This article appeared in the August 6th Issue of TV Times
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By David Maull
TV Times

There's still something to be said for good old-fashioned brain power.

At least that's how Teresa Ford, owner of Kids' Ketch Toys & Fashions, sees things. And that's why her store on Second Street in Lewes is stocked with toys that make children use their minds.

"What I try to do is buy toys that make kids do something," Ford said. "Sometimes, it's the old-fashioned toys that are better."

You won't find video tapes at Kids' Ketch, but you will find plastic models, games, construction sets, rockets, science kits and puzzles. Battery-powered items are also rare in the store.

The inventory is unique in an age when most children are entertained simply by sitting in front of a television set.

"I think kids are entertained too much," Ford said. "I think they appreciate in the long run these kinds of toys."

It was frustration at not being able to find quality, mind-stimulating toys for her children that led Ford to open Kids' Ketch eight years ago.

After searches at large toy stores proved fruitless, Ford opened a business of her own, stocking the very items she had difficulty finding.

She first operated a small 400-square-foot shop in the Jetty building before moving into a larger space in the Lewes Mercantile Building on Second Street.

"I was always pleased with the response," Ford said. "I think it took off real well."

In February, the business got another boost when it relocated to a 3,700-square-foot space on Second Street that was once occupied by a hardware store.

The move has allowed Ford to further expand her inventory.

"It's been fun carrying a broader selection in the lines I've been carrying," she said. "It's really like a full-service toy store."

But Kids' Ketch isn't just toys. There are also full lines of children's clothing, beach supplies, kites, flags and stuffed animals.

Kids' Ketch stocks items for nearly every age group, from newborns through early teens, and the store has an on-line catalog (www.kidsketch.com).

But while Ford prides herself on offering quality items not found in all toy stores, she hasn't been able to escape one popular craze - Beanie Babies.

Kids Ketch has stocked Beanie Babies for more than a year and they are still its most popular item.

"There's nothing that compares with it," said Ford, astonished by the amount of time the toys have remained popular. "I haven't seen anything like it."

Visit us on the Web!: www.kidsketch.com