I took a trip to Philadelphia a few weeks ago, and of course had to stop by Momo’s Tree House, one of my favorite toy stores in Philadelphia. The store is amazing! They carry some of the best children’s products and toys for kids all ages and even have a little play area in the back of the store. I always discover new brands and buy way too many toys every time I visit. I wanted to share with you some of my new finds from my latest trip and also give you a better picture of Momo’s Tree House, so I asked Heather, the owner of the store for some insights. You can read my interview with her below.
1) When did you first open Momo’s Tree House?
We opened our Old City shop in November of 2014
2) How did it get its name?
My last name is Mohorn, so Momo is a family nickname. When I was a child, no place was more fun than a tree house!
3) Do you have more than one location?
Yes, we opened a second location in September of 2017 in the Fitler Square neighborhood of Philadelphia. We also did a pop-up at the Philadelphia Christmas Village last year.
4) what gave you the idea to open a toy store?
I loved working with kids in high school and college, and I have always dreamed of owning my own business. I became an options trader after college, but after a few years I was ready to move on. I was 27 and newly married, and I wanted to become my own boss before having a family. At the time I was living in Old City, the historic district of Philadelphia. It’s a great shopping neighborhood full of independently owned boutiques, tons of local and visitng children, but no kids’ stores. That’s how I came up with the idea.
5) you have an amazing selection of the best children’s toys and brands. How do you select the toys that you sell?
Thank you- there are so many options out there, so I put a lot of work into finding the very best toys for kids. I love going to trade shows. It’s like a treasure hunt for the coolest new toys. We don’t carry anything with licensed characters, we stay away from companies that advertise directly to children, and we don’t sell electronics. That narrows the field
Our guiding principle is that children learn through play, and my goal is to carry the perfect gift for any child. That means a curated variety across different milestones and interests.
6) Do you have a favorite toy that you sell?
Turing Tumble! It’s a puzzle that teaches how computers work by building marble runs. There are plenty of toys that teach how computers think, but this one shows you how they actually work on a 1’s and 0’s level. I took our demo home last year and played with it all afternoon.
7) Do you sell online?
Yes- you can shop 24/7 at momostreehouse.com.
8) Do you do any events?
We love hosting events. Right now we have a musical story time series called Baby Beatles that’s been a lot of fun. Last weekend we hosted a workshop called Mindfully Me led by a child therapist. Events with authors or artists are always a hit. My personal favorite has always been our annual Easter Egg Hunt.
9) Is there anything else you want people to know about your store?
Come play! We have tons of toys out for customers to try. My favorite spot is our game table because I love showing kids how to play a new game. My team is full of fun experts who love to make customers smile.
Here are a few toys that I haven’t seen before that stood out to me on my last visit.
Also, loved seeing all of these games. So many new ones are now on my radar.
Hope you enjoyed the tour! Make sure to visit them if you’re ever in the area. In the meantime you can check out their website here.
