Great book store. Owner was very nice.

Nice selection. Some local makers and many responsible choices. Super nice people. So glad I found it!

Such a wonderful store! I go there all the time, and the owners are very kind to me. Very kid-friendly and gives me immaculate vibes! :)

This store is a local treasure. Its my go-to for gift shopping and books, but its also fun to pop in and browse! Everything has been carefully curated by the shop owners and they know so much background information on the items they carry. They have a wide assortment fun yet educational childrens games and toys, beautiful puzzles, books, greeting cards, and also sustainable chocolates, soaps, gift items, and home goods. If youre unable to find a book youre looking for, theyre able to order it and have it shipped directly to you. I always leave this shop in a very positive mood, the people who run it are very lovely humans!

Great shop! I came for the soap and detergent refill station and was not disappointed. Excellent products at a very reasonable price. They have shampoo, hand soap, dish soap, and laundry detergent. All products are eco-friendly and not tested on animals. Prices are per ounce, so make sure you know the size of your container! It sounds like hair conditioner may be coming soon.I’m so glad San Mateo has a refill spot that helps its residents reduce waste in our local landfill!

Reach and Teach is so many things: gifts, toys, books, kitchen essentials, chocolate (!), and more, all with an emphasis on ethical and sustainable living. The owners are friendly and welcoming, and know their products well. You can be looking for ideas for a gift and they’ll help you find exactly the right thing. Or you can just have a wonderful time browsing and then find what you didn’t know you needed! We are so fortunate to have this business in our neighborhood. It’s truly one of the best stores in San Mateo.

A terrific store. Many years I’ve been able to do all my Christmas shopping there. Games are great and I especially like the noncompetitive ones. Amazing unusual puzzles. Science and art kits. Fair trade jewelry and purses and even chocolates. Cards, lots of books and they will order books and calendars for you. Nice little corner of San Mateo, you can shop then get lunch. At dinner time La Lanterna is wonderful.

I love this store so much. Every town needs a store like this, where the owners themselves are part of and participate in working to better the community through education, acceptance and kindness. Theyve worked tirelessly through the pandemic to make sure people are able to get materials for their kids or for themselves. My kids are now grown, but that doesnt stop me from going in to get all kinds of unique toys, books and other gifts for others, and the occasional toy for myself.

Creative books, toys, gifts for all ages. ASK if you dont see something, youll be pleasantly surprised at the creative gift giving they inspire!Support a local small business that also is huge on supporting their local community.

Really fun store, I can find something for anyone here including myself. Great place to look around in. Awesome people work there. Shop online available on their website.

Total gem. Excellent variety of books, and will order what they dont have in stock. Unique toys. games, jewelry and gifts. Also options for refillable eco-friendly cleaning products. Inviting space.

Beautiful store with a beautiful mission. And you can get just about any book Amazon offers from them too, delivered quickly to your door. A treasure in our community that just keeps getting better!

My favorite toy store! Great learning toys, quality toys that empower the people who make it. All age ranges. Best place to birthday shop!

We stopped here on our way to lunch, and never knew it existed. Its such a little gem, with so many interesting things and an owner that clearly loves his shop. We chatted with him for quite awhile, and he was happy to show my son every gadget in the store. I wish there were more shops like this around!

Teach kids propaganda early that way they don’t know any better! Hateful, biased company.

Very Cute. I stumbled upon this with a friend. It has cute games and learning tools. The shop owner is attentive and is more than willing to explain and or teach on any of the items in the store. I love this Penguin Game and the Penny Drop game (which also doubles as a why to solve arguments).

Reach & Teach is more of a renewing experience than just a book and toy shop! Craig and Derrick welcome you with delicious tea and chocolate and then invite you to explore the educational books and toys, the fair trade jewelry and gifts for people of all ages. They are incredibly knowledgeable about every item, often knowing the artist or author personally. Peace and social justice are the main themes of Reach and Teach and their origami classes and readings by local authors are part of the community space that encourages curiosity, compassion, and sharing! They have created something very special! We stop in every time we are in the Bay Area and come away with very special items for ourselves and our loved ones!

Great selection and friendly staff!

Such a fun and unique place to shop. There is truly something for everyone in this shop. Very knowledgeable and friendly staff and a really great atmosphere. Highly recommend this shop—well-worth a trip to San Mateo even if you’re not already close by.

Heres where you go to get your environmentally themed books as well as social justice books and games. Lots of eco gifts and products as well as shampoo and detergent to buy in bulk. Bring your own bottle. Were lucky we have this place in San Mateo.

Really cute store on a random street in San Mateo with a lot of little shops and restaurants. This place reminds me of a fantastic fair-trade shop called Ten Thousand Villages from the Pacific Northwest. The owner/host of the store is very nice and friendly, and offers you water, tea, and even a little piece of dark chocolate (tastefully/hygienically covered with a little clear plastic cup) when you enter the store. I could spend hours in this store looking through the interesting/eclectic book selection; toys; body butters/lotions; and other gifts. There are so many unique toys and gifts with their inspiration or actual origin from all over the world. The back half of the store is designed a childrens play area with a table for arts and crafts, and surrounded by bookcases full of childrens books. My favorite sections, though, are the toy and music sections where there are a lot of fantastic musical toys, puzzles, and other items that could easily keep both you and/or a child entertained for hours. They have puzzle toys and other small games similar to the Marbles: The Brain Store, but also other unique gifts like building blocks with Korean, Chinese, Japanese, ASL; toy trucks/cars on a string; ankle beads that can be both decorative and a percussive instrument; and my favorite, a fantastic xylophone built entirely of wooden pieces. Another lovely thing: they have beautiful greeting cards that are made locally and/or handmade, some of which are very unique and quite beautiful. You can probably tell: I LOVE THIS STORE.

There should be more small independent businesses like this one. Unique blend of childrens toys, books, music - very interesting selection. Fun demos keep the little ones entertained while you browse. They specialize in educational and / or sustainable themes. Very friendly staff. Definitely worth a visit!

They have such fun books,clever games and gifts and are always helpful. Today I purchased The Secret Lives of Color.. all about the history of colors like Saffron and Fuchsia and Puce. Delightful!

Great place for educational toys!

Located on a street filled with restaurants, cafes and salons, its easy to miss this place. We stumbled upon it by chance, thanks to their very interesting mechanical window display and Im so glad we did. It has a very unique selection of toys, games and cute gifts and knickknacks from all over the world. It is also a bookstore with a cozy reading area at the back. Though the collection is not huge, there are very interesting picks and many of them have handwritten notes describing whats special about the book. Theres also a little book trading corner by the reading area. And the best part is that everything is sourced fair trade with the central theme being peace and sustainability. A whiff of fresh air in this era of online shopping and retail giants. Highly recommended!

The owners are very helpful and they have the most educational and interesting and engaging toys! Love this store!

This is my favorite place to buy toys for all the young children I know. The selection if superb. I always start out browsing, but the staff members ask a few questions about the interests of the gift recipient and they swiftly select several products that would be perfectly suited. I have gone with the recommendations each time. I even threw a curveball with a unique and fun gift for my husband, a literary aficionado, and was quickly directed to the graphic novel version of Fahrenheit 451. Perfect! I highly recommend this store, it is a San Mateo gem!

Great selection, helpful staff, eclectic collection of books & gifts

Browse around this store and youll notice that every item was carefully selected. There are educational toys, games, and books for all ages, with great options focused on gender equality, diversity and inclusion, sustainability, and peacemaking. There are also fair trade and local gifts. And theres​ a bulk soap refill station in the back, currently with laundry detergent, dish soap, and shampoo, with Castile soap coming soon.

An amazing store for educational toys with a story. A very friendly, patient and well informed store owner - will not be disappointed!!!

This is some place everyone should visit very interesting toys games and other items for children gifts or to treat yourself to tea or chocolate.

Awesome place to find unique gifts!

Just walking into this store is a treat. Walking around inside the welcoming shop is a wonder. Such an amazing range of fascinating, uplifting, and fun items.

I love that place. The owner is the nicest person I have ever met and they have a sizable collection of games they have personally tested. Just ask for advice!

So awesome. love this place, and these people. quality quality quality. sustainably sourced, integrity everywhere!

Really cute store. A lot of unique toys and books. A must place to visit.

Great store for educational and unique gifts for children (and adults). We went in with no specific direction and one of their staff members treated us like family. We left with awesome gifts for a two year old to a twelve year old and something for me (thirtyish). Highly recommend - check them out!

Great selection of gifts for children and adults. Books and toys that make you think.

Knowledgeable and helpful owner and a room full of educational, fun and all-inclusive toys and books. I love the puzzle section.

Great store that has tons of educational and inspirational toys and books. I love the selection of material empowering little girls to be interested in STEM.

Incredibly friendly and knowledgeable staff. Very cool selection of books, toys, puzzles, and instruments for kids and adults alike.

Great selection of toys and books. A real quaint and lovely store to visit

Love this place and the owners !!Grandson always wants to go when he visits from S Calif

Unique collection of artifacts sourced from indigenous folk artist all over the world. Very friendly staff...its really a different shopping experience.

Super interesting toys, trinkets, etc. And they price the items at the same price as Amazon, so they arent marking up their products.

A unique selection. Always fun to visit. So glad we have this place.

Great educational toys

I like this store so much . Its kinda bits of this and that around the world and locals . Recommended!!!!!!

Consciously sourced, Thought provoking books, science projects, art, puzzles, music, and toys at their best!

Excellent selection of books for kids and teens, plus a number of fun, creative, and educational toys. A gem of a shop!

Really awesome place with cool stuff for babies, kids, and adults!

Fun and educational for kids and adults.

Great educational toy store