricks, which have become popular thanks to Harry Potter.

“Learning and performing magic is great for giving kids confidence,” Wiegand said.

She’s also adding a stand for books, which will include classic children’s titles such as “Where The Sidewalk Ends” and “Goodnight, Moon,” as well as newer favorites including “Diary of a Worm” and the “Flat Stanley” series.

Wiegand said that shopping for toys at her store is an experience that is a far cry from going to a big-box store, and not just because of the merchandise available. Instead of seemingly endless tall stacks of boxes, the cozy shelves are less overwhelming, she said, and there is free gift-wrapping.

“We have a lot of items out of the box, so parents can see what their child gravitates to and get hands-on,” she said.
And someone is always available to answer questions.

“People come here for our knowledge,” she said. “We can tell them what’s good for the child’s age and interest.”

Prices range from 49 cents for a spinning top to $200 for a toy castle. And while the store offers many newer products, there are also classics such as mood rings and Silly Putty.

“All our toys are quality toys that teach through play,” Wiegand said.

Contact Melissa Hebert at 329-7129 or mhebert@chroniclet.com.

CT photos by Chuck Humel.

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