ASTRA: Best Educational Toys

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Supporting The Shop Around the Corner

Posted by Debbie on Dec 17, 2009 | 36 Comments

Looking for a last-minute Hanukkah present or last-minute Christmas present? Visit your local toy store! There are so many benefits to shopping locally. One of the big benefits: education.

Local stores provide personalized service. I have a great relationship with my local store owner, and I have appreciated some of their tips and product recommendations. My neighborhood toy store carries unique educational toys.

But I bet you didn’t know that you are actually supporting your local schools when you shop locally. I serve on my local school board, so I spend a considerable amount of time analyzing school budgets. Did you know that commercial properties pay real estate taxes which support local schools in most states? When these stores do poorly and close, the properties are often reassessed and that erodes the real estate tax base. The result? Revenue for schools goes down, and school districts must either tax or cut programs to balance the budget.

chickyboom

To raise awareness about the importance of shopping locally, we’re giving away 3 more Award-Winning toys from the ASTRA Best Toys for Kids List. These toys are educational AND a hit with kids. They were selected by toy retailers across America based on their expertise and the feedback they hear regularly from their customers!

Chicky Boom (ARV $25) - A game of balance that will challenge your fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Collect as many chickens, hay bales and wagon wheels as you can before the perch topples.

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Bananagrams (ARV $25) – A fast, fun word game for kids and adults. Bananagrams is my favorite travel game, and it was one of Mamanista’s top picks in 2008. If you don’t own this soon-to-be-a-classic game, you are missing out on some fast-paced educational fun that develops spelling and vocabulary skills. Bananagrams has the educational aspects of Scrabble but takes just 5 minutes to play– great for busy kids and adults.

Create Your Own Pop-Up Books by Creativity for Kids/Faber-Castell (ARV $20) – It’s hard to imagine a better present for an aspiring young writer or artist. This kit comes with two hardcover books. Kids add pictures and photos as well as a story. This is also a great present for Grandmom or Grandpop. Have your child write a story for the proud grandparents, and they’ll treasure the homemade gift that shows what a brilliant, perfect grandchild they have.

WANT IT: Visit the ASTRA Best Toys for Kids Site to locate a specialty toy store near you!

WIN IT: To win one of the three prizes described above:

Required Entry: Please visit the ASTRA Best Toys for Kids Site and leave us a comment on this post telling us why you think it’s important to support local toy stores OR telling us the name/location of your local specialty toy store.
Additional Entries (up to three): You can receive up to three additional entries by linking to and/or sharing our Hottest Holiday Toys Guide (see rules at the bottom of the guide) and leaving separate comments on this post for each mode of entry.

Contest on Mamanista.com ends December 21, 11:59 PM EST. Open to U.S. Shipping Only. Winner chosen using Random.org.

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Stephanie V. said:

So important to support your local mom and pop toy store. They are often snuffed out by the big competition but always offer more personalized service, better knowledge of the toys and other mom and pop toy makers.
tvollowitz at aol dot com

#1 Dec 18, 2009 at 2:09 pm

Carol said:

Here’s my closest store:

Sparkhouse Kids, LLC
15 Scotland Rd
South Orange, 07079, NJ
phone: (973) 821-5227 –

#2 Dec 18, 2009 at 2:11 pm

Lana said:

The closest store for me would be Hobbytown in Lincoln, NE.

#3 Dec 18, 2009 at 4:47 pm

Hollie said:

Barston’s Child’s Play in Rockville, Md is our closest. The staff is really friendly and when I’ve bought presents they’ve wrapped them for me.

#4 Dec 18, 2009 at 4:58 pm

Jackie said:

I think it’s important to support local toy stores because the owner’s are usually from your own area. I find a lot of toys in my local toy store that I don’t find in the big stores. They also offer more personal service…and usually free gift wrapping!

#5 Dec 19, 2009 at 10:28 am

Vicki wurgler said:

it’s very important to support local toy stores-you get better service and they know you as a customer. we do not have a local Mom & pop store – I have gone to the Twin cities and shopped for toys and gifts for christmas

#6 Dec 19, 2009 at 11:02 am

Jennifer said:

I try so hard to do a lot of my shopping at local businesses. We live in a small town and it is so sad to see most of main street with empty store fronts. I did their toy store finder and got Alphabet Soup Inc in Ithaca, NY.

#7 Dec 19, 2009 at 12:10 pm

Jana said:

The closest location is Megan’s Toybox Bellevue, WA

#8 Dec 20, 2009 at 2:15 pm

carol said:

Here’s wonderful toy specialty store near me: Brighter Starts LLC
251 Knoll Dr
Park Ridge, 07656, NJ
phone: (201) 505-0092 –
fax: (201) 505-0892 –

#9 Dec 20, 2009 at 9:13 pm

Jill L said:

Three Crazy Monkeys in York PA is the closest to me. There used to be one closer that I really enjoyed shopping at. I think stores like these have so much more to offer than the big chains. I think their selections are better and there is so much more of a personal touch.

#10 Dec 20, 2009 at 10:10 pm

Molly K said:

My local store is Creative Kidstuff in Maple Grove, MN.

#11 Dec 20, 2009 at 10:51 pm

Chrysa said:

Creative Kidstuff locations in the Twin Cities metro are fantastic!

#12 Dec 20, 2009 at 11:54 pm

Tari L. said:

Lucky Duck Toys
428 W. Swedesford Rd.
Berwyn, 19312, PA

is the store closest to me.

#13 Dec 21, 2009 at 7:19 am

Kristi C said:

I think it is better to shop the local toy stores because they tend to have a better selection of toys that encourages creativity and imagination in play than the local big box stores.

#14 Dec 21, 2009 at 7:20 am

Tracey Byram said:

The closest store for me is in Mobile, AL.

#15 Dec 21, 2009 at 8:38 am

adrienne gordon said:

It is always important to support your local stores as these people are the heart of what makes america great.

#16 Dec 21, 2009 at 8:57 am

Sandra K321 said:

We have the best little local toy store in the area right in our little town. It’s called Geppetto’s Toys in Woodbury, CT. My kids have grown out of the toy stage but when they were younger we bought tons of great quality toys there, like Playmobil, Smithsonian dinosaurs, and wooden puzzles.

#17 Dec 21, 2009 at 10:04 am

Win Chicky Boom Game | Free Contests & Sweepstakes said:

[...] Click Here to Enter [...]

#18 Dec 21, 2009 at 12:04 pm

Elizabeth said:

Local stores tend to have more unique and higher quality toys, rather than mass produced cheap plastic stuff you find at big box stores!

#19 Dec 21, 2009 at 1:09 pm

lilshuga2001 said:

Wind Up Here
121 5th Ave SE
Olympia, 98501, WA

#20 Dec 21, 2009 at 2:14 pm

Lisa said:

My local specialty toy store is Toy Kingdom: 36 Maryland Avenue, Unit C, Rockville, MD 20850. So much great stuff in there!!

#21 Dec 21, 2009 at 2:54 pm

Jennifer M said:

Ours is West Side Kids
New York, NY
(212) 496-7282

Most of my daughter’s birthday presents were from there!

#22 Dec 21, 2009 at 3:55 pm

helenlam said:

My favorite local independent toy store is The Ark Toy Company in Berkeley, CA. They have a very different kind of stock than the big box stores and are super-helpful with suggesting toys as gifts.

#23 Dec 21, 2009 at 5:59 pm

Heather said:

I didn’t realize but there is a toy sore near me The Turtles Nest in Johnson City Tn! It is important to support local toy stores because a lot are just staying open on little money!

#24 Dec 21, 2009 at 6:31 pm

Annette E said:

My closest store is Brilliant Sky Toys & Books in Phoenix.

#25 Dec 21, 2009 at 6:57 pm

heather h. said:

Kobold Toys
Narberth, PA
(610) 667-2130

#26 Dec 21, 2009 at 8:25 pm

Melissa M. said:

Shopping locally means the money stays locally :)

#27 Dec 21, 2009 at 9:12 pm

Mellissa C said:

The closest to me is Trains N Toys in North Canton,OH

#28 Dec 21, 2009 at 9:16 pm

trixx said:

I enjoy going to ToyQube 37-06 Prince Street, Flushing, NY 11354!

#29 Dec 21, 2009 at 10:08 pm

Christine said:

We have a great speciality toy store that we frequent. My son’s kindergarten teacher even works part-time there! It is The Learning Shop in Wauwatosa, WI
Thanks for the chance! justicecw@hotmail.com

#30 Dec 21, 2009 at 11:32 pm

Angie O said:

It’s important to support the local toy store because they provide a lot to our elementary school students!

#31 Dec 21, 2009 at 11:49 pm

Sandra S. said:

My closest store is the
Learning Ladder
1430 Twixt Town Rd
Marion, IA 52302

Thanks!

#32 Dec 22, 2009 at 12:01 am

Gianna said:

The Gumdrop Tree
53 East Broadway, Suite A
Little Falls, 56345, MN

#33 Dec 22, 2009 at 12:51 am

Katie said:

It’s great when you can walk into a store and the people there know your name. My grandpa owned a little book store and it was great interacting with the customers who have been coming there for years, you get a feeling of family with local stores.

#34 Dec 22, 2009 at 1:58 am