Kaleidoscope

No longer in business. A shame.

R.I.P. We’ll miss shopping here. Out of business,

Store is not on Bay Street anymore. Totally empty. No info on new location. I am sooooo sad!

I love this store! As a teacher, I am able to find products here that I can’t find elsewhere. They’re stocked with all the necessary supplies. As a mother, it is a little pricey but I shop here regardless. I gave it four stars because I spend way more here than I should and it always hurts my wallet the moment I step foot in here. But that is more my fault. I decided to change it to five stars because I am to blame for spending too much– not this fabulous store!

Enjoyed the store and all the creative different toys. However the Playmobil section was huge and overpriced. How about moving in another brand that is a little more affordable? Had a hard time finding a new toy for my 3 yo that fit my $ 20 budget. Also the book section was small and picked thru.
Consider a $ 15 – 25 price point where people feel comfortable splurging on their kids.

I’m slowly making my transition from hotel Concierge to Elementary School teacher. One of my assignments for my Special education class was to take a quick ride up to Capitola and visit Kaleidoscope. I figured I better get familiar with this store rather quickly since so many of our mentor teachers rave about all of their awesome products.
When I walked in I was immediately overwhlemed and in awe. They had absolutely everything I could imagine (plus more) and my eyes didn’t know where to look first. We were greeted by the store owner and let her know that we were visiting for a class assignment. She was so sweet and ended up taking us on a tour of the whole store! They have so many different sections including manipulatives, sensory development, musical instruments, crafts, toys, classroom management tools, and of course (my favorite) classroom décor.
My only concern? PRICE. I will be a first year teacher next year and the thought of all of the materials I need to buy. and their price tags definitely made me take a step back. Do I really need to buy the shiny, multi colored, perfectly cut out bean counters for my kiddos? Or can I just go buy a bag of pintos at grocery outlet?
The only thing that could make this store better is cheaper prices… I guess I’ll just have to be choosy and buy the things that I ABSOLUTELY need. (which is everything, right? :))

This store seems to have everything. I love their free events and family friendly staff.

This place has a great variety for teachers and families alike. There are some really great «get together» games for game night etc. I was very pleased to find this place and I was just traveling through Capitola too! The service was also very friendly!

Absolutely best place to get toys, educational material and gifts. Very helpful staff and unusual items only available here!

Best toy store in town. They have great, high-​quality stuff for kids 0 – 10 years of age.

Such a cute store! They have everything a teacher needs! Art supplies, posters, books, etc. They also different subject sections such as math, science and Spanish. You can practically find whatever you need right in this store. Toys, books, supplies all in one place.

Best toy store in Santa Cruz area by far!

Outstanding store and a LOCAL BUSINESS. So, instead of your money going to Wall Street first and minimum-​wage employees last — this stays in our community. They have good management and believe 100% in customer service. In my experience, they do have an extensive inventory of the latest, award winning books, toys, games, educational materials, etc. Furthermore, if they don’t have it, they can order it! On this (Christmas) visit, I purchased about $ 300 worth of stuff for several important children in my life, including my son. As a new customer, they didn’t have to do it — but they freely offered to give me the loyalty program points which culminated in a 30% discount. The staff was patient and friendly — even at a VERY busy time. Price wise, I got several things here that were LESS than amazon prices, and some that were a few dollars more — but not significantly marked up. It was worth it to me to see my dollars going into a Santa Cruz business. I find that there’s an unparalleled quality here and these folks know kids… so they are always very helpful. Two thumbs WAYYYY high up!

They are
Such a great business! They wrap presents for free. The staff is very friendly. They are local and have a GREAT selection of toys.

Incredibly extensive collection of toys/​workbooks/​posters/​etc for parents or teachers. The people there are super nice and there’s a customer loyalty program where you get discounts after spending a certain amount.
And… as for the nincompoop who commented that it’s pricier than Toys R Us… oh, for goodness’ sake. These are well-​chosen products you can’t find elsewhere, and here you can shop in a pleasant environment with helpful staff. *That* is why some things might cost a little bit more here.

Poor teacher stores. I really don’t know how you stay in business with Office Depot and the millions of catalogs that are sent into every teacher’s box through the year. My stars truly go out to you (insert heartfelt smile and endearing look here).
Truly, it doesn’t matter how many years you’ve been in the teaching business, it’s always nice to add a few things to a teacher’s bag of tricks. This place has resources that you won’t find in bigger chain stores such as Office Depot or Lakeshore. They’ve got a good selection for upper grade material which is nice. Truly… I hate getting creative with the teddy bears and rainbow trimmers so finding some unique, grade appropriate décor makes me ecstatic! The store has a nice layout with a grand selection for children’s gifts.
Summer will begin soon so it will be a few weeks until I start thinking about my classroom again. Give me till July and I’ll be returning here on my way to the beach. Hmmmm… maybe August (insert Mojito sipping smirk here).

We stopped by here on our way back to the hotel, after exploring Capitola. We bought a bunch of stuff to help teach our daughter about days, times, and calander. This place is awesome! They have everything you could ever want to help teach your kids just about anything!

I have never been in such a comprehensive and perfect ‘teacher’s store’. Most in my area have closed up so I have great fun when visiting Capitola to spend a few hours and many dollars in this fantastic shop.
If you live in the area, be grateful. Most of us wish we had half that store near us!

Great local store. I come here for many teaching aides for homework. You can find neat presents for birthday parties and I really love wandering through this store.
Things are a bit on the pricey side. Not surprised since it is a local small store.

Yes the teacher 20% off sale is coming in a few weeks. no I will not be attending the chaos and madness… actually although there are tons of educators who come here the first weeks of school I have NEVER EVER had a bad experience here… and I have been going here for close to 10 years (christ I am old. it feels like yesterday I graduated from the teacher program at UCSC)
THIS PLACE GETS TO BE LIKE BLACK FRIDAY FOR TEACHERS
But SO WORTH IT!
Suckers… I bought my teacher supplies today! WOOOOOOT.