Editors' Picks
Mom's A-Team
for Kids' Gifts
By Tina Eshleman
Associate Editor
Seven years ago, I had no clue how much my family's social scorecard would center on my daughter's activities. She started getting birthday-party invitations in preschool, and they've kept coming. Luckily, there are some top players who help us keep from striking out on gifts.
The Toy Center
5811 Patterson Ave., 288-4476
This is a good place for old-fashioned, non-electronic playthings. Magic cookie-making kits, dress-up accessories and games have been among our finds here.
World of Mirth
3005 W. Cary St., 353-8991
Continuing the tradition started by founder Kathryn Harvey, staffers at this quirky shop are friendly and ready to point us to the right shelf for finding things like glow-in-the-dark dinosaur bones, poetry-writing paper dolls or a bouncy-ball-making kit. Plus, my daughter loves to zip around in a PlasmaCar while we look.
Buttons & Bows
1532 N. Parham Road, 285-0482
Staffers give great suggestions, and they have even called around to competitors' shops to help us find something.
Readers' Picks
Best Little-League
Baseball ProgramTuckahoe
360-4121
Founded in 1958, Tuckahoe is one of the largest leagues on the East Coast, with 1,650 youngsters on 130 teams each season. Vol-unteer league president
Devon Corrigan (pictured at center) is especially proud of its Challenger Division, established in the 1980s for children with physical/developmental disabilities. Plans are in the works for a new Challenger field at Tuckahoe Sports Park, owned by Henrico County. "It's such a feel-good place on a beautiful spring night," Corrigan says.
2. Huguenot, 323-6357
3. (Tie) Atlee, 730-0327; Glen Allen, 527-3510
Best Place to Buy Maternity Clothes
It's Hip to be Round
3463 W. Cary St., 340-1700; West Broad Village (opening in August)
Pregnancy pants have come a long way since the Thanksgiving episode of Friends when Joey strapped on a pair for feasting. Kangaroo pouches are out, says It's Hip to be Round owner Anne Kennon; chic and pretty are in — plenty of tops and dresses with ruching to accommodate your growing belly, reversible dresses, and many tops with secret entrances that are perfect for late pregnancy and nursing. A bonus: "They function after you've had the baby."
2. Motherhood Maternity, motherhood.com
3. Posh Belly, 1350 Gaskins Road, 740-7674
Best Place to Buy a Baby Gift
Babies "R" Us
9004 W. Broad St., 747-4720; 13315 Rittenhouse Drive, 744-2595
From state-of-the-art baby monitors to deluxe strollers and wipe warmers — even a kit to make a cast of your pregnant belly — Babies "R" Us lives up to its name, offering just about everything baby-related one could ever imagine. The store has the largest baby registry in the country, with prices ranging from bargains to big bucks. Check out their natural and organic products, gift for dads, and baby shower favors, too. Online, BabiesRUs.com features tools and resources, such as buying guides, "to help first-time moms make informed decisions" about what's best for their baby, according to public-relations staffer Linda DeNotaris.
2. Buttons and Bows, 1532 N. Parham Road,
673-4528
3. Babystuff & Kids 2, 11759 W. Broad St., 364-2971
Best Family Pool
Granite Recreation Association
6432 Glyndon Lane, 272-6989
Friday-night concerts, a Web site dubbed Planet Granite and a 50th birthday all help to describe the hottest place to keep cool in South Side. Volunteer board president Nancy Rose says, "We have 400 single, dual or family memberships, and there's a waiting list. We are one of a few pools that actually allow members to take a one-season sabbatical at a lower fee so they don't lose their spot, but you can only do it once."
2. YMCA, ymcarichmond.org
3. Robious Sports and Fitness, 10800 Center View Drive, 330-2222
Best Kid-Friendly Nonchain Restaurant
Joe's Inn
205 N. Shields Ave., 355-2282; 2626 Buford Road, 320-9700
Joe's Inn caters to kids. The restaurants have an ample supply of booster and high chairs; every child gets paper and a small pack of crayons; kid-friendly cups with lids and straws are available; and the wait staff is trained to put in children's orders first, since it usually takes them longer to finish. There's even a changing table in the restrooms. "We just like kids," says Fan restaurant manager Katie Price.
2. The Home Team Grill, hometeamgrill.com
3. O'Toole's, 4800 Forest Hill Ave., 233-1781
Best Kids' Gym
Romp n' Roll
Visit rompnroll.com for locations.
In five years, Michael and Babz Barnett's company has gone from one Richmond location to 10 on the East Coast. At the three Richmond sites alone, approximately 1,500 children visit each week for classes, parties and other special events. "It has been incredibly rewarding watching the children grow through the years … taking with them core strength, confidence and creativity," Babz says.
2. The Little Gym, 8300 Staples Mill Road, 266-7700; 13558 Waterford Place, Midlothian, 744-8777; 2292 John Rolfe Pkwy., 360-5437; 7500 Jackson Arch Road, Suite G, Mechanicsville, 559-4774
3. River City Youth Fitness, 48 Plaza Drive, Manakin-Sabot, 784-1990
Best Dance Classes for Kids
School of Richmond Ballet
407 E. Canal St., 344-0902
"The School of Richmond Ballet is not just for someone who wants to be a professional dancer. We have a full range of programs for those who want to see what dance is about," says director Judy Jacob. Studios nearby teem with professional dancers and staff, and light-filled performance spaces offer jaw-dropping views of the James. Students range from children as young as 3 to teens and adults exploring jazz, modern dance and ballet.
2. Jessica Morgan School of Dance, 6915 Chital Drive, Midlothian, 739-7600; 2021-C Huguenot Road, 272-2108
3. (Tie) Regency Dance, 8968 Quioccasin Road, 740-4966; Village Dance, 7027 Three Chopt Road, 288-7735
Best Educational Toys
Toys That Teach
1342 Gaskins Road, 741-5611; 3038 Stony Point Road, 272-2391
Back in July 1985, Debbie Smith opened her first store in Stony Point Shopping Center. "At that time, you had toy departments at the holidays at Sears and Penney's, and you could order through the mail. I thought there should be some available locally year-round." Smith always advises customers to stay age-appropriate when choosing gifts. "Just because a child sings the alphabet song doesn't mean he or she knows the ABCs."
2. World of Mirth, 3005 W. Cary St., 353-8991
3. Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 W. Broad St., 864-1400
Best Nonchain Place for a Birthday Party
Romp n' Roll
For locations, visit rompnroll.com.
Yes, they've started to franchise outside Richmond, but the business was born here, so we cut them some slack. If you are throwing a party for your little ones, smart money says you won't really get a chance to enjoy it. With Romp n' Roll instructors leading partygoers through age-appropriate activities, parents do enjoy themselves, says owner Babz Barnett. "You bring the cake, you can greet the guests, but you don't have to worry and you don't have to clean the house."
2. (Tie) Maymont, 1700 Hampton St., 358-7166; Richmond SPCA, 2519 Hermitage Rd., 521-1327
3. Children's Museum of Richmond, 2626 W. Broad St., 474-7000
Best Park for Families
Maymont
1700 Hampton St., 358-7166
Kate Jerrell, Maymont's manager of environmental education, has a pretty cool job: If it involves critters mingling with people, she's there — from programs where toddlers get to meet a baby goat to leading night bat searches (Aug. 21 this year) through the park with families. "One of my personal favorites," Jerrell says. The bats "leave a big impression on adults."
2. Deep Run Park, 9900 Ridgefield Parkway, 261-8230
3. (Tie) Crump Park, 3400 Mountain Road, 501-7275; Pocahontas State Park, 10301 State Park Road, Chesterfield, 796-4255
Best Art Classes for Kids
Romp n' Roll
Visit rompnroll.com for locations.
Themed art classes at Romp n' Roll — from princesses to pirates — capture the creative minds of its young clientele. "Kids get excited," says founder Babz Barnett. "There was a mom who thanked me and my staff up, down and sideways for fostering a love of art in her son through our superheroes class [because] he never responded to ‘art' in preschool."
2. (Tie) VMFA, 200 N. Boulevard, 340-1405; Visual Arts Center of Richmond, 1812 W. Main St., 353-0094
3. Children's Museum of Richmond, 2626 W. Broad St., 474-7000
Best Children's Clothes
GapKids/babyGap
Visit gap.com for locations.
Christy Durden, general manager at the Stony Point location, says her staff is "very knowledgeable about product features," from adjustable waistbands to reversible sunhats with built-in sun protection. Shopping is also "financially friendly," Durden says, with few items in the store over $29.
2. (Tie) Children's Place, childrensplace.com; CWD, 1338 Gaskins Road, 740-0192
3. Buttons and Bows, 1532 N. Parham Road, 673-4528
Best Children's Consignment Shop
Once Upon a Child
8030-F W. Broad St., 346-5552; 9770 Midlothian Turnpike, 272-2229
Mike Potestio lost his job with Best Products back in the mid-1990s when the company folded. So he took what he knew and looked for a retail business franchise. He found Once Upon a Child and opened his first location in 1997 and a second in 2000. The stores accept clothing as well as toys and accessories. "Talk about recycling," Potestio says. "We offer customers money on the spot after items are thoroughly inspected."
2. (Tie) The Hall Tree, 12 S. Thompson St., 358-9985; Kid to Kid, 10953 W. Broad St., 290-0441, and 4800 Commonwealth Centre Parkway, Midlothian, 763-0708
