Thank you all for a very successful evening – Your support and kindness is greatly appreciated
December 1, 2013 between 4:00 – 7:00 PM
100% profit from (including web sales) will be donated to the Philippines
Refreshment and Music will be provided Read more
Published on Nov 24, 2012
A toy store like this would be loved anywhere. But you rarely see this kind of vision in places other than the great cities of the world.
Our September issue—chock full of great stories about Italy, Tulum, Paris, India, and more—is available on newsstands now! Check it out! Read more
We are firm believers in enjoying this time of year with friends and family instead of shopping for presents that nobody wants, so we are going to let you in on a little secret that will simplify the process for you. Read more
By Kathy Krassner
Imelda McCain had a very special reason for opening a toy store five years ago: her son. Like so many new mothers, McCain began taking a closer look at the toys that were on the market. Read more
Playing Mantis has “an incredible selection of handmade toys and games from around the world“
Edward Burns says. Read more
“Green toys in time for Earth Day”
Lauren Glassberg reports, ABC Chanel 7 News April 2010
New Places, New Programs for Kids in Manhattan – February 2010
by Kaitlin Ahern
Playing Mantis, an eco-friendly store offering handmade toys and crafts from around the world, recently opened a new location in Tribeca. The store’s flagship location is in Nyack, NY. Read more
Jan 20 2010 By Marcy 
We recently wrote about some wonderful places to Shop for Handmade Toys and Children’s Items in New York City.
We wanted to complement that list with some other great suggestions where you can buy natural and green toys. What’s the difference? While some natural toys are indeed handmade too, others come from eco-certified production facilities. Most importantly, all differ from commercially mass-produced, run-of-the-mill wooden toys in terms of quality, origin, and construction from sustainable, safe, natural, non-synthetic materials. Read more
Heather Salerno
hsalerno@lohud.com
Walk into Nyack’s Playing Mantis toy store, and you get an immediate feeling of Zen.
That’s not a feeling associated with big-box retailers, which are dominated by aisles of manufactured plastic playthings that honk, beep, flash, bang, clang and cry.
Make no mistake: Playing Mantis has its fair share of cars, trucks, trains, dolls and games. But not a single toy there requires batteries or an electrical outlet – and all still manage to inspire lots of fun.
“I call it an imagination-powered store,” says owner Imelda McCain.
McCain, a former oncology nurse who opened her shop in the fall of 2006, moved last month to a new storefront on Nyack’s North Broadway. At the same time, she opened a second outpost in Tribeca. Read more