May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the Chicago-based specialty toy store Timeless Toys is honoring it with a special selection of research-backed products. The store, which has served the Lincoln Square community since 1993, will offer a collection of toys designed to help kids tackle anxiety, manage stress levels, and engage in emotional regulation.
The curation follows the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association’s (Astra) research, which notes that play is an important factor in releasing positive chemicals that help improve blood pressure and relieve stress, such as dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins (referred to as a Daily D.O.S.E. of play). Next month, Timeless Toys will highlight products that support Astra’s Daily D.O.S.E. concept.
“We are seeing a significant shift in how parents approach the toy aisle this year,” Flavia Pallozzi, assistant manager at Timeless Toys, says. “Families aren’t just looking for entertainment; they are looking for tools that help their children regulate emotions and manage the daily pressures of modern life. Whether it is the satisfying click of a logic puzzle or the tactile engagement of a fidget toy, these items provide a sense of control and calm that kids really need right now.”
The retailer’s “D.O.S.E of Play” collection will include products that focus on sensory elements, emotional engagement, accomplishing goals, and more. Timeless Toys will highlight fidget toys like Speks, Wigglitz, and Scrunch’ems Squishy Buddies; developmental toys like the SmartNoggin NogginStik; products that refine communication skills like the eeBoo Create a Story Cards; logic games like Smart Games IG Quub; and dice games like Tenzi.
“Using intuition, imagination, and reasoning through play helps children strengthen their ability to identify stressors,” Pallozzi adds. “At Timeless Toys, we’re proud to be a resource for families looking to prioritize mental wellness through the simplest, most effective tool we have: the power of play.”
To learn more about Timeless Toys, visit timelesstoys.com.
