Covington toyshop owner promotes play for all ages with real-life Secret Garden, sidewalk rocket ship

By Jessalynne Scisco
NKyTribune feature writer

According to George Bernard Shaw, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

Sandi Stonebraker, owner of Stoney’s Village Toy Shop in Covington, has made it her mission to promote play to kids of all ages.

Stonebraker did not start out selling toys. Originally, her shop was a frame store. Slowly, she transitioned from selling the practical to the fanciful. The process began when she penned a princess-themed book, self-published it, and marketed it in the shop. 

“The book was popular, so I started carrying a few princess-y items, which sold well,” she explained. “Customers soon started asking for items suitable for boys. I invested more and more in toy inventory, and the rest is history.”

When it comes to toys, simpler is better 

When asked what her favorite thing about owning a toyshop is, Stonebraker answered enthusiastically and without hesitation, “The kids! I love the kids, and they truly adore the shop. They are clearly delighted when they walk through the doors, and it’s not because I carry any fancy gadgets. On the contrary, I have no inventory that is battery-operated or plastic. Still, kids will often go straight to the simplest, cheapest toys I carry and play with them as long as their parents will allow.”

Stonebraker challenged the idea that kids are impressed by high-tech toys, and said parents need not go broke to give a child a Christmas or birthday to remember.

“Children have no concept of cost,” she said. “They prefer things that are simple.” In her experience, the fewer bells and whistles a toy has, the more likely it is that kids will enjoy it. 

One of Stonebraker’s favorite toy lines carried in the shop is GoldieBlox. She was drawn to the GoldieBlox line because it was designed by two female engineers who wanted to give little girls the opportunity to try their hand at building things. Stonebraker also has a fondness for hand puppets.

“They are an investment that can last for years,” she explained. “A baby loves watching a parent tell a story with a hand puppet just as much as a six-year-old loves telling a story with a hand puppet. A hand puppet is a toy that grows with your child.” 

Stonebraker’s small, magical shop features sidewalk rocket ship, Secret Garden. 

“Whimsical” is the word that most accurately describes the look and feel of Stoney’s Village Toy Shop. The petite store consists of just three rooms. One houses toys for one-to-two year-olds, one for three-to-four-year-olds, and the last for children who are five and up.

But it is the outside of the shop that is especially unique. 

The first thing you’d probably notice about Stoney’s Village Toy Shop is the 15-foot rocket ship painted on the sidewalk. Stonebraker received a grant to have the rocket ship painted, which is designed for hopscotch, several years back.

“Trust me, any age will jump on it,” she laughed. “People want to have fun, and I’m always happy to see them taking a much-needed break for play on my sidewalk.”   

The hopscotch rocket ship isn’t the only fun feature of Stonebraker’s store. Behind the shop, customers will find a Secret Garden. It is very small, but wonderful things happen there, including children’s parties.

“I have an actress who dresses in full princess attire make a visit to the parties,” she exclaimed. In addition to offering party planning services, Stonebraker rents out the Secret Garden for weddings and baby showers. She also teaches art classes in the garden. Recently, she’s offered alcohol ink classes. 

“Alcohol inks have a mind of their own,” Stonebraker chuckled. “You immerse the ink in alcohol and it moves around. People love it. Everyone leaves the class with something they like. I’ve also taught watercolor in the secret garden.”

“Board games and wine” events are on next year’s menu for the secret garden. “Settlers of Catan, Game of Thrones, and Dominion are some of my most popular adult board games,” the shop owner commented, “but I’m open to suggestions.”

Helping adults rediscover childhood fancy 

Tom Robbins said that it’s never too late to have a happy childhood, and Sandi Stonebraker agrees. That’s why she carries games and toys for adults in her five-and-up toy room. She said that even when a grown-up stops by the shop for the sole purpose of allowing their child to play, they are inevitably drawn to pick up the toys they played with in their youth. Seeing the delight of both generations is what fuels Stonebraker’s passion for play.

Adulting can be hard. Give yourself a break from it by visiting Sandi’s shop, located at 323 West 6th Street in Covington, for an art class, a look-see, or a game of hopscotch. Don’t forget to bring your little ones along.

Stoney’s Village Toy Shop will be closed the first few weeks of 2020, so call (859) 655-9571 to ensure the doors are open before making your way there. Follow the shop on Facebook for updates about inventory, party-planning services, art classes and events, and more.