Amsterdam’s toy shops are small, independent and spread across five or six pockets of the city, so the useful question is not which is best but which is nearest to where you already are.
This guide lists them by area with the street number, what each one actually stocks, and the ones worth a tram ride.
If you are filling a family day around the shopping, the best playgrounds in Amsterdam and the interactive children’s museums are covered separately.
Centrum: Haarlemmerdijk, the Jordaan and the Nine Streets
The densest cluster is in and around the Jordaan, close enough together to cover three shops on foot in under half an hour.
Hebbes in Speelgoed at Haarlemmerdijk 18 carries wooden toys, Sylvanian Families, puzzles and children’s books, with Brio, Djeco and Nijntje among the brands, and it has a children’s hairdresser on the premises by appointment.
Kleine Eland sits at Elandsgracht 58 and is the broadest of the Jordaan shops, covering wooden toys, dollhouse miniatures and model trains.
Mechanisch Speelgoed at Westerstraat 67 is the specialist: wind-up and mechanical toys, snow domes, finger puppets and masks, and very little that runs on batteries.
The Gamekeeper at Hartenstraat 14, in the Nine Streets, is the board-game shop, with more than a thousand titles and staff who will match a game to your group size.
A Space Oddity at Prinsengracht 204 deals in film and television collectibles rather than toys for playing with, from Star Wars figures to Gundam model kits.
Gone with the Wind at Vijzelstraat 22H, around the corner from the Bloemenmarkt, is the one for mobiles, marble runs, construction sets and puzzles, stocking Djeco, Kapla and Brio.
Tinkerbell has left its long-standing Spiegelgracht shop and says it will reopen on the Zieseniskade nearby, so check it is trading before you make the trip.
West: Bilderdijkstraat and Overtoom
Wijs West at Bilderdijkstraat 62 is a children’s concept store with a café attached, so it works if you need somewhere to sit with a toddler mid-shop.
Alongside the toys it carries children’s clothing, picture books and gifts, and it opens seven days a week.
Goochem, on two floors at 1e Constantijn Huygensstraat 80 near the Overtoom, is where to go for Steiff, HABA and Kapla.
Buying Steiff here rather than importing it also means you can check the piece in person before paying for it.
Zuid and the Rivierenbuurt
De Winkel van Nijntje at Scheldestraat 61 is the official Miffy shop, stocking plush, picture books, tableware and nursery pieces, and it is directly beside the tram 4 stop of the same name.
There is a second Miffy shop on Nieuwe Spiegelstraat if you are closer to the Rijksmuseum.
De Zaailing at Ruysdaelstraat 21-23 is the anthroposophic shop: Plan Toys, Selecta, Steiner-style dolls, felting kits and craft materials in natural fibres.
It also sells children’s and adults’ clothing in the same natural materials, which is unusual for a toy shop.
Imagine at Amstelveenseweg 131 arranges its stock by age, which saves guessing, and has a children’s hairdresser inside.
Friends & Foes at Roelof Hartstraat 80 is the second serious games shop in the city and is closed on Mondays.
Cedille at Gelderlandplein 67 leans towards wooden and educational toys and sits inside the shopping centre, so it is the easy option if you are already in Buitenveldert.
Chains And Department Stores
Intertoys runs the largest dedicated toy shops in the city, with a central branch on Kalverstraat, and it is the reliable stop for Lego, Playmobil and Barbie sorted by age band.
De Bijenkorf on Dam Square carries a smaller but more expensive selection, including Janod, Brio, EverEarth, Nijntje, Lego and Ravensburger.
HEMA branches are everywhere and stock their own budget wooden and plastic toys plus craft supplies, which covers the under-ten-euro present.
The NEMO Science Museum shop on Oosterdok is not a toy shop but carries experiment kits, STEM sets and science books for older children, and you can visit it without a museum ticket.
More family options are collected in the Amsterdam museums and attractions listings.
Choosing By Age
For babies and under-twos, Imagine on Amstelveenseweg is the shortcut because everything is already sorted by age.
For three to five, the wooden construction toys and ride-ons at Goochem and Gone with the Wind cover most of what that age wants.
From six upwards the board-game shops take over: The Gamekeeper in the centre, Friends & Foes in Oud-Zuid.
Teenagers are better served by A Space Oddity for collectibles and the NEMO shop for anything science-led.
If you are keeping an eye on the cost of living in Amsterdam, HEMA and Intertoys cover the everyday buying and the independents are worth saving for birthdays.
Return and exchange terms follow the same national rules as any other purchase, set out in consumer rights in the Netherlands.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best places to buy toys in Amsterdam?
For a considered gift, Gone with the Wind on Vijzelstraat, Kleine Eland on Elandsgracht and De Zaailing on Ruysdaelstraat are the three to try first.
For mainstream brands at short notice, Intertoys on Kalverstraat and De Bijenkorf on Dam Square are the safe options.
Which toy shops in Amsterdam have the widest selection for different age groups?
Intertoys carries the broadest range and shelves it by age band.
Among the independents, Imagine on Amstelveenseweg sorts its whole stock by age, and Cedille at Gelderlandplein covers toys, children’s furniture and dressing-up.
Where can I find the biggest toy store in Amsterdam?
Intertoys runs the largest dedicated toy shops in the city, including the Kalverstraat branch in the middle of the shopping district.
De Bijenkorf’s toy department is comparable in range but sits inside a department store rather than standing alone.
Are there specialty toy stores in Amsterdam for wooden, educational or STEM toys?
De Zaailing on Ruysdaelstraat is the wooden and Waldorf specialist, carrying Plan Toys, Selecta and natural craft materials, and Cedille at Gelderlandplein works the same territory in Buitenveldert.
Gone with the Wind concentrates on wooden construction toys and marble runs, and the NEMO shop covers experiment kits and science books.
Which Amsterdam toy shops sell board games?
The Gamekeeper at Hartenstraat 14 stocks more than a thousand games and is the main one.
Friends & Foes at Roelof Hartstraat 80 in Oud-Zuid is the other, and it does not open on Mondays.
Is Toys”R”Us still operating in the Netherlands?
No, the Dutch stores closed and there is no Amsterdam branch to visit.
Intertoys is the nearest equivalent for scale, and the independents listed above cover everything else.
