A Place Where Kids Can Be Kids

In the northernmost part of Wisconsin is a small town with an especially small specialty toy store, Kiddiwink Kids. Inside that shop is a creative, colorful wonderland where everyone – no matter their age – can indulge in the joy of childhood.

For years, Sheila Desjarlais had dreamed of running her own business. She studied finance and accounting as well as took entrepreneurship classes in college. When she moved to Washburn, WI, Desjarlais took on the role of an office manager at a family retail business.

At home, Desjarlais looked after her 4-year-old daughter. She discovered that setting up sensory bins helped her daughter regulate her emotions and soon began selling sensory kits at local festivals.

“I could see how these open-ended toys allowed children to dictate the play,” Desjarlais said. “They had control over what they did, and that helped calm them. It gave them endless opportunities.”

During a Christmas themed community craft event, Desjarlais was helping kids make reindeer out of felt and pompoms. A little girl approached Desjarlais, who was operating the hot glue gun, and asked her to put the pompom – which was meant to be a nose – on the reindeer’s chin instead. As Desjarlais followed the girl’s directions, the latter’s guardian stepped in and pointed out that the pompom was supposed to be in the middle of the face.

“What struck me was we just told that child that what she wanted to do, that creativity she wanted to apply, was wrong,” Desjarlais said. “I thought, what if we gave kids things that let them stay a little bit more creative, just even a little longer? What could they achieve in the world if they start to believe that just because we’ve done something one way doesn’t mean that we have to continue?”

Desjarlais intended to start small as she built her business, slowly gaining traction by attending craft events. She shared a building in town with a paint-your-own pottery studio, and the two creative businesses paired well together. A few months later, the owner of the pottery studio decided to close her business. Desjarlais took over the entire space and opened Kiddiwink Kids in 2020. “It was one of the worst and one of the best times to start a business,” Desjarlais said.

As there were no stores geared specifically for kids in Washburn nor in the neighboring town, a toy store seemed a natural choice. Desjarlais was on her way to offer a place where kids could safely and confidently be themselves.

Fun for all ages and abilities

True to Desjarlais’ vision, Kiddiwink Kids specializes in creative products that encourage kids to use their brains in different ways. The store carries between 500 and 600 products including sensory toys, art supplies, baby items, fidget toys, strategy games, sidewalk chalk and seasonal items. Available brands include OOLY, Floss and Rock and Fat Brain Toys alongside smaller brands from across the Midwest.

“We carry things that are popular, but I really try to focus on things that allow kids to stay kids a little bit longer – whether they’re a toddler or 12 years old,” Desjarlais stated.

When buying inventory, Desjarlais relies on recommendations from reps, brand catalogs and input from kids she meets at the store or at local craft events. She also keeps on track of trends by following homeschoolers and toy manufacturers on social media. “I’m always keeping my eyes open,” she said.

The store tends to sell whatever is recommended by Desjarlais, as she has built trust with in-person customers and those who follow Kiddiwink Kids’ social media pages. If Desjarlais posts a video about a certain product, the store will tend to sell more of that item than anything else the following day.

Being in a remote location, there’s a lag between when the larger trends hit – the Nee-Doh craze this spring, for instance – and when customers start asking for those products at Kiddiwink Kids. This also works in Desjarlais’ favor as shipping takes a little longer; even if a product is delayed by tariffs, it may arrive as customers catch onto the craze.

A trend that Desjarlais has noticed is how people are more willing to invest in quality products. For example, customers will purchase natural-ingredient bath bombs and artificial dye-free candy from Kiddiwink Kids instead of larger retailers.

There’s also the continuing movement away from screens. “Screens have value, they have their place, but people are looking for things to keep their kids off screens, things that engage them and can hold their attention,” Desjarlais stated.

Desjarlais has kept the pottery side of the business operational, and it continues to be a big hit with the community. Having never worked with paint-your-own-pottery, she watched videos on how to operate a kiln and connected with a pottery distributor to learn the ins and outs of working with ceramics. Her hard work has paid off and the pottery studio is a perfect complement to the store. Kids who finish painting early can explore the store, engage with a sensory bin or spend time at the play table as their guardians finish their project. “It has just like really melded beautifully in with the toy store,” Desjarlais observed.

Getting creative with space

Including the pottery studio, Kiddiwink Kids has around 250 square feet of retail space. Desjarlais maximizes every inch of space with mobile displays and tables that can be tucked underneath each other. There is a play/demo table for kids and parents to interact with products; that same table can be cleared off and expanded to be used in the pottery studio. In the summer months, customers can paint pottery and enjoy vistas of Lake Superior in a large covered space behind the store.

Desjarlais employs the help of around three part-time employees, often high school and college students. “I love to give them one of their first jobs and setting the base for their life and their career,” Desjarlais said. “I’ve had a couple who started here when they were 14 and have now graduated and gone off to college. It’s been fun to watch them grow.”

Kiddiwink Kids hosts two types of in-store happenings. Small pop-up events feature make-and-take craft projects related to the present season or upcoming holiday. Two larger events take place in the summer and at Halloween, each bringing in around 100 families, rain, shine or even snow. While guests can try a free craft (which are funded by a grant) and can enjoy a special promotion, the larger events also bring a big bump in sales and give Desjarlais an opportunity to restock.

“People know when we have the events and they get super excited,” Desjarlais said. “They make a whole day of it and come up to Washburn. It’s phenomenal that our community encourages creativity and engages in activities as a family.”

Everything about Kiddiwink Kids, from its cute name and colorful logo to the atmosphere inside its doors, is “fun, bright, creative and really happy,” said Desjarlais. She works to build trust with her customers, offering recommendations and advice on how to best use products in multiple ways.

“You would think, gosh, how is a store so small even surviving?” Desjarlais said. “The one thing that our saving grace is that we have such loyal people.”

Next steps

Kiddiwink Kids is bursting with fun times and merchandise, and it’s time to find a space large enough to contain it all. Desjarlais is in the process of moving the store to a larger location. She has signed a lease for a new storefront in Bayfield that has three times the space of the store’s current sales floor.

“I’m also looking for a larger space that I can buy that allows me to have the toy store, space for birthday parties and expand the pottery painting,” Desjarlais added.

No matter where Kiddiwink Kids goes from here, Desjarlais is dedicated to providing a safe space where kids can be kids. While she revels in buying toys and hearing the stories behind the brands, Desjarlais’ greatest joy comes from working with customers, offering recommendations and hearing about their lives and families. She hopes that everyone who steps through her doors finds joy of their own.

“Childhood is a unique time of your life, but it’s so short,” Desjarlais said. “So, it’s fun when adults and even like older siblings come in and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so cool.’”