Fun Factory
Imagine That Toys is nearly as imaginative as the children who shop and play there.
Sarah Jane Leming
ATMOSPHERE: Nearly 12,000 marbles line a countertop at the front of the store. Kids’ colorful footprints track through the store, courtesy of the owner’s nieces and young friends. The toy store’s walls are orange, cosmic berry and red. “Colorful” is an understatement—this independent toy store on Rock Road is bursting with personality.
KEY PEOPLE: Co-owner Gwen Ottenberg isn’t just young at heart; the entrepreneur has a resume that includes kid-friendly businesses like Exploration Place and a restaurant similar to Chuck E. Cheese. “I never wanted to grow up,” she says. Gwen and her husband, Albert, moved to Wichita five years ago, when he took a job at Cessna. After managing Exploration Place’s gift shop for five years, Gwen was ready for a new challenge. She opened Imagine That Toys last August and now spends her days playing with toys and children who visit the shop. The Ottenbergs don’t have any children, but Gwen jokes that they don’t need them because they run a toy store.
WHAT YOU’LL FIND: The selection consists of Gwen’s favorite toy brands. “When a toy is a good toy, it’s still a good toy 10 years from now,” she says. The shop carries many specialty lines. The Plasma Car ($69.99) is kid-powered as the rider pushes the handlebars back and forth. There are action figures, including the medieval-inspired Papo figurines and a more cutesy line of Calico Critters. For the introspective child, Imagine That Toys offers storybooks and games like Quirkle ($24.99) and Ruckus ($9.99).
For girls, there are LittleMissMatched socks ($7.99), a pack of three socks that coordinate but don’t match. There is also a wide selection of Hello Kitty products. Parents can purchase Karito Kids, large dolls representing different nationalities. The dolls cost $100, but sales benefit the country each one represents.
Boy toys include the Rokenbok Conveyor Company Starter Set ($156.99), a combination of Lego-like construction toys and remote-controlled cars. “It keeps the kids thinking,” says Gwen. Bruder Toys, a German brand of toy trucks and construction equipment, offers a popular cement mixer ($59.99). The store also has well-known brands like PLAYMOBIL and Thomas the Tank. Albert built three model toy train stations at the back of the store, where kids play while their parents shop.
WICHITA VERDICT: Imagine That Toys tries to cater to kids of all ages—from infants to teens. “We want to be a one-stop shop,” says Gwen. She calls the shop a playground for good reason. It’s a perfect place for parents to shop while children play. Kids can ride bikes, jump on a tiny trampoline and steer toy trains along a model railroad. After a short time in the store, you might find that Imagine That Toys brings out the child in you, too.
