Made in Italy

We carry a couple of toy lines that are made in Italy. The Gymnic hop balls and Rody horse are fun, active toys. They are made of super sturdy non latex vinyl material and are easily inflated with a hand or foot pump. The balls come in several sizes to accommodate kids of all ages and we just got in the jumbo sized Rody . I'm pumping it up tomorrow so we can all see just how big it is. All the gymnic balls can support weight of up to 300 lbs, so you don't have to worry if the big kids sit on little Snooky's rody.
Quercetti is our other Italian line of toys. We buy them through International Playthings so we don't have access to everything they make. Their bright orange boxes jump off the shelf and all their toys are in the category that inspire creativity and imagination. Illumino is reminiscent of the old "lite -bright" toy; just a little more high tech for today's kids. They also make the kaleidogears that combine the concepts of engineering and art. And last, but not least, we carry several of their marble run kits. These range from the simple to the technical to keep kids of all ages busy creating with gravity! There's something about boys and marble runs; I don't think it's something they ever outgrow. ( girls: don't feel left out, it's just that I have 2 boys and I'm speaking from their experience)

Made in Germany

Founded in 1926, Bruder Toys is family owned and operated. They employ over 350 local people at their manufacturing plant in southern Germany. Here is another company that produces a high quality product in a competitive market without using labor exploitation. When we decided to start carrying a line of trucks, Bruder made the choice easy. We carry the roadmax series for younger players and the more detailed pro series for the older collectors.

We have carried Ravensburger games and puzzles since we opened our store. From 24 piece floor puzzles to 9000 piece adult puzzles to the new puzzleballs, Ravensburger provides us with quality and innovative products. Classic games include Amazing Labyrinth, Rivers Roads & Rails, and Make & Break. Ravensburger is also our distributor for WOW toys, a British company that makes vehicles for children under 3. These toys are so durable, they will last through all the kids in the family and still be waiting around for the grandkids to come.

Made in the USA

Yes, there are still some toys made in the USA. Both Do-a-Dot and Harrisville Designs have been in our store for years. They are classic and quality, which is what we like to carry. Other classic American toys are Slinky and the balsa gliders (still costs about the same as a cup of coffee). I've noticed that many of the items made here are printed and die cut. Examples include; Create-a-Scene and Fractiles magnetic play sets, Gamewright card games, the educational placemats and the large cardboard blocks. We've added the new Green Toy Company and will continue to seek out great quality toys made here in the states.

Harrisville Designs : Harrisville, NH

Spooktacular Downtown Saturday Oct. 25th

The "Spooktacular" event takes place this Saturday from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Come downtown dressed in your Halloween costume and decorate a pumpkin and a cookie. Parade down Main Street and have a goulishly good time. This activity is geared toward the 12 and under crowd.

More Green Toys - Plan Toys

GREEN: Plan Toys starts with preservative-free aging rubber trees in Thailand that used to be burned to make charcoal (releasing lots of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.) They kiln dry the wood with a time consuming but chemical free process. They also plant new trees every year as a contribution to forest conservation.
SMART: Plan Toys uses child developmental experts to guide the initial design of their toys, incorporating educational concepts with traditional play values.
SAFE: Plan Toys pays attention to safety details including rounding corners, non-choking sized parts, non formaldehyde glue and bright colors made with water-based dyes and soy ink. They also provide a safe work environment for employees including productive-risk free workstations, onsite child care and subsidized lunches.
PLAN TOYSproves that a company can be responsible, sustainable and profitable at the same time. The quality of their product retails at a very competitive price. We carry their dollhouses, blocks, musical toys and baby rattles. This is a line that we hope to expand as it continues to sell well for us.

New "GREEN" Toys

Sprig Toys is a home-grown Colorado company with a product that is truly new and unique. The discovery rig is made of recycled materials and made in Canada. The character in the car has a headlamp that lights up and tells a story with music, or you can opt for truck sounds. The unique part is that there are NO Batteries... it is kid powered. When the child pushes the vehicle, it makes its own power. The more you push, the better it gets!

A new company out of California called "Green Toys" has a line of classic toys made of recycled milk containers made here in the USA. We carry their tea set and dish set. They are food grade but not dishwasher or microwave safe. The packaging on these products is made of recycled materials, too.

Oktoberfest Saturday October 4th

This weekend is the annual Oktoberfest celebration downtown. It's happening in the parking lot at 3rd & Main, extending into the surrounding streets. As always, they feature brats & beer, music & dancing, along with activities and merchant booths. The festival runs from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.
The other event this Saturday is the Marching Band Contest. Bands from all over the State come and march down Main Street starting at 10 in the morning. This might be my favorite parade. There is plenty of school spirit and the music is loud and live... an excellent excuse (if you need one) to come downtown this Saturday morning. You might want to come early and have breakfast. We love the Crystal Cafe (never order more than one pancake), Main Street Cafe, and the Bagel Shop. All have outdoor seating which is perfect this time of year.
In the Toy Store, we are getting ourselves stocked up for the holidays ahead. Come in and see if you can find what's new.