This morning I woke up with one mission: update our in-store music playlist. Mission accomplished! I drew on some favourites from my childhood and a few other hits from my extended childhood… err… adulthood. I also added some classic tracks my parents listened to when I was a child, but it was admittedly a little tough to come up with a guaranteed family-friendly and hopefully not too tiresome playlist. Any suggestions, friends? They would be MORE than welcome!
Today I’m dreaming of far away travels and exploring exciting new places… But for those of us here in windy, rainy Vancouver (at least, windy and rainy at the moment) why not plan a little indoor vacation? All it takes is a little imagination and a great toy and you’re on your way!
Why not take a trip to the jungles of the Amazon from the comfort of your very own basement? Our collection of Wild Republic snakes and monkeys will set the stage a wild adventure!
Or what about a journey through the wild west? Our Creative Education cowboy costumes and Melissa and Doug Rock and Trot horse and Gallop n Go Pony will have young cowboys and cowgirls riding bad guys out of town in no time!
But why stick around earth when you can go all the way to space!? Our Creativity for Kids Create A Solar System Mobile is the perfect launch pad for young astronauts.
Hey, if you can’t go to Italy like seemingly ALL my friends are doing these days, at least you can have an imaginary adventure (and lots of fun!)
“Say goodbye to Gandalf, he’s about to fall into a pit!”
These are words that will live with me forever, because they mark the first time Danny spoke to me from his world, without being prompted or forced to. It marked a turning point in our work together and gave me hope for the remainder of our time at camp together.
Danny has severe Autism, ADHD and Tourettes. He lives in a world that is nearly impossible for most of us to even comprehend and his daily life is fraught with challenges that simply don’t exist outside his mind. Over the four weeks I worked with Danny I made only a very little bit of progress – possibly not even observable to onlookers – but for him and for his family, it was an enormous victory. Learning to speak with Danny was like learning a new language (when I first started communicating through the characters in the films he loved, I felt like I was speaking Greek. But like all immersion language situations, fluency comes quickly) and once I’d figured out how to effectively communicate with him, life became worlds easier for both of us. Having worked for seven years with people with disabilities in a number of different capacities ranging from care-giver to teacher to friend, I can personally attest to the importance of adaptability and finding the right tools for the right situation.
Part of the reason we have this blog is to keep you updated on what we think the coolest, most interesting, most worthwhile toys are. Sometimes this means we talk about the trends and what we think are going to be hot sellers, sometimes it means focusing on the perfect thing for the changing seasons, sometimes it means highlighting something that can be an amazing tool for helping your child navigate the veritable mine-fields of early life (learning how to socialize and make friends, the importance of sharing, dealing with new responsibilities like school work and after-school activities).
Yesterday I was on our Twitter account and I came across a Tweet from @urbanmomsdiy that was asking for support for her part in the Autism Walk taking place in Toronto on Sunday, June 20th and it inspired me to write today’s post. For the last couple of years of high school and throughout my University career, I worked very closely with people with disabilities and even ended up as the campus co-ordinator for McGill’s chapter of Best Buddies Canada . Not only did I make a life-long friend out of my match (even though we are no longer living in the same city, Alan and I still talk on the phone regularly) but I learned a lot about the ways we understand and work with developmental disabilities of all types. Autism is a broad and far-reaching diagnosis that is poorly understood and as a result, difficult for many to work with (not to mention to live with). Supporting organizations like Best Buddies and Walk Now for Autism Speaks is a great way to increase public understanding for widely misunderstood disabilities.
I’ll leave you with one final note today. When we first unpacked the boxes way back in December, I noticed a couple of toys by Melissa and Doug that would’ve have been a dream to have during my summers as a support worker and that I know would be an incredibly useful tool for many teachers, parents and care-givers. One of them in particular – the magnetic responsibility chart – struck me as ideally suited for someone living with a disability since it helps to clearly outline and structure the daily tasks that must be done. It’s clear, easy to use and covers a wide range of responsibilities. And the best part is, it wasn’t designed with people with disabilities in mind. It’s a useful tool for all kids. In the end, our differences are what make us alike.
Nothing – and I do mean nothing – is as pleasant to the ear as a baby laughing. My friend Shane has this adorable little nephew and I recently watched a video of the little guy just giggling away in his crib. Unreal the amount of delight that was in his laughter – and even more unreal the amount of delight it brought me to watch him smile and giggle!
Part of why I like working in a Toy Store (and for years now have enjoyed working at a summer camp) is that kids remind you of how easy and fun everything can be, if you let it. There’s this really great photo Philip took recently of his youngest son Charlie with a friend. They are both dressed up as knights and playing around, and the look on Charlie’s face says it all: he knows he looks silly and he knows he’s being silly, but he also knows that there’s nothing better than that!
Lately I’ve been trying to re-teach myself how to let go and just have fun. Shane (my friend with the adorable nephew) can attest to my limited success thus far. It’s not easy. As adults we spend so much time focusing on “real” matters and issues and we forget how to just laugh at nothing. Remember when peek-a-boo was the greatest game ever? Probably not. But how much sweeter would life be if something that silly brought you seemingly endless joy?
BIG News here at Cowboys and Angels!!!!
Paint-Your-Own-Ceramics Summer Camps at Cowboys and Angels!
If your little one loves painting, drawing, or is just creative, our unique ceramics painting is a perfect activity for the summer! Every week your child will produce a cereal bowl, plate and mug plus one extra themed piece, which they paint and decorate themselves. Camp-goers will be shown ceramic painting techniques, play some fun games, and on the last day of each week there will be a Pizza Party and a movie on our BIG screen that reflects the theme of the week. Camps run from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm and are for children aged 6 and up.
JUNE 28 – JULY 5 Princesses and Pirates
JULY 5 – 9 In the Garden – Bugs and Fairies
JULY 12 – 16 Under The Sea
JULY 19 – 23 Horses and Sports
JULY 26 – 30 My Pets
FEES: $150.00 per child + tax /week (costs include 4-5 pieces glazed and fired, a small snack and juice each day, and pizza and a drink on the last day of camp).
REGISTER NOW Phone, Email or Contact Page
After the heartbreak, something to make us all feel a little better. Everyone, meet ARCHIE!!!
We’ve made no secret of being BIG Canucks fans – well, Jesse loves the Bruins, but he’s not from around here, so we’ll let it slide – and especially of #3 (what kind of Vancouver toy store would we be if we didn’t adore the family man who got us a Game 5?). Needless to say we are more than a little sad to see our boys out of the playoffs at the hands of the Hawks once again. But the thing I like about the playoffs, even when our hopes are dashed and our papers are splashed with headlines decrying everything from our injuries to our goalie, is that they bring the city together. They galvanize us in the same way the Olympics did.
Vancouver is a beautiful city, a diverse city and sometimes even a fun city, but it’s rarely a united city. Something about the intrepid spirit of the west has kept us from being a tight-knit group. Yet when our boys are playing well or we’ve got a world-class event taking place, we all not only sit up and take notice, we claim ownership. This is our city and we all have a hand in making it a great place to be. Maybe a little of that community vibe carries over and our summer will be just a little bit brighter.
And hey, after 16 straight years with no playoff glory, here’s hoping 17 is our lucky number! (I think what I’m trying to say is, Bieksa, you should bring Ryan Kesler and his family by the store some time! How cute is that kid?!)
Lately I’ve been working a lot and as a result I’ve been a little stressed. For many people I know this makes no sense: I work in a toy store, how can I possibly be stressed? What is stressful about a toy store!? It’s a toy store, for crying out loud! Everything about it should be fun!
Well, that’s true, but just because I’m surrounded by toys doesn’t mean it’s all fun and games. There’s still a lot of work to be done just as there is with any job in any business. But that’s why you work in a toy store. Because even when the work is stressing you out and you start to wonder where the magic went, a new toy arrives and it is so wholly engrossing and engaging and fun that you wonder how you ever questioned your job in the first place!
For me (and for Jesse… and for Sarah…) that new toy is the Find It! It’s a tube filled with several different objects you have to locate (a nail, a marble, a bean…) but they’re surrounded by tiny beads making them hidden and hard to locate. Deceptively simple and so great! Each of us has spent a large portion of at least one of our shifts trying to find all the objects on the list. It’s self-contained, making it perfect for travel – especially to a cottage or cabin. Occupies minds, doesn’t make a mess, easy to use and fun? It’s the ideal toy!
My friend Benji told me to “Write a blog about waffles”. I don’t think he totally understands what I do, but who can blame him? Waffles are delicious! And if you’re anything like me, you are hungry ALL THE TIME. Like all the time. I could eat anytime of day or night. Friends ask, “Are you hungry? Want to go grab a bite to eat?” and I just look at them thinking “Have we met? Couldn’t I always grab a bite to eat? Yes yes a thousand times yes.” So now you know, I love food.
Why do I mention it? Because when I think back on my favourite games to play with as a child they were always games like Restaurant and involved fake food and pretending to cook and whatnot. (To this day I wish I owned an Easy Bake Oven.) I guess it had something to with doing what grown-ups do and playing pretend… it was an intoxicating mix, to say the least! When I brought my niece in to the store to get her portrait taken, we distracted her by giving her some toys to play with. She chose the fake fruit and was putting it in her basket and setting up her grocery store and all those things that I would have done at that age. Clearly the magic still holds.
When we got our shipment of new Melissa and Doug toys last week, it included a lot from their pretend food line and I’ve got to admit, it made me feel good to see that some things don’t change.
So today I was racking my brain trying to come up with a brilliant blog post (because the idea of posting without purpose bothers me, evidently) and my friend Chelsea suggested posting about babies and why they are cute. And while that didn’t seem like a particularly helpful suggestion, it did make me think of something else… so today I bring you a post on friendship!
We often have families come through en masse, or mothers and daughters, or grandparents and grandkids and they’ve all got their special bonds and reasons to be together. But when two parents come in – clearly friends from way back – with their kids who are now friends, it warms the heart. There’s just something wonderful about the bond you shared for so many years with someone in your life being passed on to your kids.
Because I work at a toy store, I’m constantly reminded of the value of sharing with others and the impact playing games together and dress-up and make-believe – all of it really – has on future development. Social skills that are invaluable later in life are learned with friends at early stages. In that vein today I recommend to you dress-up sets, board games and portraits of you and your best friend.
And because my friend Chelsea loves her puppy, and we’ve got a new puppy kicking around the store these days, I encourage more than anything hanging around man’s best friend, if you’re so inclined!
(We’ll post picture of Archie, the new puppy, soon, I PROMISE!)
