The Old Market is getting a new specialty shop offering “amazing gifts for curious children and dogs.”

LeWonderment, near 11th and Howard Streets, is celebrating its grand opening today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Store owner Peggy Pawloski said the retail concept will engage customers with products and services that promote problem solving, scientific learning, family time, creativity and imagination.

The store is set up with different stations that will allow children, parents and even dogs to check out toys before they’re purchased.

“Parents need to understand what the toys do for their children before they buy them,” she said. “Meaningful, guided play is the cornerstone of LeWonderment.”

Pawloski has spent her career working with children and learning about their development as a teacher and as a literacy consultant and director of training for the children’s book publishing company Scholastic Inc. Before returning to Omaha, she worked for Carnegie Learning, a math software company in Pittsburgh.

“I am so thrilled to have come full circle in my career and be back in Omaha opening a specialty gift shop dedicated to the educational philosophies I have embraced for such a long time,” she said. “we are so much more than a toy store, and our exploration of curiosities concepts are different from anything else out there in the retail world.

“An interactive, playful shop environment encourages children of all ages, adults and dog lovers to explore, discover and learn.”

The grand opening will include face painting, music, prizes, and discoveries for families and dogs. John Archambault, the children’s author who wrote the bestseller “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom,” is making a special appearance.

Avenue will close two metro-area stores

Avenue, a plus-sized women’s clothing store, will close both its Omaha-area locations at 3139 Oak View Drive and 8002 S. 84th St. in La Vista, an employee confirmed this week.

The only store staying open in Nebraska is the Lincoln location. though company officials could not be reached, Avenue Stores LLC said in May that it would close 96 stores over the next three months as part of its post-bankruptcy restructuring.

The Omaha-area stores are expected to close in the next few months, and closing sales already have started.

Sprayground open for young shoppers

The Shadow Lake Towne Center sprayground is open again after being closed for a few days for repairs. the sprayground, which features a water umbrella, a soft rubber sphere for children to play on and a series of water tunnels and jets, is open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., except for Fridays when it closes about 4 p.m. to prepare for the concerts.

Contact the writer:

402-444-1336, leia.mendoza@owh.com

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Shop is for ‘curious children and dogs’ – Omaha.com