June 2024
With four grandkids, I feel my finger is on the pulse of all the toy stores in town. And one of the kids’ favorites is Bugg’s Toys, a store that opened in December 2022 at 66 East Main, with a second convenient entrance on the OSF Bricks. Owner Shannon Connolly’s interest in toy stores goes back a long time.
“I am passionate about toys,” Shannon said. “They spark curiosity, encourage relationships, feed creativity, and promise fun, or at least distraction. Toys are ageless. At every age and every stage, we all love toys. Even animals love toys. Watching my own children discover and learn, I became obsessed with early childhood development, and especially the role of toys and play for stimulation, exploration, and discovery. I spent countless hours browsing teacher resources and creating my own toys and games for use with my kids.”
Shannon opened a homeschool and teacher supply shop called Busibodies in Grants Pass, then opened a preschool, Bugg’s Place, in Roseburg, for 12 years. She created a stimulating haven for children to grow and learn, wrote unique curriculum, and continued her education in early childhood development. She attended SOU, planning to gain acceptance to medical school. After graduation, she found herself on the East Coast, where she opened Bugg’s Place Toys on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
“I loved that store and felt like I was returning to myself,” Shannon said. “But Oregon was calling me home, and I didn’t fully arrive until I opened Bugg’s Toys in Ashland. The store is a magical play-store for all ages. The inventory is carefully curated and reflects my background and interest in early childhood development, science, retro, and art. Visitors feel happy, youthful, and playful. There are several areas throughout the store for exploration, including Bugg’s Garden, a colorful space stocked with games and toys that is open for community use, events, and booked parties.”
Shannon was born in San Jose, California, graduated from high school in Montana, and returned to San Jose following graduation. Her first two children were born in San Jose, but the next 25 years were spent in Oregon, with four years in Ashland to attend SOU.
And where did the name Bugg’s Toys come from? “The name ‘Bugg’ came from a childhood nickname, ShannyBug,” Shannon said. “My maiden name was Butterworth, and friends called me Buggerworth, which was shortened to Bugg over time. ShannyBugg became a character for birthday parties and company events when I had my first store in Grants Pass. To this day, ShannyBugg is still performing for children, and Bugg’s Toys is her toy store. Ms. Bugg, who works at the toy store and leads most store events, is the grown-up version of ShannyBugg.”
Ms. Bugg loves to paint ladybugs on children’s faces, as time permits. Free gift wrapping is always available. BabyBuggs is a sensory class for toddlers (ages 1-3), held on Fridays at 11:00. This class has a $10 fee that is offset with a $5 gift card. StoryTime with Ms. Bugg takes place on Saturdays (for the same fee), for children ages 3-6. Other events can be found on the website’s calendar at BuggsToysAshland.com.
Bugg’s Garden is available for exclusive parties and events and can be booked with or without entertainment. For more info, call 774-487-6193. You can also find Bugg’s Toys Ashland on Facebook and Instagram.
