Have you heard that Bay & Bee recently completed an expansion, and with this growth comes some exciting changes!
If you haven’t been there recently, I recommend stopping by to see it–the fabric store next door to them was available and they jumped on the opportunity to grow. Bay & Bee added a much bigger retail space open to everyone, and a multi-purpose room for a variety of classes. Some of the classes even offer a drop in rate for non-members!
The retail area is amazing and full of Eco-conscious and educationally stimulating toys. Including some of my favorite brands like Plan, Tegu, Haba, Tula and Sustainablebabyish!
Some of you know that I am a juvenile products (baby gear) blogger at my site and others, so watching Bay & Bee grow their amazing brand selections into a bigger retail space is awesome. I’m excited that they have recently become the ONLY distributor in the area for Plan Toys as I’m a huge fan of them. Piggy Paint, Woolzies dryer balls (hooray!), HABA Toys, Tegu, Earth Mama Angel Baby (best infant/child bath products!), Tula, Moby, Lifefactory, NoseFrida, BlaBla, and a lot more national and local brands are all on the shelves. If this all sounds Greek to you, get yourself over there and become familiar with these names.
Bay & Bee carefully selects only the best products for their children and their store and it’s a luxury to have them right at our fingertips (or a 20-minute drive, which certainly beats the best of shipping speeds). I splurged on the Tegu Circuit Racer last month and it’s played with daily at home; their product selection shows the love they pour into their community.
What makes these selections any different from toys you can find at any big chain store? One word — QUALITY. These brands create long-lasting toys that grow with your child through different stages of development. The toys are made by environmentally and sustainably-aware manufacturers, and the products are often handed down through generations in families, so they can survive multiple children. It’s all quality over quantity.
Now, I’m not saying to toss all of your plastic Playmobil items, those toys are gold to my toddler right now at age three, but I am saying that all of the toys we have purchased from these brands are still played with daily and look brand new. The toys we purchased from Jacksonville local brands before we even moved to town are still in excellent condition. I can’t say the same for some other brands of toys (not naming names) that we also have. We love knowing our money is well spent and something already needs replacing after two weeks.
These brands all foster creativity and full use of our son’s imagination. I am so happy that Bay & Bee has expanded to include even more incredible selections. Children should use toys that foster creativity and stimulate their imagination all day. This is a truly rare space and we are so lucky to have it in our city.
Top Picks
It was difficult to narrow down my favorite products at Bay & Bee, but here are my top picks!
Prenatal Product: Earth Mama Angel Baby Happy Mama Spray (I used this while pregnant last summer and it helped my morning sickness.)
Baby Gear: Tula Baby Carriers (Babywearing was so important to us, and our toddler was always so content.)
Health and Wellness: Amber and Nose Frida (The Nose Frida is one of my top baby shower gifts to give!)
Toy for Ages 0-6 months: Haba Clutching Toys (My son loved his Rosella clutching toy!)
Toy for Ages 6m-1 year: Plan Stackers (Plan Toys are always a winner.)
Toy for Ages 1-3 years: Tegu Blocks (We add a small set to our collection for each holiday. The blocks are fun for kids and adults.)
Toy for Ages 3-5 years: Haba Geomix Arranging Game (SO MANY possibilities!)
Local Maker: Ginger Baby and The Littlest Learners (Swim Diapers and Peg People are on my list for next purchases.)
Summer Must-Have: Coola Sunblock (Organic suncare is important, even more so in Florida since we use it daily.)
New Classes
I mentioned above that with the retail expansion came this great multipurpose space. Look at all that room!
Right now Bay & Bee members enjoy music, crafts, yoga, pilates, gardening, story time, workshops, and more activities can be found on their schedule weekly!
They have recently opened some classes up to non-members as well for $12/class.
*the drop in rate is only for the class in the multi purpose room.
Regularly scheduled classes with a new drop in rate include:
Mommy & Me Yoga
Mommy & Me Pilates
February’s special events that will allow a drop in rate include:
Baby Sign A Long
Behavioral Workshop by Annie Fawcett, M.Ed., BCBA
Baby Wearing Workout
Essential Oils Workshop
Placenta Encapsulation Discussion (Free if coming without children)
Cloth Diapering Workshop
First Coast Baby Wearing Workshop (free)
Information on class descriptions can be found here.
Bay & Bee is truly a community-based space and the membership is a nice way of knowing your children will find instant playmates. Even the grandparents are included with their own special play date time.
Are there any brands you would love to see them carry? What workshops or classes would interest you? Let us know!
It’s no secret that JMB loves our local play space, Bay & Bee. The eco-friendly play area is perfect for parents to socialize while their children (infants through 5 years old) play in a safe and educationally-stimulating environment. Bay & Bee is a membership-based program focused on child-led play. Memberships include unlimited visits, classes, and a bonus about it is a 10% off most merchandise in their new store!
I have a give a huge thanks to Megan Johns Photography for the use of her beautiful photos.
Want to read reviews or leave a review for Bay & Bee? Click on the link to our Family Directory!
