Toy Store Retailers
Exciting Explorations
Many years ago when Chuck Harper and his wife Linda’s children were younger, they were very taken by the idea of 
opening a gift shop. After visiting the toy store at a local museum, the idea of opening a toy store—one with products that would appeal to their own kids—began to take hold. So Harper opened Explorations, a specialty toy store in Granger, IN, in 1999.
Since its inception, Harper says the store has enjoyed great success in the local community and beyond. “It’s an experience,” Harper says of the store, “it’s a place where people can bring their children and play and hold the products in their hand.”
Explorations has an active website and products are sorted by various categories: motor skills, cooperative play, visual skills etc. Kids can create wish lists for birthdays and holidays and these can be accessed both in the store and through the web.
Harper says his staff of six enjoys having children come visit the store and delight in its offerings. While the question of how to deal with occasionally disruptive children is often a problem at gift stores, Harper says the issue is not one that bothers him at Explorations. “You have to learn the fine act of diplomacy,” Harper laughs. But, Harper says, customers always know and are in agreement with the staff about watching children. Harper and his staff do their best to keep the children happy and entertained while mom shops at the store.
Explorations stocks a diverse variety of products. Bazoongi Kids, Crocodile Creek, Fundex, Gamewright and Corolle are a few of the vendors whose products the store carries.
Chuck’s wife, Linda, now works full time as a teacher. What about the Harper’s children—the original motivation for the store? They are now in high school. They sometimes come in to the store and work, although it gets quite difficult to schedule them in consistently, Harper says. “With horseback riding, soccer, piano lessons and track, they are busy.”
Explorations Toys
Granger, IN
574.243.5828
ExplorationsToys.com
