Earlier tonight Scott, Craig, and I took a trip down to Scott’s Barnes & Nobles so he could get something he put on hold. While we were there he showed off all the hubbub regarding the changeover and the new stock and layout for his store. I have to admit that I was very pleasantly surprised by what I saw!
The new changeover made room for many new rows of games, as well as a really impressive new section devoted to education. There were many really awesome and very affordable surprises laying in wait for me amongst these aisles. Chemistry sets, Lego, and even working mechanical learning sets were arranged in a very smart way. As you progress through the aisles you see how it goes from items for teenagers down to grade school age kids and then all the way to toddlers and infants. There is literally an educational game, toy, or kit for every age and many pursuits. I found myself loving being there, looking at all the things arrayed on the walls, thinking “If FAO Shwartz was purely for education, this would be it.” The arrangement of the aisles and all the new things that B&N is carrying now is absolutely stunning.
If you have kids, or know someone who has kids, you owe it to yourself to pay the B&N in Portage, MI a visit. The most expensive kits are $20-$30 and look awesome and quite fun to try out. I myself saw a cute Triops Kit for $14! B&N is planning a special unveiling to the local educators this coming Saturday but I think that all the parents and all the people who care about education in my friends circle and who may read this post really should swallow your irritation and drive down Westnedge Ave and get to the B&N in Portage and see for yourselves all the new things that B&N is carrying. If I had a spare $100 there are many kits I would love to play with, and I’m an old fuddy-duddy! I have to really congratulate Scott as he’s responsible for a lot of the design and organization of the sections and he did a truly masterful job of it, everything is ordered with care and it’s such a wonderful feeling thing. The most charming things that B&N now carries is this series of stuffed animals that serve as security objects / sleep facilitators for very young children. A soft little sheep that has a smooth plastic insert that plays ocean sounds or running water sounds, just like Scott’s noisemaker that helps him sleep at night, seeing them in their clear plastic boxes kind of makes you go “Awwwww” and smile softly. If you are facing a young child’s birthday without anything, you have to go to B&N, you will find something there.
The only thing I was surprised they didn’t have were Radiometers and Gyroscopes, but compared to the depth and breadth of what they do offer, their absence is easily overlooked. If I can put aside a little bit of money I have my eyes on a few games that I’d love to get for entertainment around here, as well as the “Hydrogen-Powered Car” kit and the Triops Kit, a cheap way to give something like the delightful ecosphere another shot without the huge expense.