Time for more Holiday Shopping Guide. It’s every kids’ favorite topic: Toys and games!

Leapin’ Lizards

The downtown toy store that specializes in non-mass-produced fare: all their toys and games are engaging, educational, unusual, active, goofy, and any and all combinations of those. My own kids love this place. No, they’re not the cheapest, but then you don’t necessarily want your toys to be cheap, either. And they gift wrap for free.

953 NW Wall St.
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 382-8326

D’s Hobbies

Simply the best—and I think the only—full service hobby and model shop in town. Radio control, models of all kinds, rocket kits, model train gear, they carry simply everything. The paltry model section of the big stores? Forget it; D’s goes way, way beyond them.

926 NW Greenwood Ave.
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 389-1330

Gambit Games

Bend’s one and only gaming store; they have a huge variety of board and card games (many of which you haven’t heard of), and are your source for role-playing game supplies. Plus, they hold weekly role-playing tournaments (with miniatures and everything), and even have a couple of poker tables for Texas Hold’em.

(A rumor going around has it that Gambit is actually closing its doors soon, and everything is on sale. I’ll follow up on this with a separate post.)

815 NW Wall St.
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 330-8196

Boomtown

Although they’re known primarily for music, Boomtown also has an extensive section of unusual toys and gag gifts. Punching puppets, Accoutrements action figures, metal lunchboxes, disco ball keychains… lots of fun, and a lot of good things for stocking stuffers.

910 NW Harriman St
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 388-1800

Pegasus Books

Yes, I mentioned Pegasus previously, but they stand out as a toy store, too—comics, sci-fi and fantasy themed toys. Which means a lot of action figures, and a good amount of McFarlane toys.

105 NW Minnesota Ave.
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 388-4588