Yonder Community Toy Shop owner Danielle Curry (center) poses in the foam pit with her son Silas (left) and family friend Ellie as they showcase some of the benefits of the new space.
Reminder Publishing photos by Trent Levakis.
EASTHAMPTON — Inspired by the natural elements and instinct as humans to learn through play, Yonder Community Toy Shop is a new business to Easthampton that not only provides toy options, but also a community space for children and families.
Owner Danielle Curry told Reminder Publishing she decided to make the effort in opening this new business after just more than a decade of working as an educator and program coordinator for the Springfield Museums.
With a career background in education extending before her time with the Springfield Museums, Curry always had dreamt of opening her own preschool, but eventually felt the option was limited for what she wanted to provide for children and families locally.
“I always dreamed about having a school actually, I wanted to open a preschool. And in doing research about what that entailed, I was like, this is pretty limited to the amount of people you can serve. Preschool is only up to age 5 and that’s it, I was like, I want to do more for the community,” said Curry. “And then I have a really strong passion for toys. My son, when he was little, I got really into this wooden toy scene in Europe and I got a little obsessed, and so I was like I need a good reason to buy toys when my son gets too old for them. And so the dream kind of seeded there. I just started talking to people about what we need as a community and I realized that there was something that I could offer.”
Curry’s vision of a child-centered, sensory-inspired and creative art studio comes alive at Yonder Community Toy Shop, where visitors will be offered toys, puzzles and treasures to purchase and test in a drop-in play studio. The new shop is located at 186 Northampton St., unit E.
“At Yonder, we follow an open-ended, hands-off approach to sensory and pretend play,” said Curry. “We’re creating a space where children take the lead, and providing a lively, colorful destination for families and caregivers to play together.”
Curry said this endeavor allows her career to be something she is good at, supports her community, and helps support her family.
“When you bring it all together it’s your perfect thing. I feel like that’s what I did. Where can I home in on all these things?” added Curry. “And I really love children. I don’t necessarily need to be in charge of them, but I do love creating a space for them and that’s what I wanted to do here and it just kind of blossomed from that. I talked to a lot of people here, figured out what we needed, what we wanted, and it just grew from there.”
Curry’s toy store idea came from her experience in the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce’s Co. Starters Entrepreneur Program in 2024. Spending nine weeks in the program, Curry was able to home in on her business model amongst like-minded peers.
The program, brought to the city by former Mayor Nicole LaChapelle and the Chamber of Commerce, takes individuals interested in starting their own businesses from idea generation to ready-to-market skills. The program is supported by local professionals, lending institutions and program graduates.
“The Co. Starters program has been a great success in Easthampton’s rich incubator environment,” said Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jon Kostek. “Our graduates are leaving the program equipped with the skills to make big impacts in our regional economy.”
Curry said she was nervous about the risk of starting her own business when first joining the program, but with the help of it she was able to lock in on her vision. She said while it was daunting at first to take the risk, it paid off and she hopes anyone who has felt similar before chooses to go for their goals instead of letting fear for the worst hold them back.
“One of the things I keep saying now is, if you have a dream, talk about it because you never know who’s going to be in your corner and like, ‘let’s do this.’ Because that’s what happened with them. They heard my idea, they got to know me, and then they helped not just me, but the other co starters with the specific tools we needed because we were each at very different places in our business,” said Curry. “It felt like just chatting with girlfriends, but also they were coming with all of this knowledge and we got to meet a bunch of people in the community who could help us and give us advice, and it was just a really good stepping stone for me. It really planted a lot of seeds that got things moving and growing.”
Curry said her main goal as she adjusts to Yonder’s opening is to make people aware that they are much more than just a toy shop.
“I knew I wanted to do more than that. Selling toys is fun and everything, but I like to be around play. And there’s multiple places in the valley that really cater to families, and I love them and their energy and their vibe and so that was a really big inspiration for me,” said Curry, referencing High Five Books for the atmosphere that business has created around children and play.
Curry added Yonder has so much flexibility in its space to offer children. She plans to rent out the space for birthday parties, and to families through drop-in times to encourage a space for play and community among children in the city.
“Come, make a mess and then leave. I will clean up after you because I love cleaning up these toys. It’s a very unique selection,” said Curry. “We keep talking about how we want to get our kids off of screens and stuff, and then we’re not giving them any places to go. They just want to hang out with each other. That’s why our space is very open ended. We will offer workshops and classes like that, but that’s not the point. The point is to just come and be. Our craft space is very open ended, it’s just like come in, play with materials, make stuff, leave it, take it with you, whatever. Just come in and exist here. We’ve already had a few families come through and it’s been amazing. They’re just so happy the space is here and they’re like we really need a space for the family to just hang out — a new space — especially like an indoor space.”
The space will be rentable during days and if there is no group renting the space then the toy shop will be open for drop-in play. Curry added she expects to have a nice rhythm of posting availability’s online as the business grows. She also noted that she plans to explore young baby groups during mornings as well as after school programming once school is back in session.
Yonder Toy Shop Play & Party Studio is open for drop-in play and reservations. Call 413-203-1168 or visit yondertoyshop.com for more information. Curry added she hopes families in the community make a trip out and discover what’s possible inside of Yonder Community Toy Shop.
“It means everything. I’ve been dreaming about this for a really long time and to see it finally come, it’s surreal, I almost can’t believe it’s really happening. I feel like this is the first week where I’m really starting to get some rhythm and it just feels amazing. A family left the other day and I was like, my heart is so full. This is the purpose I was seeking and I’m so excited to move into the future because we have so much potential,” added Curry. “That’s kind of the whole point of this place. I want to be flexible for parents who just need somewhere to go sometimes. We’re not trying to fit you into a rigid schedule, you don’t have to commit to coming every week, every day, every Wednesday. We’re here when you need us and that’s really the goal.”
