Kits for Kids

Revered as “Canada’s Coolest Street” in the 1960’s and nick-named Rainbow Road to honour the tie-dye T-shirt stores that lined its boulevards, 4th Avenue in Kitsilano has remained cool with the 20-something set ever since.

With the arrival of Crocodile Baby and a few maternity stores several years back, it started to become the hip mama (and mom-to-be) destination, too (that’s no secret!). And a few recent store changes have made it even better than ever. Here is our savvy line up of places we don’t skip when on the strip:

3H Craftworks has been an institution on 4th Ave for over 40 years, but a recent move up to the corner of 4th and Yew has given them a larger storefront and made them much more visible. This is a great store to find unique toys, clothing and crafts for kids, and all of the items are hand-made in Vancouver by adults with physical and/or mental challenges. Our favourite finds in the store were Lowly the Worm stuffed toy (of Busy Town fame) and the Little Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly doll, whose apron is full of all the items she swallowed. 3H Crafts also sports an extensive collection of wonderful felt stories.

Hip Baby re-opened this past spring under new management (the same folks who created Fig Organic Kids Clothing), and it is an entirely new store—even the logo is funkier. Not only can you now purchase your Fig clothing at Hip Baby, but you will be sure to find some great toys, gifts, and a wide-selection of baby and toddler essentials as well. What caught our savvy attention was the extensive selection of cloth diapers. Michael Ziff, one of the owners, conducts cloth diapering workshops at the store on a regular basis (next workshop is August 4). They are currently in the process of developing an online store, so soon you will be able to get your Hip Baby gear without leaving your house.

Finally, don’t leave without picking up some essentials for dinner at Jackson’s Meats & Deli. They are coming back to Kits (after a brief reprieve) and opening up in about a week. Jackson’s Meats, the oldest butcher shop in the city, is now being managed by the next generation of the Jackson family, and they are set on making their name as the best deli in Kitsilano too. They plan to offer an excellent selection of meats and poultry and claim to have the best price for organic chicken in the neighbourhood. New to the shop will be a wide selection of imported and local cheeses, and wonderful fresh sandwiches and soups. It sounds like a great lunch destination while ‘doing the strip’ with the kids.

It’s true that Rainbow Road has definitely found a new kinda groove, one that hip Vancouver mamas, dare we say savvy moms, are eating up.

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