Top 9 toyshops in London

Founded in 1760 as a small toyshop, Hamleys moved to its present location in Regent Street in 1881. Today it's London's most famous toyshop, with seven floors filled with every conceivable toy from all the popular brands. Even the nurseries and playrooms of the Queen and her children have been stocked from this extraordinary shop.

Visit the largest Disney store in Europe on Oxford Street. Its glass shopfront contains an 81-metre-high (267-feet-high) princess castle with an animated clock: see princesses appear at the windows and watch Tinkerbell fly across the walls throughout the day. Be amazed as many more magical happenings unfold inside.

As the largest LEGO store in the world, this huge shop in Leicester Square is a must-visit for LEGO fans of all ages. All major LEGO ranges are stocked here, plus you can see a replica Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) made of LEGO and meet a LEGO William Shakespeare!

Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop was established in London's Hoxton back in 1856. The shop moved to Covent Garden in 1980 and today still sells the same paper toy theatres it always has. You can also find marionettes, glove puppets and other traditional toys with a theatrical theme.

Head to Puppet Planet in Clapham for puppets on strings, puppets on rods and glove puppets from across the globe. Put on a play in this magical shop's small theatre or commission a "lookalike" marionette for a really unique gift. Also on sale are puppet-inspired jewellery and cards. 

Sylvanian Families' official London shop in Highbury, north London, stocks an amazing array of Sylvanian Families toys, including cute creatures, buildings, furniture, vehicles and more. You'll find the full UK range, plus discontinued lines and items imported from Japan and America.

Creative kids of all ages will love the Science Museum Shop, with its wonderful offer of fun gadgets, hands-on kits and science toys, from science putty and voice transformers to books and telescopes. Adults can also shop for homewares and tech gadgets. Look out for in-store demonstrations, when you’ll see toy aeroplanes and the like swooping overhead.