You see it from the end of the street

Deep navy woodwork, the name spelled out in fat letters of red, green and yellow, paper lanterns bobbing overhead and a wooden Pinocchio standing guard at the door. Outside, a rack of vintage-style pedal racers waits for its next driver. On a narrow lane of the old town, Bonhomme de Bois is impossible to walk past – which is rather the point.

Wooden toys, since 1993

Bonhomme de Bois began in Levallois-Perret in June 1993. Its founders, Sophie and Stéphane Héral, had noticed that toy shops were full of plastic and that good wooden toys were hard to find, so they built a shop around them. The idea spread across France, and since 2017 the brand has been part of the Moulin Roty family – the French maker whose toys and games fill a whole display inside.

Inside

The shop runs deep. Shelves of soft toys climb one wall; wooden activity toys, balance bikes and scooters line the floor; there are board games, puzzles, craft kits, picture books and the kind of small, well-made things that end up treasured for years. The brand prides itself on knowing every toy it sells, and the team is there to help you find the right one for the right age.