Archive for November, 2009
Shoppers Still Shopping But Spending Less
0 Comments Published November 30th, 2009 in Toys, Toys R UsThe results are in! According to the Toy Industry Association’s Trend Specialist Reyne Rice, the Black Friday turnout was big and there were lots of online transactions on Cyber Monday, but shoppers spent less this year.
According to Rice, the Black Friday deals started earlier this year and may not have been as substantial as in the past, with some stores stocking as few as five units of the special, hot deals.
The National Retail Federation said shoppers spent about $500 apiece during this period last year and only $400 this year.
Technology is affecting many of the shopping trends this season. According to Rice:
- Shoppers used mobile price-comparison technology to comparison shop right in the aisles.
- Many skipped the lines and shopped online on Black Friday.
- Many stores’ websites honored Black Friday prices from the comfort of home.
How will your toy spending compare with last year’s?
Shoppers Still Shopping But Spending Less originally appeared on About.com Toys on Monday, November 30th, 2009 at 19:48:32.
Stimulate Pretend Play with Numerous Creative Toys
0 Comments Published November 30th, 2009 in Best Toys, Toddler Toys, Toys to Learn, Toys, Toys R UsThe majority of children like pretend play at nearly any age. Luckily, there are plenty of age-appro
Attention Black Friday Shoppers: Panic in Aisle 12
0 Comments Published November 27th, 2009 in Toys, Toys R Us
From time to time a frantic friend calls me from the toy aisle asking for help choosing a birthday present or a baby gift. Fortunately, because I’m not going to post my mobile number here, (I like you, but every good relationship has boundaries) we have a handy mobile version of Toys.About.com that you can access from any smart phone any time. Just click the “+” sign to add a button to your home screen.
There you’ll find comprehensive toy reviews including:
- Hot, new Christmas toys for every age group
- Top 10 favorite new toys
- Great cheap toys
- The best stocking stuffers
Simply click on the “Compare Prices“ links to comparison shop and order on the spot.
Just in time for Black Friday, the respected Parents’ Choice Awards Foundation has developed a handy Gift Finder Application.
Enter the child’s age and select from a long pull-down list of “Things With Which Children Become Obsessed.” (OK, that’s my term, not the foundation’s.) The list includes everything from animals to astronomy. Enter a budget limit and click “Find It!” and the tool identifies all the Parents’ Choice Award-winning toys in that category.
It’s a cool idea that works well but it’s not available in the iTunes App Store. Rather it’s a free website you can access from your browser.
Happy toy shopping!
Attention Black Friday Shoppers: Panic in Aisle 12 originally appeared on About.com Toys on Friday, November 27th, 2009 at 05:12:20.
This year we’ll have three little boys at our Thanksgiving table. They are 1, 2 and 4 so we don’t actually expect them to dine quietly at the appointed time, but it would be nice if the adults could actually consume their turkey in peace.
I printed out a handful of free Thanksgiving coloring pages, then Scotch taped them together to make a cute Thanksgiving table cloth. I added a fresh box of 64 Crayola crayons (complete with sharpener, of course!) and we’ll let them go to it.
The darling cardboard chair is called an Elia Mini Chair. It is easy to assemble and it comes with dozens of stickers to make it unique. My son and I decorated this one a full year ago and it’s still going strong. It’s also one of his favorite toys because he turns it on its side and pretends it’s a parking garage for his cars.
I wish you peace and quiet this Thanksgiving and hope your tiny guests are cooperative and your taller guests are grateful.
Photo © About.com
I Want to Sit at the Kids’ Table originally appeared on About.com Toys on Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 06:32:13.
What Toy Makes Your Child Feel Thankful?
0 Comments Published November 25th, 2009 in Toys, Toys R UsThanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. We have a small extended family and usually have friends and riotous laughter around our table. I cook all day and look forward to having turkey for breakfast, lunch and dinner for good week.
One year our kitchen was too small for all that prep so we walked back and forth in the rain to use the oven in the apartment next door. One memorable year there was a small fire at the table. Another year we told my parents that we were expecting our first child. Believe it or not, our best man met his fabulous wife at one of our Thanksgiving celebrations. I’m thankful for a long list of memories made over turkey and green bean casserole.
This year, try asking your kids what toy they’re thankful for. I bet it won’t be that must-have, hot Christmas toy from last year’s list. In fact, I think more than one reader will report that their child is thankful for something that came in a Happy Meal.
That’s OK, though. Maybe that knowledge will help parents focus on quality, lasting toys when they’re shopping for Christmas toys this year. Kids’ choices keep it all in perspective.
Happy Thanksgiving!
What Toy Makes Your Child Feel Thankful? originally appeared on About.com Toys on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 at 19:51:28.
Every Christmas there’s one hot, new toy that’s flying off the shelves and every child is clamoring for it. I’ve recommended several hot, new toys that are standing out already, even before Black Friday. There’s the Mindflex game that runs on brain power. The new Littlest Pet Shop set is a must-have for some little ones I know. And toddlers love play kitchens, so Step2’s new Fresh Market Kitchen is definitely on many Christmas lists.
Then there are the toy hamsters called Zhu Zhu Pets, which I really didn’t love at all. The hamsters are cute but their habitat was so difficult to assemble that I eventually gave up. I worked on it for half an hour before the cryptic instructions and impossible-to-see markings did me in. The plastic pieces didn’t fit together right and I never got it to work. Fortunately I didn’t have an excited child asking, “Mama, are you done yet?”
I can see why kids would want them and I can see why parents would buy them. All that buzz, TV advertising, quantity restrictions in toy stores, and a pet that doesn’t poop…really compelling! Parents might not question the quality if the toy is all they hear about, all day long.
One thing all these toys have in common is that they’re available in the big-box stores, but may not be on the shelves at small, specialty toy shops. I find that local toy sellers really know their merchandise and choose carefully, so they’re a great source for recommendations of lasting, quality toys.
The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) is the national organization that ties all the small toy stores together. They just published a list of the hottest Christmas toys that their members believe in, and those toys might not be available in the mass-market stores. Toy manufacturers don’t pay to be included in the list, unlike some hot Christmas toy lists, so parents can trust that their recommendations (like mine) are not influenced by the almighty dollar.
Photo of the Green Toys Tea Set, Recommended on the ASTRA list, is © Green Toys.
One Special Christmas Toy originally appeared on About.com Toys on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 11:34:12.
I know moms who line up at 4 am for great toy deals at the Black Friday sales, but this year many retailers are offering Black Friday prices on 2009’s hot holiday toys well before the traditional day-after-Thanksgiving shop-a-palooza. Here are just a few examples.
- Starting Saturday, November 21 Walmart is advertising deep discounts on toys like the Easy-Bake Oven (40% off) and the Barbie Generation of Dreams Collector Doll (49% off).
- Starting Sunday, November 22 Target is offering a free $20 Target gift card with the purchase of a Nintendo Wii console.
- Kohl’s is offering everything in their stores and online on sale Friday, November 20 and Saturday, November 21 including hot holiday toys Elmo’s Tickle Hands and Rocky the Robot Truck.
Photo © Fisher-Price
Black Friday Toy Deals Start Early originally appeared on About.com Toys on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 16:53:56.
Explore How Building Blocks Have Evolved Since Your Childhood
0 Comments Published November 20th, 2009 in Best Toys, Toddler Toys, Toys to Learn, Toys, Toys R UsMany kids’ toys today incorporate complex technology, so they are forever changing. This migh
Picking from the Available Rocking Chairs Can Be Fun for All
0 Comments Published November 19th, 2009 in Best Toys, Toddler Toys, Toys to Learn, Toys, Toys R UsHaving some kind of seating in your child’s living area is crucial. It is essential to have
Every year Toys for Tots provides millions of new toys to children who otherwise might not receive Christmas presents.
My husband and I usually take our children to the toy store to buy a favorite toy they already have, then allow them to put the new toys in the collection bins. We explain that, if they love their dump truck, another child might love one, too. This is a nice way to instill the importance (and fun) of giving in children as young as 2 or 3.
A million years ago when I was single, my friends and I would gather to drop off toys at the local fire station. We did it for the children, you know! More than 700 local Toys for Tots organizations will be collecting new, unwrapped toys this year. Visit the Toys for Tots website to find out where to drop off toys in your area.
Image © Toys for Tots
Toys for Tots Collecting New Toys originally appeared on About.com Toys on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 01:39:14.
