My oh my! There are so many ‘wish lists’ in the works already and we haven’t even reached December! (Whoever said the holiday season wasn’t all about gifts and toys was living under a rock!) Kids know what they want and parents usually have some different ideas about this. During the coming weeks there is every opportunity for a ‘wish list’ tug-of-war to materialize on the home front.
Ideally, there is always room for compromise. And with that, we would like to put forth some toy suggestions that you may find useful in avoiding any ‘anticipointment’ on ‘the big day.’ (‘Anticipointment’ being the probable outcome in situations where ‘said’ gift from ‘said’ wish list is not received due to a) Santa being out stock b) the price tag being a tad too outrageous or c) the idea of your child owning ‘said’ gift being preposterous!)
Each year Neighbourhood Toy Stores of Canada (NETS) awards a ‘Gold Star’ to 10 toys. You could call it
our ‘top ten’ list. A winning product must offer exceptional play value and be safe and durable. The really nice thing about these winning products is that NETS retailers select these based on feedback from parents like you. These are the toys and games ‘you’ have found to be the ‘most amazing’ products because kids play with these toys over and over again, never tiring of them.
So, based on kids loving to play with these toys, and parents loving to buy these toys for their children, conditions are right for a ‘win/win’ situation in the ‘wish list’ tug of war.
Here are some of this year’s Gold Star Award winners:
Magf
ormers 30-Piece Rainbow Set
Kids 5+ explore and experiment with these two geometric shapes creating simple and complex 3D models for hours on end. Each time they pick up this toy it presents them with new possibilities limited only by their imaginations. The 30-piece Rainbow set includes 18 square (size: 2.5” x 2.5”) and 12 triangle (size: 2”H) Magformers and an idea booklet. Suggested retail price is $49.99.
Speed Stacks StackPack 
These are hot! Sport Stacking is a phenomenon that has participation in over 29 countries and 35,000 schools! This is all about stacking and re-stacking the cups, proficiently, in record time. Kids can’t help but develop their hand-eye coordination in the process and there is always the challenge of breaking their last record. There are a million videos of speed stacking online. Check them out! The StackPack includes 12 Speed Stacks Cups in one of four assorted colours, the StackIt Timer (which also doubles as the cup-carrier), StackMat, Training DVD & Instruction Booklet. Suitable for children 8+ the suggested retail price is $39.99.
Baby Stella Swe
et Sounds
Here’s something for those little darlings who are 12 months plus. Manhattan Toy’s Baby Stella Sweet Sounds doll captivates the imaginations of boys and girls around the world. Baby Stella can talk and features three realistic sounds: pacifier sucking noise when pacifier is attached, giggling when foot is squeezed and she calls for "mama" when her hand is squeezed. Her adorable outfit includes a magnetic pacifier and a pink ruffled onesie with Velcro-like closures in back. Baby Stella comes with two replaceable AA batteries. Suggested retail price is $44.99.
You will find each of the 2012 Gold Star Award products in NETS retailers across Canada.
Each of the ideas mentioned above are pretty much in the ‘major league’ gift department price-wise. But any one of the 50 NETS retail stores across Canada has a far wider selection for you to choose from. There’s no question you will find the gift that ‘fits’ both your child’s age, stage and character, as well as your budget.
We love it when you give us a challenge, so drop on by!
In the meantime we’ll be back with additional 2012 Gold Star Award winners in the coming weeks!
Neighbourhood Toy Stores of Canada (NETS) is a network of local independent specialty toy stores, and their suppliers. NETS retail stores are owned and staffed by people who live in your community and are usually parents themselves. NETS retailers and their suppliers are passionate about connecting children with safe, fascinating, quality-made toys and games to engage them in fun and learning.
Putting some really good ‘family time’ together in the spring and summer months always feels less challenging than it does at this time of year. The hectic mornings, rushed dinners, chaotic swimming lessons and homework doesn’t leave very much time for the most important time, ‘family time.’ Here are some activities we use to grab some quick ‘family time’ during these hectic months.
If you haven’t tried the game Spot It by Blue Orange Games you really should. Recognized for the 
exceptional play value it offers, this game just won a 2012 Gold Star Award from Neighbourhood Toy Stores of Canada (NETS). A game of visual endurance it is rated for children 7+. However my five year-old twins have no problem playing and enjoy frequent wins. The game consists of a deck of round cards that have numerous images on them including a tree, an apple and a purple hand to name a few. It is a wonderful equalizing game that puts the kids on the same level or above the adults. Great confidence builder ($16.99).
Quick craft ideas are sometimes all that we have time for. Botanical Cuts from 
Roylco are amazing. They are pre-cut paper leaves, stems and flowers that you can bend to become 3D. You can turn them into unique cards for birthday parties. They also make unique placemats by sandwiching the greenery between 2 sheets of clear contact paper. My oldest son Jaiden has taken a great interest in drying real flowers and leaves and is designing items using the paper cuts mixed with a natural touch ($9.99 for a package of 210 pieces).
Another idea is to set up a card table in the middle of the living room with lots of room on each side so even the little ones can squeeze in. 
Cobble Hill Puzzles from Outset Media makes amazing family puzzles with three different-sized pieces so that all ages can get involved—with bigger pieces for little hands and smaller pieces for older kids. We leave the table set up and work on the puzzle whenever we can. Very satisfying but always a contest to see who gets to put in the last piece. Although I never seem to win. We have a few puzzles and we rotate through them ($19.99).
Life seems to get busier and busier even when I do everything I can do to slow down. The best thing in the world is the half hour when we slow down and enjoy each other. If crafts and games are not your thing you can always cuddle up with a blanket and a book. Or in our case a pile of blankets, a pile of books (one each) and the usual boy humour. Enjoy!
Angela Field is the owner of Tradewind Imports (Toys & Gifts) a member of Neighbourhood Toy Stores of Canada (NETS) and an active and slightly crazy mother of four little boys. She has been in retail for over 15 years and has increased her toy lines with the arrival of her boys and the knowledge they have imparted. The boys, along with relatives, and other kids in the community are an active part in her toy testing. Angela’s motto is “I won’t sell it if I don’t believe in it.”
Funny how things happen, isn’t it? It’s that time of year when we’re about to write a blog post on Neighbourhood Toy Store Day, now less than a week away (YAY!) and ‘lo and behold’ we run smack into a situation that totally embodies what Neighbourhood Toy Store is all about, which is ‘shop your ‘hood.'
Here’s what happened. This past weekend we visited a cute little Ontario village cum town that we love for its
fabulously interesting, ‘un-box,’ independently-owned stores, quaintly housed in brightly coloured clapboard buildings lining the main street. These are stores where you can pooch about, chit-chat with the owner and be overwhelmed with ‘customer service’ whether you buy anything or not. It is always a fun and memorable experience. But ‘uh oh.' On this visit we were overcome with ‘antici-pointment.’ Virtually all but two or three of those fun and exciting little stores have gone. No other businesses have taken their place. The buildings are empty. It all looks rather bleak, literally and figuratively. What happened?
It’s simple. The local, independent specialty retailers lost the community and tourist support they needed to stay alive. Most likely to the new mega centre down the road. Now they are gone. What a shame!
These ‘one-of-a-kind,’ locally-owned businesses enhance the fabric of communities. At the same they leave more dollars in the community by supporting local charities and community projects and by using local services such as accountants and insurance companies to run their businesses. Most significantly, they make and keep a community interesting, preserving the distinct nature and charm that attracts tourism, new residents and additional businesses.
On Saturday, November 10 more than 50 independent toy retailers belonging to Neighbourhood Toy Stores of Canada (NETS), from the Yukon to PEI, will celebrate Neighbourhood Toy Store Day for the second consecutive year.
The short-term goal of Neighbourhood Toy Store Day is to thank regular customers for their support and make a lasting impression on those who have yet to experience the ‘wow’ factor of shopping at the local toy store in their ‘hood. The long-term goal is to ensure these stores stay viable in their communities.
Neighbourhood Toy Store Day is a day of free, ‘no purchase necessary,’ family fun. Each store has been preparing for months, booking mascots, princesses, favourite kid’s characters like Rapunzel, Spider Man, Clifford The Big Red Dog as well as local children’s authors for a special story time, musicians, Speed Stacks Ambassadors to offer demos and competitions, as well as bringing in Orb Factory Sparkle Up Play Day Kits for a special ‘make and take’ craft. And there’s lots more, too much to mention here.
It’s true that our smaller scale stores can’t offer all the product to be found in a ‘big box’ store (which for 
some of us, not to mention the grandparent set, is completely overwhelming!). Instead we stick to those products that we have no qualms about taking home to our own children. These are toys, games and books that offer exceptional play value (kids want to play with the toy, not the box, and continue to play with the toy even when it is long past being ‘new’).
But what really sets us apart from mass marketers is our personal interest in you and your family, in learning your name and helping you make the best choice in toys for each child you buy for.
We also have a ‘toy-rrific’ reputation (*grin*) for going that extra mile, some examples of which include—
You see, we’re not all business; we’re also a lot of fun!
Bring your friends and family and come out and play with us on Saturday, November 10, Neighbourhood Toy Store Day! Celebrate community!
Neighbourhood Toy Stores of Canada (NETS) is a network of Canadian-owned specialty toy stores owned and staffed by people, usually parents themselves, who are passionate about connecting children with fascinating, quality-made toys and games to engage them in fun and learning. Check out the what’s in-store for Neighbourhood Toy Store day in your ‘hood at www.neighbourhoodtoystoreday.com.
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