Toy Review

Contraptions by Mindware also known as

K (knowledge)

E (exploration)

V (visual)

A (arts)  Planks

What are KEVA planks?
KEVA planks are high precision identical construction blocks that stack with surprising stability. Practically perfect planks make it possible.

What are contraptions?
Young thinkers can design unbelievable ball track structures via simple, stacking planks. No glue, no connectors—just loads of constructive fun! The Plank Set helps kids get things rolling with two balls and an instruction book detailing how to build a "Shooting Gallery," "Turbine," "Step Curve" and more. 

We found that building with KEVA planks is like no other building set we've played with or built with because there are no specific directions so we could experiment without having to follow the guidelines of someone else. The best part is that you become an engineer, a physicist, and an architect.
We recommend Contraptions for any budding builder age 7 or older. They make an awesome gift or kit to have at the cabin or in the house for a rainy day! 

Frequently Asked Questions

Funny Kid Quotes.....

Do I look fabulous? Or do I look Delicious?

Various family members: "What did you get for Christmas?"
Master 3: "Presents"
Various family members: "What kind of presents?"
Master 3 (with that tone): "CHRISTMAS presents"

Miss 4 wanted some of my lunch to try, to see what it tastes like. So I gave her some, and she said
"I tasted it and it tasted like what it tastes like."
 

I was outside about to water the garden, and some of my plants were very wilted and lying flat on the ground.

Miss 4 looked at them and went "Those plants are sleeping! They need to wake up."

 

 Ya gotta love the bacon sentences!

Did Ya Know?

Living Sand is one of the most amazing modeling materials we have ever seen!

 It can be sculpted like clay, and yet it feels surprisingly soft and fluffy. Living Sand never dries out or hardens, and it is made from a unique, 100% organic, natural formula of ultra-fine pulverized seashell powder and the same moisturizing oils typically used in manufacturing cosmetics. Both non-toxic and gluten-free, it is also incredibly addictive to mold and shape. It is a bit like working with pizza dough, yet it remains dry to the touch. Squash it into solid, durable shapes, then collapse them with a gentle pressure. Living Sand is ideal for indoor sand play, as even if it is accidentally dropped on carpet it will easily vacuum up, and it completely dissolves in water. Lab-tested as anti-bacterial, Living Sand will last for years and is safe for children ages two and older.

  Living Sands is different. Feel it to know.

Boredom Busters

 Make a stealth fighter paper airplane out of some really cool paper that you may have around the house or may have doodled on yourself! See who can fly the plane the farthest or who can fly their plane the highest....

 The New Year is just around the corner and it may  be time for a new journal.... why not trick out one that you may have ourchsed or just totally make one from scratch? Set a goal too to add your thoughts to your journal everyday.

This is a really cool idea! As you can see, balloons are filled and strung along the ceiling with different times on them. Each balloon has a secret message inside that is something different to do at each of the times listed on the balloons. So, you pop balloon #1 at 6:30 and it may have a message that says..... time to make cupcakes!
7:10 may be time to have a race!
7:30 could be time for a snack
8:15 could be time to paint t-shirts with a 2014 message in glow in the dark paint.
9:30 is time to make New Year's Eve poppers.
10:05 Make some duct tape wallets
11:00 light some sparklers (outdoors of course)
11:45 Get the glasses ready for the big toast! Don't forget the noise makers too!

These great ideas are from http://craftibilities.blogspot.com/2013/01/best-new-years-eve-ever-fun-games-and.html

Flashback Friday

It's getting to be the end of another year. 

Hard to believe that 2012 is winding down to its final few days...

We'll be ushering 2014 with what looks like to be a beautiful day in Durango with blue skies and sun, sun, sun!

At the end of January, the Chinese New Year begins the year of the horse.

Here's some things to know about the year of the Horse and the Horses energy....

As for clothing, the lucky colors to wear this year are purple, blue and grey. To add up luck, you can wear wooden pendants or beads along with your stylish get ups. 

Horses lucky numbers are 7,3,2.

Horse people are energetic, intelligent and are commonly physically strong. They like to stay at peaceful places. They are very good when it comes to communicating with other people around them, thus making them sociable and they are quite friendly too. Horses love crowded places as well as entertainment. Because of the Horses natural friendly characteristic, he is loved by many.

An individual who is born under the Year of the Horse loves to be involved on charity events and is always wanting to build his own humanitarian projects. He also likes to venture on career. He does not want to stay working with one company for a long time yet, he will serve his bosses with all his best. On making life decisions, the Horse could be stubborn yet they also have their own earthy sides.

Horses are trustworthy individuals who will not let you down during your down times. As a friend, they will be there to cheer you up and they’ll even take you to great places just to ease out your sadness.

for more information about the year of the horse visit
www.chinesenewyearin.com/2014-year-of-the-horse/year-of-the-horse-2014/

Wacky Wednesday

A well deserved day of rest and relaxation.

Merry Christmas to all!

Toy Review

What a great stocking stuff this would make! 

Professor Ein-O's Luminous Mucus with a bonus ooze making kit! 

 You've been slimed! If your child loves everything gunky and slimy and messy, then it's time to explore the scientific principles of slime. This kit includes Ein-O’s luminous mucus slime and everything you need to make your very own ooze. Ein-O's I Know Guide includes details about sticky science and explanations about how and why the experiments work. Comes in a sturdy plastic storage box .For ages 8+.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a Santa Clause?

Francis P. Church’s editorial, “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” was an immediate sensation, and went on to became one of the most famous editorials ever written. It first appeared in the The New York Sun in 1897, and was reprinted annually until 1949 when the paper went out of business.
Here is the famous editorial.....

By Francis P. Church, first published in The New York Sun in 1897. 

We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:

Dear Editor—

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that’s no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Did Ya Know?

What about the Gyro Wheel?

It has evolved....

 Jean Bernard Leon Foucault invented the first gyroscope. From that invention came a magnetic gyro wheel toy. These toys are also called rail twirlers often sold under the brand name "Whee-Lo" or "Gyro Wheel." These toys combine the ever-spinning property of a gyroscope with the magnetic force applied by magnets. The magnetic gyro wheel toy is a great teaching tool as well as being fun to use. It can demonstrate physics lessons about centripetal force, magnetic force, friction and gravity. Or it can just mesmerize the user !

Boredom Busters

 You're on vacation from school... relax for a day or two. If you're not on vacation, we all could learn from this guy!

 Design your own wrapping paper! 

Start with a recylced grocery bag, add some stickers, stamp it, finger paint it, draw on it, color it or just use glitter glue! It's your design....

Set up a million dominoes (very close to one another) in a crazy kinda pattern then tip over the first one in line to see a chain reaction and to hear the click, click, click of falling dominoes!

Flashback Friday

Oh yes, wow! We certainly have gone thru lots of changes around here! Since the first day we opened till now, adding toys, games, and more clothes to the dress up department.

Rapunzel dresses, Snow White dresses, fancy schmancy tutus, Pirate shirts, hats of all kinds, shoes, make-up and tiaras......and the infamous Astronaut suits! Dress up for every occasion and career clothes too!

Dinosaurs 101

#2 on our list of Weirdest Dinosaurs is 

Spikey Stygimoloch, Our Friend

His name--which can be roughly translated as "horned demon from the river "--is a good indication of Spikey Stygimoloch's weirdness quotient. This genus possessed the biggest, boniest noggin of any pachycephalosaur ("thick-headed lizard"); presumably the males head-butted each other for the right to mate with females (who clearly were most attracted to the ugliest males).

Wacky Wednesday

Today we're gonna see if anyone will let us wrap their Christmas

 packages in newspaper & duct tape then we're gonna see how 

many packages we can wrap with our flamingo Christmas paper. 

After that, we'll see how many bad jokes we can make....

 like when someone gets some marbles and we put them in a 

bag and say "don't lose your marbles!" 

We may even get out the snappy gum and dollar snatcher!

Then we'll spread the magic of laughter and wonder throughout our kingdom of toyland.

Game Review

This is one of our favorites because it gets silly and there is an element of surprise every time you turn over a card! Our first experience with Buck, Buck, Moose was at a toy show where we actually got to play the game with the game inventor, Mary Jo Reutter. After laughing and slapping cards, Mary Jo autographed a copy of the game  for us.

Here's how to play....

The colored Moose cards are placed in four piles according to colors and then a dealer passes a Buck/Moose card to each player. As the dealer deals he has to say "Buck" or "Moose." When a Moose card is dealt each player has to rush to slap the right colors pile and then they win that card. It is pretty easy enough and teaches colors, speed, decision-making, competition and more! There are also other cards thrown in that could be dealt out including a "Loose a Moose" card, "Win a Moose," and "Double Moose." Once all the Buck/Moose cards have been dealt out, players count their card (yeah for learning to count too!) and the player with the most cards win. There are also instructions for more advanced gameplay. - See more at: http://www.educationalinsights.com/product/buck,+buck,+moose!--8482-+game.do#PowerReview

The colored Moose cards are placed in four piles according to colors and then a dealer passes a Buck/Moose card to each player. As the dealer deals he has to say "Buck" or "Moose." When a Moose card is dealt each player has to rush to slap the right colors pile and then they win that card. It is pretty easy enough and teaches colors, speed, decision-making, competition and more! There are also other cards thrown in that could be dealt out including a "Loose a Moose" card, "Win a Moose," and "Double Moose." Once all the Buck/Moose cards have been dealt out, players count their card (yeah for learning to count too!) and the player with the most cards win. There are also instructions for more advanced gameplay. - See more at: http://www.educationalinsights.com/product/buck,+buck,+moose!--8482-+game.do#PowerReview

The object of the game is to be the player with the most cards at the end of the game. When a "Moose" card is dealt, players race to "slap-in" to be the first to slap the correct pile of Moose cards to win the card.

There are 4 colors of Moose cards that get separated into four piles in the center of the playing field. The cards are sorted by color and each pile of cards contains one color of Moose cards. There are some pretty funny Moose cards too! For example, one is playing baseball, one is playing soccer, and another one looks like a chef!

The smaller cards are the "Buck, Buck,  Moose dealer" cards. This deck gets shuffled then put back into the holder face down. Everyone gets a chance to be the dealer. 

The dealer begins by dealing one card at a time face up where everyone can see the card. When the cards are dealt, the dealer must say "Buck" when a Ranger Buck card is dealt and "Moose" when a Moose card is dealt. When a Moose card is dealt, everyone races to be the first to slap the pile of Moose cards with the matching color. The first player to slap the correct color card, wins that card and play resumes.

There are some twists in the dealers hand, the Loose a Moose card, the Win a Moose card, and the Double Moose cards.

Once all the dealer cards have been dealt, the players count their cards. The player with the most cards wins.

There are other variations of the game too and  you can always make up your own! You can also use the Moose cards for a matching game. The possibilities are endless.

This is a fast paced interactive game where you just can't help but shout "Buck, Buck, Moose" along with the dealer! The Inventor rates this for ages 4+ but we've seen 3 year olds play and have just as much fun!
We give Buck, Buck Moose 8 stars out of ten.

he colored Moose cards are placed in four piles according to colors and then a dealer passes a Buck/Moose card to each player. As the dealer deals he has to say "Buck" or "Moose." When a Moose card is dealt each player has to rush to slap the right colors pile and then they win that card. It is pretty easy enough and teaches colors, speed, decision-making, competition and more! There are also other cards thrown in that could be dealt out including a "Loose a Moose" card, "Win a Moose," and "Double Moose." Once all the Buck/Moose cards have been dealt out, players count their card (yeah for learning to count too!) and the player with the most cards win. There are also instructions for more advanced gameplay. - See more at: http://www.educationalinsights.com/product/buck,+buck,+moose!--8482-+game.do#PowerReview

he colored Moose cards are placed in four piles according to colors and then a dealer passes a Buck/Moose card to each player. As the dealer deals he has to say "Buck" or "Moose." When a Moose card is dealt each player has to rush to slap the right colors pile and then they win that card. It is pretty easy enough and teaches colors, speed, decision-making, competition and more! There are also other cards thrown in that could be dealt out including a "Loose a Moose" card, "Win a Moose," and "Double Moose." Once all the Buck/Moose cards have been dealt out, players count their card (yeah for learning to count too!) and the player with the most cards win. There are also instructions for more advanced gameplay. - See more at: http://www.educationalinsights.com/product/buck,+buck,+moose!--8482-+game.do#PowerReview

he colored Moose cards are placed in four piles according to colors and then a dealer passes a Buck/Moose card to each player. As the dealer deals he has to say "Buck" or "Moose." When a Moose card is dealt each player has to rush to slap the right colors pile and then they win that card. It is pretty easy enough and teaches colors, speed, decision-making, competition and more! There are also other cards thrown in that could be dealt out including a "Loose a Moose" card, "Win a Moose," and "Double Moose." Once all the Buck/Moose cards have been dealt out, players count their card (yeah for learning to count too!) and the player with the most cards win. There are also instructions for more advanced gameplay. - See more at: http://www.educationalinsights.com/product/buck,+buck,+moose!--8482-+game.do#PowerReview

Frequently Asked Questions

Today we would like to take a time-out and thank Plan Toys for offering this incredible

 contest that we were a part of!

Thanks for all of our friends, family, and followers who voted!

And the winners are:

Congratulations to the winners of the PlanToys Holiday Giving Contest.

First Prize: ($500 Toy Donation) Corner Store (Family Museum) from Bettendorf, IA giving to Scott County Kids Nest

Second Prize: ($300 Toy Donation) Montessori Education Supplies from Greensboro, NC giving to Toys for Tots

Third Prize: ($200 Toy Donation) Durango Toy Depot from Durango, CO giving to Project Merry Christmas

Did Ya Know?

 Did ya know??? 

 Colored pencils were first developed and made around 1920 by the A.W. Faber company in Stein, Germany. Shortly after that the Caran d'Ache company of Switzerland (1924) and the Schwan Stabilo Company of Germany (1925) also started to manufacture colored pencils.

Shrinky Dinks.... who wouldda thought! 

Shrinky Dinks were invented in 1973 by twomoms, Betty Morris and Kate Bloomberg of Wisconsin, as a scout project with their sons.  The first kits were sold at a local shopping mall and became very popular. Shrinky Dinks were soon licensed to be manufactured by the major toy companies of the time.. The shrink plastic is still available and can be used for anything from charms to pins.

Boredom Busters

 Create a stuffed animal zoo in your house and create  habitats for the animals in different rooms.

Put on a blindfold and do a taste test of different random foods. My brother once offered me a $1 to drink the jalapeno juice that was left in the jar. I wasn't even blindfolded for that one!

                 

Learn to make balloon animals or just follow the link below to watch this highly creative video!

As if life weren't dangerous enough for a balloon animal, this little inflatable finds

 himself crawling through cacti. When he encounters a partner, however, they decide to laugh in the face of danger and dance their way to safety. But will they make it?

      http://vimeo.tumblr.com/post/56335797186/life-is-fragile-especially-when-youre-a-balloon

Flashback Friday

Help Plan Toys Donate $1000 of Toys! Which Charity Should Win the Plan Toys Holiday Giving Contest? Only 2 days left to vote! 

Look for Durango Toy Depot, vote for us and Project Merry Christmas so 

Plan Toys can donate toys for our cause!

Here's the link: 

https://www.facebook.com/plantoys

Dinosaurs 101

Let's begin a List of  the top 10 Weirdest Dinosaurs!

The weirdest in our book is a dude called

Therizinosaurus whom we shall call Zino.

there-uh-ZEEN-uh-SAWR-us

 

 

Kind of like Big Bird crossed with Count Dracula, Therizinosaurus was a large type of theropod dinosaur known as therizinosaur with a squat trunk, a long neck, a tiny head, and a trio of three-foot-long claws on each of its hands (hence its name, Greek for "reaping lizard"). Despite its fearsome appearance (which may or may not have included brightly colored feathers), Therizinosaurus was a strict vegetarian, or at worst an omnivore. 

Historical Period:

Late Cretaceous (80-70 million years ago)

Size and Weight:

About 35 feet long and 3 tons

More About Therizinosaurus:

There's nothing like an assortment of weird anatomical details--claws the length of human arms, a beaked skull set atop a long neck, a pot belly and a bipedal stance--to fire the imagination of dinosaur artists. Therizinosaurus has been depicted as sporting everything from Big Bird-like feathers to alien-looking black-and-green stripes, but as is often the case with dinosaurs, we may never know for sure how it really looked. Fitting its unique appearance, this dinosaur has given its name to a whole family of bizarre reptiles, the Therizinosaurs.

Wacky Wednesday

 Only Betty Heuss could pull off a Dr. Seuss Wacky Wednesday idea of this proportion!

We're gonna see how long it takes for people to notice our moustachioed friends today. Better yet, will they say anything?

 We mustache you, 

have you ever seen a fish puppet on a stick?

Shall we say, fish sticks?

Toy Review

Morphology is a fun, creative and challenging game for the whole family combining simple shapes with your imagination and creativity. Using wooden sticks, glass beads, colored cubes, string, wooden dowels and other objects, how would you create a light bulb or someone sledding? Now try doing it with your eyes closed – or by using only the string!
Unlike Pictionary and other "illustrate a word" games, in Morphology you can use lots of different bits to recreate a word and bring it to life, even animating the object if your brain takes you in that direction. The important thing, of course, is that your team must be able to figure out what that object is before time runs out. Words come in two degrees of difficulty. Players advance on a score track as they guess words, but as you near the finish line, a die roll determines how you're handicapped: eyes closed, using only string, one hand, limited number of objects, etc. On your second-to-last turn, your opponents choose which three objects you can use to create the word that your team needs to guess in order to win.

Frequently Asked Questions

Check out the link below and let the voting begin!

Tell your customers, your friends, your family and everyone else you know to vote for your store and charity so we can donate some toys on your behalf.  

Let's make this Christmas a special one for those in need, together.

http://bit.ly/18Z9pxr

Help Plan Toys give away more than $1000 of toys to a worthy charity. 

Vote for your favorite choice through December 15th. Our Favorite Charity is Project Merry Christmas in Durango Colorado.
First place: $500 toy donation. 2nd place: $300 toy donation. 3rd place: $200 toy donation.
 How col is that?

Did Ya Know?

The Hoberman Sphere, magic, myth or math?

A Hoberman sphere is an isokinetic structure patented by Chuck Hoberman that is capable of folding down to a fraction of its normal size by the scissor like action of its joints. Colorful plastic versions have become popular as children's toys: several toy sizes exist, with the original design capable of expanding from 9 inches in diameter to 30 inches.
A Hoberman sphere typically consists of six great circles which can be unfolded by allowing certain members to spread apart. This can be accomplished by feeding out a string or cable in the larger models. The operation of each joint is linked to all the others in a manner conceptually similar to the extension arm on a wall-mounted shaving mirror.

"The Hoberman Sphere has become a classic and a favorite of kids and adults everywhere. It expands from 9" to 30" in diameter with a magical motion that amazes everyone that sees it. Everyone in the house should have their own, because nobody will want to share.

All Spheres comes with a pulley, hardware and instructions to hang as a cool, kinetic mobile; an educational booklet about the geometry of the Sphere; and a 21 Cool Things to Do activity sheet.

Ages 4 and up."

Boredom Busters

 Make a map of your neighborhood and where 

you live. 

This way, you'll never get lost!

 Go to the kitchen and get some food coloring and paper coffee filters to make tie dye decorations to hang in the window like stained glass. Wet the filter slightly, drop the coloring on and watch it swirl!

If you're not outside enjoying the snow and winter activities, plan to have an indoor picnic!

Surprise everyone when you lay out the blanket and decorate for this festive event!

Flashback Friday

                     I've got my Holly-Noel-Hoopla-Dazzle On!

It's the most festive time of the year!

 We're looking forward to Noel Night in downtown 

Durango today as we feature our infamous Doink it Dart 

discounts where a magnetic dart determines the discount 

you receive! The best part of the whole day is watching the faces of determination! It's a classic!

Dinosaurs 101

Perhaps this is the prehistoric start of the macarena? 

Can ya picture this guy dancing?

Macrauchenia

mack-row-KAY-nee-ah

How big is he?

About 10 feet long and 500-1,000 pounds

What did he eat?

Mostly grasses and low lying plants

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Thin legs; long neck; long snout

About Macrauchenia:

Macrauchenia is one of those prehistoric mammals that looks like it was assembled from bits of other creatures: its quadrupedal stance and long, slender legs are reminiscent of a horse or camel, but it had a long, giraffe-like neck and (perhaps) a short, prehensile appendage at the tip of its snout reminiscent of an elephant's trunk. Technically, Macrauchenia belonged to a family of ungulates (hoofed mammals) known as litopterns, distant cousins of horses that evolved independently in South America in a roughly equine direction.
Macrauchenia was first discovered on 9 February 1834 in Argentina at Port St Julian by Charles Darwin when he was surveying the port. As a non-expert he tentatively identified the leg bones and fragments of spine he found as "some large animal, I fancy a it could be a Mastodon". In 1837, soon after Darwin's return, the anatomist Richard owen revealed that the bones including vertebrae from the back and neck were actually from a gigantic creature resembling a camel or llama which Owen named Macrauchenia patachonica. More Macrauchenia fossils have been found, mainly in Patagonia, but also in Chile, Bolivia, and Venezuela.

Wacky Wednesday

A book review of silly Wednesday things!

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot
Now another generation of kids can enjoy the craziness that happens one Wednesday morning. Each scene shows more wacky things for kids to find and count. In the bathroom there are four—a boy showering with a sock on one foot, a fish in a bottle, an upside down faucet and best of all a palm tree growing out of the toilet. Each scene presents more wacky things until readers reach the number twelve, and then the tale leaps to twenty. At this point Patrolman McGann announces that after counting twenty items and then going to bed, Wacky Wednesday will soon be at an end. The story is of course amusing as are the illustrations. It should be plenty of fun for young kids to find out what is wrong in each of the scenes.

Game Review

Two spies, one board. It goes without saying that only one will come out on top. Are YOU cunning enough to be the last spy standing? ”Nowhere to Go”, a strategic two player game, tasks players with being the first to block their opponent’s spy so that they have…well…nowhere to go. Think “Spy vs Spy”, but family-friendly and without all of those clever/deadly traps.

Nowhere to Go: 2 Players, Ages 8+, Average Play Time = 15 Minutes

 You can learn to play this game in 15 minutes or less and the instrutions are easy to read and understand.

Game components: 

Game Board – This hexagonal (six-sided) playing board consists of nineteen different spaces. Connecting these spaces are lines called, “bridges”. Two of the spaces are raised to indicate the starting positions of both spies.

Spy Pieces – Each player will assume the role of a spy and will be moving their piece around the board for as long as possible.

Bridge Blockers – These forty bridge blocker pieces are round, but have a groove on the one side so that it can fit over a bridge. These restrict a player’s movement throughout the game.

Nowhere to Go: 2 Players, Ages 8+, Average Play Time = 15 Minutes

Each player chooses a spy, then places the spy on the nearest raised platform (there are only two). At this point, each player will randomly place four blockers anywhere on the board except for the three bridges adjacent to a player’s starting location. Players then decide who goes first.

On a player’s turn, they’ll move their spy as many spaces as they want while keeping in mind that they can’t cross a bridge that contains a blocker. Once the player is done moving, they’ll place a bridge blocker anywhere they’d like. Bridge blockers can’t be moved after being placed. It’s important to note that the spy piece also counts as a blocker and is the only “blocker” that can move around the board.

Players will continue taking turns moving their spy and placing a bridge blocker piece. When a player manages to trap the enemy spy so that they can’t move on their turn, they win the game!

Trap your opponent in this step-by-step strategy game for two! Addictive fun—you’ll want to play again and again. Includes unique hexagonal game board, 2 playing pieces, and 40 blockers. For 2 players. Grades 3+

How to Play:

1. Each player places his or her spy piece on the starting spaces.

2. Players take turns moving their spy piece as many spaces as they like across any bridges that are not     blocked.

3. Players end their turns by placing a blocker on any bridge.

4. The first player to trap the other spy with blockers wins! - See more at: http://www.educationalinsights.com/product/nowhere+to+go--174-.do#sthash.QMLd9SaH.dpuf

Trap your opponent in this step-by-step strategy game for two! Addictive fun—you’ll want to play again and again. Includes unique hexagonal game board, 2 playing pieces, and 40 blockers. For 2 players. Grades 3+

How to Play:

1. Each player places his or her spy piece on the starting spaces.

2. Players take turns moving their spy piece as many spaces as they like across any bridges that are not     blocked.

3. Players end their turns by placing a blocker on any bridge.

4. The first player to trap the other spy with blockers wins! - See more at: http://www.educationalinsights.com/product/nowhere+to+go--174-.do#sthash.QMLd9SaH.dpuf

Frequently Asked Questions

What's going on?
When you're interested in what events are happenin at Durango Toy Depot, you can always check our website at http://durangotoydepot.com/events/ This will give you the lowdown on events we're a part of or hosting in the store.

Our latest events are:
Our First Ever Ornament Building Contest where you build the ornament for our tree in the window, the public votes and you could win a $20 Gift card! For this contest, we're using Bric Tek building bricks or any other brand of building bricks.

Noel Night is December 6th
Our downtown Durango celebration of our local residents! We feature Doink It Dart Discounts all day long. Take a chance and save some cash!

Free Shipping on our website!
Place an order from our website and we'll ship it for free! We're not those giant web retailers and you can shop with the confidence of knowing that you're still buying local and we're giving you the service you've come to know when you visit our store!

Project Merry Christmas
We support Project Merry Christmas and all they do for residents of LaPlaa county. "The mission of PMC is to provide financial support through food, toys, clothing and other needs to residents of La Plata County that qualify due to crisis, or need". With that in mind, all of our gift wrapping is done for a donation to Project Merry Christmas and we have a collection box here so you can drop off your donations or even purchase a toy to place in the collection box. We make sure our friends from PMC pick them up and distribute them.

With that in mind we're participating in another contest to see if we can get Plan Toys to donate $500 worth of toys to PMC this year. This will involve going to the Plan Toys Facebook page and voting for our store and Project Merry Christmas. If we win, Plan Toys will donate toys to PMC and if we win anything for our efforts, we will donate that prize to Project Merry Christmas as well.

Did Ya Know?

L

Living Sand is one of the most amazing modeling materials we have ever offered. It can be sculpted like clay, and yet it feels surprisingly soft and fluffy. Living Sand never dries out or hardens, and it is made from a unique, 100% organic, natural formula of ultra-fine pulverized seashell powder and the same moisturizing oils typically used in manufacturing cosmetics. Both non-toxic and gluten-free, it is also incredibly addictive to mold and shape. It is a bit like working with pizza dough, yet it remains dry to the touch. Squash it into solid, durable shapes, then collapse them with a gentle pressure. Living Sand is ideal for indoor sand play, as even if it is accidentally dropped on carpet it will easily vacuum up, and it completely dissolves in water. Lab-tested as anti-bacterial, Living Sand will last for years and is safe for children ages two and older.

Boredom Busters

Our First Ever Ornament Building Contest!

Choose your design and create an ornament out of Brik Tec building bricks or other brands to hang on our tree in the front window. We'll open he voting to the public on December 5th and let people vote until December 14th! We'll allow one vote per person per category. When you drop off your ornament creation, we'll need to keep it on display until December 14th.

All entries will be placed in the age group of the creator.

Those groups are 3-4 year olds, 5-6, 7-8, and 9+.

The 1st place winner in each category will receive a $20 Gift Card,

2nd place will receive a $5 gift card.

1 Grand Prize of a $20 gift card will be drawn at random from all entries

(does not involve any voting).

Call 970-403-8697 with questions or

email info@durangotoydepot.com

Boredom Busters

 Get outside and make a snow angel or even a snow butterfly! This could be the first one of the season! If you've never done this before, now is the time. The funnest part is to pick a spot of snow that has been untouched by human-ness or even untouched by animals (be careful of yellow snow) then simply lie in the snow on your back. Start to wave your arms from your hips to the tippy top of your head! Wave them big! Then wave your legs like your arms from the center of your body to as far as you can stretch your legs. That's it, lying in the snow, waving!

 OPERATION! I think I asked Santa for this game! Lo and behold, the game was under our tree for me. What fun too! 
Find a game that has been dubbed a classic either by the toy aficionados or by your family, pull it out and have a go at it! What fun you'll have not only playing the game but also remembering all the times you played the game....

Last week there was a celebrity sighting in downtown Durango! Yes indeedy, Hooty of Hooty & the Blowfish was seen in Durango Toy Depot. How many celebrities do you have at your house?

Flashback Friday

Holy Guacamole! 

There sure are alot of "remember whens" to remember! Some days it feels like we just opened Durango Toy Depot yesterday, and other days it seems as though we've been here for 20 years. 

Today is just a warm-fuzzy kinda remembering when. 

We love our toys, we love to take care of them, and we love it when they come alive and run all over the store at night when no one is looking.

Sometimes though we have to call the Doctor...

Calling the Doctor is, within itself, always a tough call. Really, you never like to see anyone get hurt and we have learned Not to ask how the injury happened. On the other hand, if our little friend decides to tell us the story, well, that's another story!

We make sure we always have enough gauze in our well laid out first aid kit because gauze is like a bandaid, when you sit the little fellers done to apply the bandage, they know they are on their way to a speedy recovery! It doesn't even matter what the size of the wound is either, it's just like magic.

The hardest part is keeping the little critters quiet and resting until the Doctor comes to pick them up to take to her office! It is not an easy task when one has to be isolated from everyone else, it is not an easy task to have them play quietly in the office when they can hear the voices of children in the other parts of the store. It is not an easy task to decide if one needs a doctor, a surgeon, or a petranarian! We strive to make the best decision for all concerned.

Once the little fellas have received their note "to return to play" we get to remove the bandages, spout out a few reminders, then watch them skip through the store and return to their friends!

Dinosaurs 101

Look closely, because it looks like this guy has thumb like appendages!

Plateosaurus was a large, early herbivore that was about 27.5 feet  long and weighed about 1,500 pounds. It had a long neck, very long tail, a small head with a long snout, and large, five-fingered hands with a large thumb claw (and smaller claws on the other fingers). Plateosaurus may have been able to use its hand for holdimg onto things in addition to walking. Its back legs were larger than its front legs. It was a very common dinosaur in Europe during the late Triassic period.

Wacky Wednesday

Can ya get any Wackier than a couple of jokes?

An elephant was drinking out of a river one day, when he spotted a turtle asleep on a log. So, he ambled on over and kicked it clear across the river.
"What did you do that for?" Asked the giraffe.
"Because I recognized it as the same turtle that took a nip out of my trunk 53 years ago."
"Wow, what a memory" said the giraffe.

"Yes," said the elephant, "turtle recall".

Doctor, Doctor I think I'm a telephone!
(Wait for it)

Well, take these pills and if they don't work

 give me a ring!