WOW, time just flew by! It does seem that the older we get the faster
time goes. The Christmas season races at
us adults at lightening speed but crawls at a snail's pace for the kids. When I
was a small child summers seemed endless, and I thought Christmas would NEVER
arrive. Just the thought of a visit from
Santa, leaving out milk and cookies, and decorating the tree would emote such
an excitement that words can't describe.
I have no doubt that many of our readers, parents and grandparents
alike, are experiencing the beginnings of this.
The list of wants, the letters to Santa have begun.
Unless we have a verbal
request or written list, the hard part is actually deciding what on earth to
buy. We want something that will hold
their interest for more than 15 minutes, something that will last for a long
time, something that can be passed down to and shared with other children,
something that expands the mind and/or allows
creativity and imaginations to flourish.
So for this reason, I thought our latest blog would include a list of some
of the toys frequently requested as well as some items that we carry at our
store. So here we go.
1) Frozen ANYTHING. The outstanding success of the Disney film
Frozen has created the Frozen "craze." That is one of the top requested items in our
store, and apparently throughout the states as well. So if you have a child with even the smallest
interest in Frozen, you can't go wrong (in my opinion anyway). This holiday season we will be carrying Frozen
puzzles, sticker books, and books with CDs.
2) Dolls and accessories. This just seems to be a given at
Christmas. Dolls of all shapes and
sizes. In lieu of the popular American
Girl dolls, we carry German-made dolls from Gotz, which are of beautiful
quality. The baby dolls are even bathtub
friendly. Extra clothing is also available. This category also includes doll houses and
furniture.
3) Trains. Currently, WTTS carries Chuggington and TOLO train
sets, which are very popular with the smaller children. What is particularly nice about the
Chuggington line is that it is interchangeable with wooden train tracks from
other makers such as BRIO and Thomas.
4) Games of all kinds. Word games are still right at the top of the
list: Bananagrams, Zingo, and Sight
Words are still flying off the shelf and are games we get lots of positive
feedback on, specifically on how much fun they are. Good old chess is still around, and for those
of you who want to learn this game of strategy, try No Stress Chess, which
comes with learning cards and a board that shows you where to move, and once
you become familiar with the game you can flip the board over and just have a
regular chess board. I even bought one
for myself and highly recommend it.
Also, remember the old
classics like Clue, The Game of Life, and Racko, which never seem to fade away.
5) Brain teasers and other "thinking"
games. There is the Rubik's cube, Rush
Hour, and new for 2014 from ThinkFun is the marble game Gravity Maze. For kids (and adults) who like a real
challenge, this game is. I found even
the "beginner cards" to be a bit difficult. It is the perfect blend of marbles, mazes,
and brain work.
6) Arts, crafts, and
hands-on play. This would include any
type of art supply, jewelry making supplies, building with wood, blocks, and
Legos. Kids love sandboxes, which is usually
a seasonal activity, but now there is Sands Alive!, a sand with a doughy
texture that isn't granular. Kids can
mold it, squeeze it, play in it like sand.
Actually, my massage therapist also has some on her desk for clients to
handle. Manipulating and playing with it
really can relax and calm you.
7) General play.
Still one of our biggest sellers is the line of TOLO, and right behind
it the Wow! toys. Both these products
have bright primary colors and enhance creativity and role playing.
8) Science.
Science and computers are not only the way of the future, but are
important in today's culture. Purchasing
toys and kits that introduce children to the world of science is increasingly
important. The popular Science Wiz kits
for chemistry, DNA, electricity, etc., are big sellers during the holiday
season, and they can be used over and over again. For the pre-computer generation a new game is
available called Robot Turtles, a kind of pre-programming game for ages 4 and
up.
Hopefully these ideas will
help you in determining not only what type of toy to buy, but what would be the
most appropriate category for your child.
In this day and age, the options are seemingly endless. Some of the above listed games are available
for demonstration and inspection, and we hope that you will stop in and try
them out. We are always here to assist
you and hopefully make your Christmas shopping experience as stress-free and
easy as possible. Happy Thanksgiving and
holidays to you, and thank you for shopping local.
