CHILD WORLD, "Child World...Child World a super toy store, and a
whole lot more. "Founded 1974 - Closed 1992.
The mascot for Child World was
a cartoon panda bear named Peter Panda,
often depicted wearing overalls with his name printed on them.
Was located in Garden City, Cranston & Woonsocket.
AD from 1985 (click on ad to enlarge)
Oh, the memories...I bought all my Trixie Belden and Marguerite Henry books at Child World...
ReplyDeleteThey also had a place on Newport Aveune in East Providence...
ReplyDeleteYes there was a child world store on Newport Ave in East Providence after it became a pepboys autoparts store recently was torn down and is now a cvs pharmacy before child world it was american toy store
ReplyDeleteI remember Child World,we had a store in North Dartmouth,Mass. as part of the mall there and then it moved in the Ann & Hope plaza at the same city. I remember purchasing my first Nintendo system from there.
ReplyDeleteI remember the one in Woonsocket.When it opened my Mom,Grandma and brother went in for the first time. My brother and I both loved to build models and what a selection they had! I still remember my Mom letting us buy 2 models apiece.I can still remember buying a b-17 and a German panther tank.A very pleasant memory.
ReplyDeleteI had worked at Child World (sister company to Children's Palace) from 1986-1992, when the chain closed.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised at how little information is out there regarding CWCP... just a few blogs/forums such as this, and a few images.
I'm trying to change that - visit http://childworld.rocks - there are links there with ALL the former store locations.
Child World / Children's Palace may be historiy - but I'm hopeful its memory can be kept alive.
I think there was one in Middletown, shared store space with Grants (now Shaw's is there). Somebody tell me if I'm remembering incorrectly?
ReplyDeleteYou're right! My mom used to take me there after I got shots at the doctor. It was its own store, but Sears was there before. Grants was located where Walmart is now, which was JCPenney/Newport Mall before Walmart.
DeleteI remember the one on Newport Ave In E. Prov right over the line from Pawtucket. We lived in pawtucket near Slater Park and i remember my 10th or 11th birthday going there with my parents to pick up my new bicycle (it looked like a chopper) and they let me ride it all the way home myself! It really was a great toy store, they had everything!
ReplyDeleteIn the 70's Child World opened a store in Middletown, where the current Shaw’s store currently is, to the right.
ReplyDeleteWell, when it opened, it was widely announced to us kids on Saturday morning TV and in the Newport Daily News, and, that none other than Rex Trailer and Cactus Pete were going to cut the ribbon and give us all a special surprise. I looked forward to it all week we did my friends.
That morning my mom and I drove to the Aquidneck Shopping Center in Middletown. We lived in Newport but that was one of the biggest shopping centers (before shopping malls) on Aquidneck Island, so we went there often, especially to Sears and Stop and Shop. Woolworth’s too. Santa Claus was there in the corner of the shopping plaza, in a little wooden house.
But that morning, as we entered the lot, I was totally excited, having never been to the opening of a toy store, So imagine how thrilled I was when, as my mom was parking her car, no one other than Rex Trailer and Cactus Pete themselves pulled up in a station wagon right next to us! I remember after they got out that the front passenger seat was covered with the comics section of that day’s Sunday paper. So totally appropriate. You be you, Cactus Pete.
Well they made their way to the front of the store and cut the ribbon -- and then announced the surprise -- that a helicopter was about to fly overhead and drop a bunch of ping pong balls onto the parking lot below, each with a discount to stores in the malls written on it. And no shit -- here comes a helicopter -- and suddenly ping pong balls are bouncing everywhere. BTW this was an active, busy parking lot. It wasn't roped off or anything. I remember seeing more than one car stop short as kids, including me, darted everywhere trying to grab a ping pong ball. Can you imagine doing something like this today?
And I got one! I found that little white ping pong ball next to the wheel of a parked car. As I went for it, some other kid lunged for it too, but he slipped on his school shoes, totally scraping his left elbow and side. I snapped it up and was thrilled! I eagerly read what was written on it in black magic marker. Total disappointment.
It was 10% off at Tilden Thurbur Jewelers (I’m pretty sure that’s who it was). Totally bummed.
I wanted the 50% off toys at Child World that Rex and Cactus Pete said was on one of the ping pong balls. Instantly I decided to give that one to my dad, and kept looking for that 50% off Child World ball they said was bouncing around out there between cars driving around the parking lot. Without a doubt, at least 200 kids ran around chasing ping pong balls that day.
There have got to be people out there who were there and remember this. Totally cool childhood memory.
My parents bought my first 10 speed bike from the one on Newport Ave around 1984 hid used that bike until I got my license in 86 still have it in my garage
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