Great G arikamtffi All Work, All Play The mother and son owners of Toyology in West Bloomfield focus on "toys that teach." Rd. Robin Schwartz Contributing Writer • on the Boardwalk • (248) 851-5030 Kiss of the Spider Woman Musical drama Jan 2012 Titanic - The Musical Musical AprIMay 2012 The Bad Seed Campy comedy June 2012 Gift Certificates & flex Passes Available! The Last Five Years Contemporary musical Mar 2012 Palmer Park Relevant drama May 2012 T . I itanic . /17 .)////fity Etwrov April 12, 2012 Baldwin Theatre •Music & Champagne • Delicacies from anginal menus • Presentation by Titanic collector •Final dress of Titanic - The Musical I# 1145 per coup c stagecraftersiorg 26 December 8 2011 415 S. Lafayette Ave. Royal Oak ph 248-541.6430 T here's no official diction- ary definition for "toyology," but for Nori Klar of West Bloomfield and her son, Aric, 22, it's the study of toys that bring laughter, joy and learning. The mother-son duo opened Toyology — a new toy store inside Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield — as a joint venture back in April. The colorful, inviting shop is located in the same spot where a previous toy store went out of business. Aric, an Eastern Michigan University student studying entrepreneurship, says he always liked the location. When it became available, he saw a golden opportunity. "We decided to take a very educa- tional and specialty approach, offering products that are not available in every store," he explained. "We have more than 400 products. You won't find one of them at major retail stores like Target, Toys"R"Us or Kohl's." Toyology carries brands like Melissa and Doug, Alex, Orb Factory, Kidoozie, Thinkfun, Educational Insights and dozens of others. Many of the toys help children learn basic skills like reading or math. One example is a teaching cash register that rewards transactions with lights, sounds and voice messages for children ages 3 and up. "It holds real money and has a built- in scanner, scale and coin slot:' Nori explained. "The children can also learn to recognize different coins and bills." Other hot toys that teach (see sidebar for more) include a pretend-and-play school set with 149 pieces from a grade book, to stickers, hall passes, a dry Aric Klar sits on a Kettler Trike while his mom, Nori, stands by a stuffed giraffe. erase board and more. It's designed to make children feel more at ease about attending school for the first time. There's also a game called Pizza Mania. A talking chef calls out toppings for children to add and remove from their pizzas. While they're having fun, they're also honing addition, subtraction and listening skills. "One of my biggest inspirations behind opening the store was my 6-year-old cousin with special needs:' Aric says. "He and the other children can just come here and have their own space; its a happy place to work, shop and play." Retail Roots The Klar family has its roots in retail. Nori and her husband, Mark, own Warren Prescriptions on 14 Mile and Middlebelt in Farmington Hills. The independent family business started 36 years ago as a small, neighborhood drugstore. It's grown into a modern pharmacy offering traditional prescrip- tion services and a variety of products, including toys. Before that, the Klars owned Sherman Drugs at Maple and Lahser in Bloomfield Hills. Aric grew up ringing up orders and helping serve customers. "My grandfather played a huge role in my upbringing',' he says. "He had me ringing the register when I was just 6 years old. It's always been in my blood:' Nori, who describes herself as a "pharmacist turned toyologist," has spent the last 17 years ordering toys for All Work, All Play on page 28