children's clothes and toys in Delhi

leem

Any tips on where to find children's clothes, eg, salwar kameez, for a 6yo and toys in Delhi? Any recommendations on specific toys (that can be got on an aircraft) unique (ish) to India?

thanks

wonderwomanusa

There are lots of nice kids' clothes at the Central Cottage Industries Emporium on Janpath; this is a government fixed-price store, and the quality of goods is quite high.... prices are very reasonable.

The best Indian toy I found was a little ricksha -- green & yellow, just as they are in Delhi and about 5"-6" high. I suspect you'll find them on the street somewhere, though I never found them.

hobbes

If you can and the 6 year old likes reading try and buy some books too - books are very reasonable in india and there are a bunch of Ind authors writng books illustarted with pictures of Indian scenarios. I bought a friends son a book titled "I went to India and what did I see..." and he loved it. Cottage Industries is a good one stop solution - another option is an Indian toy shop. A friend from Sydney brought her kids the Indian board game carrom (kind of like an inidgenous varsion of mini pool) and they loved it.

leem

Thanks for those leads.

WWUSA, you are right about the ricksha, we already have one that was given to us earlier this year. Its been a hit, this one has a little motor and is back and yellow. I'll find out where they are and post it.

Know of any bookshops and toy shops?

sky888

I don't know but do think that you'll get a better price if you ask a local to approach those stall/shops...

especially if you decide to buy in bulk

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shere

I would avoid desi toys. They are not very safe. I remember a few years ago some relative gave my niece a doll from India that played tunes. It was really shoddy in construction and had sharp edges, to top it off the tunes were of such a high pitch that they could seriously mess your kids hearing up. The doll was soon confined to the dustbin.

I have see n many other India toys and they are always cheap tacky copies of those you get in the west but without the need to meet the health and safety standards.

The only decent toys I have ever seen are Indian versions of Barbie etc made by western companies for the Indian market. I also stick to buying books for kids.

raos

We just bought tons of toys for our 2 yr old in Khan Market. They were pretty reasonable but definitely crappy (broke within the first 1-2 hours). That was fine with me as long as I was not paying in $$. In fact, I prefer cheap toys so that I don't have to lug them back to the US at the end of the trip. We bought many Indian books at Teksons in South Extension 1. It is a little bit expensive store but they have a good collection of children's books. We shopped primarily in the S Delhi area. Avoid buying anything at GK 1 market -- prices are definitely in $$ and the quality is in Rs.

cyberhippie

I love seeing all the toys for sale by the street vendors cause they are toys I remember from my own childhood.
Spinning tops, hand helecopters, wind up birds that hang in the air, simple wooden trains, elastic powered gliders.
I'm sure everyone has had this "I remember them" experience.
I wonder how these simple toys would go down with western kid these days??

leem

They go down well Cyber,

you get them at the markets here in adelaide quite a bit, imported from China etc. The gliders are great. I am going to need something distinctly Indian though.

anyone know where Khan market is?

thanks

vinayverma

Indian Clothes for kids:
There is a good section of Indian clothes for kids at Fab India N block, GK-I market.
You can also pick them up from almost any garment store in Delhi but they tens to be in synthetic material, which I do not prefer for the kids. Fab India's clothes are in natural materials.
I also find Jaipur (bapu bazar, Around Hawa Mahal) a good place to pick up nice ethnic clothes for kids.

Toys:
Since the modern toys has been covered, I'll skip it.
Till a decade back, Mugalsarai and area around Allahbad used to be great place to pick up old fashioned yet innovative and safe wooden toys for kids.
Recently we picked up these kinda wooden toys from chennai, and pondicherry. They are difficult to find now and almost extinct.
So when I travel I just pick up these toys where ever I find it. we have a complete kitchen set, dolls, animals, gmes etc at our home.
I'll try to get the exact information about the shops still selling them.
Will be very difficult to get them in Delhi, the best bet is Dilli Haat.

Khan Market: is in south-central Delhi and major landmarks around this market are: Lodhi Garden, UPSC, India gate(pandara Road), Ambassador Hotel, Golf Links...

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cyberhippie

The guys at the begining of the main bazzaar Paharganj (train station end) usually have a nice selection of old toys though not so many wooden ones. The famouse chai wallah opposite the metro hotel also has an interesting line in toys!!
If you're in Mussoorie there are several "magic" shops that sell little tricks that will amaze both your kids and the ones you meet along the way!!!

leem

Thanks Vinay and Cyber, great info.

I am beginning to regret leaving myself only one day in Delhi for shopping on my way out! I love toy shopping and this time my daughter will get the ones I like!!!!

I share your regard for natural fibres VV, thanks for the tip, I'll have to get down to this area. Is Dilli Haat nearby?

Cyber the magic tricks are a great idea but I am going to Kumaon not Mussoorie, see any in Delhi?

leem

The carrom board turned out to be the biggest hit as it is just not seen in australia. The airlines looked after it really well. They are in most sports shops, even in small towns.

I found the little 3 wheeler taxis at the end of Paharganj no problem.

Found magic tricks in the market in naini tal, they have been fun.

no luck finding wooden or old toys but really did not have a lot of time.

all the bazaars in hte small towns had great selections of children's clothes.