Toy Alert: Neighborhood Toy Store Day

NEIGHBORHOOD TOY STORE DAY

SATURDAY

NOVEMEBER 10, 2012

Yes! 

As parents and grandparents, and with Christmas lurking, we all ask the questions: WHAT DO THEY WANT?  (Of course, the answer is everything, but it helps to know some of the best toys on the market today).

ASTRA, the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association

has a new website to help parents search out the best toys on the market – AND a LOCATOR so that you can shop LOCAL!  I have long been an advocate for SHOP LOCAL.  For every dollar spent in local, independent owned stores, $68 returns to our communities in the form of taxes, salaries, etc., in contrast with only $43 when we spend our money at a national chain.  As a community founded organization, ASTRA’s new website, www.yourneighborhoodtoystore.org tells you where to go for the best toys of the year.  I ALWAYS shop local, for I find great toys and good customer service as well as helping our own cities flourish.

Neighborhood Toy Store Day offers in store events for families to help kick off the holiday shopping season and celebrate the joy of shopping for toys!  Activities, crafts, special discounts – just google ASTRA’s new website yourneighborhoodtoystore.org!

I did and found MY FAVORITE stores on the list!

Yippee!  I HAD to buy my grandkids the Nanoblock Electric Guitar, a winner of ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids 2012 which is a building set for kids 8 and up with 160 tiny pieces to build a detailed 3-D electric guitar!  Another BEST for 2012 are games by MINDWARE (3-7) and I especially liked MINDWARE: Mine Shift, the maze game of shifting strategy for kids 8+, named as a Parents Choice.  Creative and open ended, I want my grandkids to LEARN and have FUN all year long!  All of these toys have been awarded best creatively and mind enhancing to give them the Best of 2012 category!

My favorite? 

Another Best Toy for 2012:  E-Ranger Headquarters by Playmobile.  The Future Planet Playset ROCKS and allows your kids to have fun with the environment and all kinds of nifty gadgetry stuff on the station!

You can find more info at www.yourneighborhoodtoystore.org (non profit organization) on their wonderful site, the WOOHOO Factor which gives parents the reasons for imaginative play, sites the best toys for this year, the companies that practice safety, articles for parents on where to find the best toys locally and lots of activities and information.  I WISH I had had this website when my kids were growing up, but now I have it for my grandkids!  It lead me to some of the best toys for my grandkids ages, in local and close neighborhood stores, and I didn’t have to spend hours on google trying to find great toys (I love LEGO, and building toys, Playmobile, and great games as these teach my kids while giving them so much fun time!).

So check out www.yourneighborhoodtoystore.org, plan on going to neighborhood Store Day on November 10^th for freebies and great toys for Christmas and Hannukah, and visit Facebook/TheWoohoo Factor and @TheWoohooFactor – MOMS and DADS we now have HELP to get our Christmas shopping done with toys listed by age group and outstanding creativity!  YIPPEE!

For more information

I received toys and information from Child’s Play Communications in order to give an unbiased review of ASTRA’s website.