Today (November 10th) is the 3rd annual Neighborhood Toy Store Day. If you’re like me, then your children probably have a list a mile long filled with toys and games that they just have to have. With the holidays quickly approaching, there’s no better time than now to go out and get some of your gifts at your local toy store.
I love to shop online, it’s so easy to do… and let’s face it, sometimes I’m just too lazy to want to go out from store to store to look for a gift, when it’s already right there in front of me… just a click away. I do prefer to find the children’s gifts in the store though, and the older I get, the more I realize just how important it is to support the local “mom and pop” businesses… especially now that I myself am trying to become my own full time boss.
Today, stores throughout the nation are participating in Neighborhood Toy Store Day. Many of them are hosting local in-store events for families (such as activities, craft projects and special discounts) to kick off the holiday shopping season. Personally, I don’t even want to think about buying holiday gifts yet, but I know many who have already started checking items off of their lists… and with Noah and Abby’s wish lists growing daily, I know that either Ray or I will be shopping for them soon too.
I was recently sent a box of toy’s that were winners in ASTRA’s (American Specialty Toy Retailer’s Association) Best Toys for Kids 2012, for my kids and I to play with. Out of the three different toys sent to us, the ones that my kids play the most with are the Puppets on sticks (suggested retail price $9.99).
These puppets are so much fun to play with… they have large plastic, oversized heads with googly eyes, and movable mouths. I like that there are two different ways to move the mouth… with from a lever on the handle or by pulling down the ball at the bottom of the handle. This made it much easier for Abby to play with them. Anyone who knows me, knows that when it comes to toys for my kids, I prefer that they have multi-functioning, educational toys, rather than toys that just are what they are. These puppets definitely gave my children a way to have some great imaginative play time.
The other toys that we were sent were the Brio Classic Figure 8 Train set ($49.99)… which is a great wooden train set and a must have for any household with little boys! It includes a 15 piece track set, an engine with two railway cars, and some accessories. I love wooden train sets – they are perfect for younger children. Noah has had wooden train sets for a few years now and we keep building on to them, so these fit in perfectly with our growing collection. In addition to the puppets and the train set, we also received an Orgo Sport RAQ ($34.99). This was the winner in the Active Play category. It is fun to play with, though more for Ray and me than for the children. It is a game that combines disc and racquet play. It comes with two mesh racquets and flux ball, and you can determine how the flux ball moves based on how you insert the tail parts. Even though the kids are a little young for this game, they did have a lot of fun just throwing the flux ball around.
I hope that you find time not only today, but also in the future to check out your local toy store to see what selection of toys they have. You can find a local Neighborhood Toy Store near you by visiting yourneighborhoodtoystore.org, an online resource for parents interested in learning more about the best toys on the market and where to find them {Twitter: @TheWoohooFactor – Facebook.com/THeWoohooFactor}
Fine Print
{The review above has been sponsored by Child’s Play Media and ASTRA. While I received a sample of the products mentioned above, I was not monetarily compensated and the review is written based on my honest opinion. Please click on the link to see my full disclosure policy.}