Boredom Busters

 Go fly a kite!

Learn about the wind and aerodynamics, 

and watch 

the freedom of flight!

 Just lie down and relax. 

Doesn't matter where you are!

 Can ya hear the birds?

While you feel the grass tickle your hands look up and see the clouds float by. 

What do you really see?

Whatever you do, 

wherever you are,

just have an 

egg-ceptional day!

 It kinda looks like a brain huh?

It isn't really but it could be if ya wanted it to be but this is actually the brain child of three guys,  Michael McGinnis, Dan Klitsner, and Brian Clemens.

 You can watch our video demo below!

"Perplexus is a crazy maze enclosed in a transparent plastic sphere. By twisting and turning the sphere, players attempt to maneuver a small steel ball through an intricate maze composed of 100 steps along narrow plastic tracks. Additionally, some of the steps involve dropping the ball into a cup or through a small rim to take advantage of its three-dimensional nature. There are obstacles of varying difficulty that must be navigated in order to reach the end."
That's the official scoop!

Dinosaurs 101

Meet Pauline the Proganochelys: pro-GAN-oh-KELL-iss

 Looks as if one of the oldest known turtles has a sense of humor and is getting ready to give the Easter bunny a run for his basket! Oh, that's funny because it also refers to the turtle and the hare! 

In this case, Pauline is both the turtle and the hare!

Anyway, Pauline lived during the Late Triassic period which was about 210 million years ago, ate plants, and grew to be about 3 feet long. Pauline weighed anywhere from 50 to 100 pounds.

With her spiked neck and tail it must have been nearly impossible for Pauline to retract her head totally inside her shell for protection but with a spiked tail, which appears longer than modern turtles', she could have used it for defense against predators.

It's working.....

Just released from Breyer Horses is the 2013 Mobile Vet Clinic! 

Talk about schaaweet!

This is the ultimate rescue vehicle which offers lots of comfort for the humans too!

When animals are in need of veterinary care, the Classics Mobile Vet Clinic can be on-site in a snap!
It's packed with fun features for hours of imaginative play:

• Two horse stalls with storage under the floor
• Roof doubles as a mobile office with x-ray screen and fold-out table
• Side bin contains eight pieces of fencing for a corral
• Roof compartment stores a ladder and a chair
• Two front seats with seat belts fit 6" dolls, swivel in two directions and have storage pouches
• License plate has three positions
• Visors to block the sun, pull-down steps and adjustable side mirrors
• Fold-out side awning

Word of the day

 

 shenaniganizers: she-nan-i-gan-i-zers

This word comes to us from Mikey who thinks we're shenaniganizers!

                    I believe this would make us organizers  

                           of silly behavior and mischief!

Spring Cleaning

It's true! 

We've been Spring Cleaning and charting our course for all the 

new toys and games for 2013.

To make room, we decided to discount the discount and

 offer 50% off our red tag prices. 

Choose from Breyer, Bruder trucks, Klutz books, Educational Insights, Thomas & Friends, ThinkFun and More! This week only!

Boredom Buster

 We set out today to make a Fairy Jar....

We used a jar with a tight fitting lid, a few glow sticks, some glitter and a pair of snippers to cut the glow sticks.

 This is crazy looking science 

but it is actually a photo of the glow sticks emptying their glow stuff into the jar. We cut both ends for better drainage from the tubes. Remember that glow sticks have a little glass tube on the inside so be very careful!

 Fairy Juice is glowing in the jar! 

Just as it should be!

Waiting for the glitter.....

Viola! 

Just the right amount of glitter....

Shaken, not stirred. Watch the magical fairies illuminate the glitter in the jar when you turn out the lights! Or when you place your jar in the garden....

Whoa! 

We received abuncha new hats this week so I have been able to expand my horizons and go on new adventures just by switching my hats!  I realize the hat I have on in this photo doesn't look very thrilling but it really is!

This hat helps to keep my hair outta my eyes so I can see more clearly on windy days... or any day!

This hat has mountains and pine trees on it to remind me to look up when I go outdoors....

This comfy cap has velcro..... need I say more?

This gem is gently worn and has the words "Durango Colorado" right across the front of it! My local pride shows when I have it on!

But the most important role this hat plays is that it is an all occasion hat that has become my trusted companion!

Dinosaurs 101

Thanks to PBS and Dinosaur Train for this one!

omnivore: ohm-nee-vore

1. eating both animal and plant foods.

2. eating all kinds of foods indiscriminately.

 

quadruped: quad-rue-ped

an animal having four feet 

Word of the Day

kibitzer \KIB-it-ser\ , noun:

 A person who jokes, chitchats, or makes wisecracks, especially while others are trying to work or to discuss something seriously. 

A spectator at a card game who looks at the players' cards over their shoulders, especially one who gives unsolicited advice.

This guy is a nosy kibitzer because he always knows who is up to something on the puppet rack!

Did ya Know?

 **Parcheesi 

is the 3rd best selling game in the history of the United States?

** The game was also 

the favorite of Thomas Edison 

& President Calvin Coolidge?

**Trivial Pursuit

 was invented by 2 newspaper

men, Chris Haney and Scott Abbott?

** Their favorite game was Scrabble?

**By late 1983, three and a half million games had been sold, only a year after the game went to the mass market?

** Today there are at least 19 versions of the game in different languages in 30 different countries?

**After the American Civil War,

 toy soldiers were made of sugar and chocolate so they were edible?

**In France more than 5 million toy soldiers were made from discarded sardine cans?

** GI Joe made his first appearance in 1062?

Thanks to my favorite book, Toys! Amazing Stories Behind Some Great Inventions by Don Wulffson and illustrations by Laurie Keller.

Boredom Buster

 It's time! 

The little Green Irishmen

 are running around everywhere!

We made our Leprechaun Trap today but cleverly disguised it as a 

Leprechaun Vacation home!

 What will yours look like?

How many different ways can you put together 24 pieces? 

Will the marbles make it all the way to the end?

Is it really gravity that helps the marbles travel or is it the angles? Or is it a combination of the 2?

Whatever happens, set your race course and let the marbles go!

This is a crazy Oball! 

 Fun for everyone and it's so pliable it can be

 used inside or outside! Make up a new game 

and call it your own! Here's one it's called 

"I-can- only-catch-the blue- circles-on-my left-pinky!"

Today.....it's a little early to know how the rest of the day will play out! That's just funny!

We are quite excited about our newest additions to the Breyer family of great greatness! Our new arrivals include Mariah, the 2013 Horse of the Year,

Stablemates Horse Crazy Truck & Gooseneck Trailer  in groovy awesome new colors,

and somewhat sassy Gypsy Vanner!

 Here's the official scoop on our Gypsy Vanner.....

 "The Breyer® Gypsy Vanner model captures attention as it displays the vibrant personality, color and all the glossy hair for which the breed is so valued. The Gypsy Vanner originates from the United Kingdom, where the breed was created by gypsies to pull heavy wagons while maintaining a personality that was kind enough to be around small children. It has the build of a small draft horse, with heavy feathering on the legs and long, flowing manes and tails. Gypsy Vanners display many colors and patterns. They were first imported to the United States in 1996 and have consistently gained in popularity ever since."

Gypsy is really worth the time to come and meet him! Quite amazing!

Dinosaurs 101

PALEONTOLOGIST:  

pay-lee-unh-tol-o-gist

noun

a scientist who studies forms of life existing in former geologic periods as represented by their fossils. Tools

of the trade include a Pith Helmet, a magnifying glass, a shovel, a trowel, a paint brush, a screen, and much patience!

 

Paleontologists study fossils and attempt to use them to reconstruct the history of the Earth and the life on it. Some study the ecology of the past; others work on the evolution of the species in which formed the fossil.

The science of paleontology  encompasses all life, from bacteria to whales. Paleontology does not usually deal with artifacts made by humans.  

What does a paleontologist do?  A paleontologist might identify fossil animal bones associated with an archaeological site, to find out what the people who lived there ate; or a paleontologist might be called on to analyze the climate at the time a particular archaeological site was inhabited. 

 

Hmmmmm.... it seems....

Wow! Another splendorific day in Durango

with the sun shining and a hint of Spring in the air.

It seems as though we have many, many, many visitors in downtown as of late. People from all over the country, people here to ski, people here to ride the train, and some people are here just because it's a gorgeous place to be!

No matter what brings you to Durango, we're gonna try to give you  a 3D, hands on  happenin kind

of experience when you come in to see us! It could be the some of the cool new stuff we just receives or you may find yourself getting popped with the infamous Pig Popper! One never knows what to expect and even though you are company, we're not gonna treat you any different than the people who live here!

We can always tell when the days turn to Spring as we see more and more of our friends stop by to visit, and to giggle, and to just hang out. We welcome the warmer weather because we're all enjoying the days!

Word of the Day...

GLITZY: glit-see glamorous, highly decorated, sparkly

New Stablemates from Breyer could be called glitzy but we think they're just right! Stablemates now in 6 fashion colors with just the right amount of glitter in the mane and tail!

Did ya know?

The drinking bird was invented by Miles V. Sullivan. Part physics, part chemistry. Mr. Sullivan was a Ph.D. inventor-scientist at Bell Labs in Murray Hill, New Jersey.  The patent was titled "Activated Amusement Device." This device remains one of the top teaching "toys" today. You decide, physics or chemistry?

Aerobie Orbiter Boomerang

Aerobie was founded in 1984 by Stanford University engineer Alan Adler, when he invented the Aerobie Pro Ring. Mr. Adler still owns the company and continues to invent new Aerobie products, like the Aerobie Orbiter - "The World's Best Boomerang."

Boredom Busters!

 Now this is a boredom buster!  

Just when we get teased with a couple of sunny warm days, just when we think it's gonna be Spring, Ta-Da! A beautiful coat of snow reminds us it's not quite time to wear our flip flops 24/7!

This is a perfect time of year to plan and plot the veggie garden though! Imagine rows of green! Do ya know what you're gonna grow this year? Have you got your plan? Do ya have heirloom seeds? Organic seeds? Are ya ready?

 Start with a blank piece of paper..... or maybe it's full of surprises written so small you can't  even see the writing with a magnifying glass? At any rate, the cards become your canvas.... make a puzzle by drawing a picture, then cut it out all funny, then put it back together again! Write something like "if you could be a Super Hero, who would you be?" OR "If brussel sprouts tasted different, what would they taste like?" Then you can make up a bunch of stuff and use your cards to start a conversation with anybody in the world!

This is always one of my favorites....

Devise a plan to do nice things for people.... it doesn't have to be anything HUGE, just a nice somethin-somethin! We're sure nice somethin-somethins come naturally to you but let's surprise someone we know by smiling for no reason (a smile is contagious), saying good morning when we get up, or even tell them they look good in their outfit! Then you can see the ripples of kindness like waves in the ocean!

What's Going on?

 We had a big meeting this morning to decide what we should do in the front windows to keep things interesting. As you can see, we do our best thinkin when we're hard at work.
It's a goofy time of year, St. Patrick's day is just around the corner followed by the First day of Spring, followed by Easter with Spring break, and April Fools day.
"This could become a very busy window" I heard someone say from the puppet rack. So I began to listen more carefully..."Keep it simple or you'll get all tangled up and will get these events confused." Said the wise old owl.
"But, you can do it all at once and have eggs coming out of the spring flowers OR have spring flowers coming out of the eggs....whoa!  Now we're talking!" (I'm not sure who said that.)
"Nonetheless, don't you think you two ought to put your window designing plans together and put the poppers down before the bosses come in?" Said the chicken.
 I explained to everyone that the windows just kinda "happen" once we start, you know, one idea leads to another and another and another and soon enough the inspiration is oozing all over the place! The hardest part is to try not to get too tangled and trap yourself amongst the toys.... I do it every time and laugh out loud!

So take a peek this weekend, I think there's already a tea party going on!

Dinosaurs 101

I bet you didn't know this guy's formal name contains 
part of the name of a musician?
This is Bucky Masiakasaurus knopfleri:  mah-SHEE-a-kah-SOR-us 
which means vicious lizard.

Bucky had a long neck and tail, walked on two feet, and weighed about as much as a German shepherd. But the most unique feature of the newly discovered Masiakasaurus knopfleri is its teeth, some of which stuck out from its jaw almost parallel to the ground.
Masiakasaurus was  found only on the Island of Madgascar in 1995 and later discoveries were made in 2011 so there's about 65% of the creature known. 
Rumor has it that Bucky feasted on fish and lived as a carnivorous dinosaur. He lived in Madgascar.  The dinosaur’s fossils were dated to the Late Cretaceous period (about 65-70 million years ago). They show that he was five- to six-feet long and weighed about 80 pounds  The most famous Masiakasaurus is Bucky. 
The scientists who discovered masiakasaurus credit Mark Knopfler's (the lead singer of Dire Straits) music as a lucky charm; it seemed that many of their most important discoveries were made whenever they were listening to his songs.
 Sources:National Geographic News (January 29, 2001)
dictionary.com 

We're studying for the Children's Fair

Today we'll be hitting the books so that we can fill our heads with much knowledge about the country Durango Toy Depot will be representing at the Children's Fair this Saturday at the fairgrounds. 
   We picked our country by spinning the world globe and stopping it with a finger that landed on our Island nation. It was then we decided that this country couldn't be any more perfect for us!
   This year we have much to do when you visit our Island....get ready for adventure when you stop by Saturday to get your passport stamped! 
   You may even learn something while you're having fun!
      For more information about our services and programs, please call 970-385-4354.

Word of the Day

Word of the Day.....

bibelot \BIB-loh; Fr. beebuh-LOH\, noun:

a small object of curiosity, beauty, or rarity.

Bibelot entered English in the late 1800s from the Old French beubelet meaning "trinket" or "jewel." This term originally came from the reduplication in Old French belbel, a word for a "plaything," the literal translation of which is "pretty pretty ". Sparkle Ups are all those things!

Thanks to our friends at Dictionary.com

Did ya Know?

 The Gyroscope is a self spinning- balancing toy that was put to good use in many different applications.
In 1743, John Serson invented the "Whirling speculum" to help locate the horizon in foggy or misty conditions at sea.

Gyroscopes have not only been used for navigation but also become an important part of gun sights in WW II.
The coolest fact I have, is that now itty bitty teeny tiny gyroscopes are now used in IPhones, IPads, and IPods for motion sensing. So, the next time you flip your IPhone, just picture this wonder of science inside your device!

Don't loose your marbles!

Marbles made of clay and agate have been around for thousands of years. 

Marbles have even been found in tombs in ancient Egypt!

The marbles we know , mainly made of glass, started in Germany with a glassblower who made a device called "marble scissors" in 1846. These "scissors" helped to create a round ball of hot glass and separate it from its source. It wasn't until the 1890's that the first glass marbles were mass produced in the USA.

Boredom Busters

Spring Fever!

It's  a beautiful day to get out and play! 

Or go for a walk,

Or play with the dog,

 or draw really cool pictures on the sidewalk, 

or make a new contraption, 

or bird watch, 

or just be outside!

If ya can't be outside,

the bestest place to be would be in

The Toy Store! 

Top 10 reasons

Dragon N' Donkey discuss the top 10 reasons 

for opening Durango Toy Depot...

10. Because the Owners are funny and know a lot of bad jokes

9. There was an opportunity

8. Why not?

7. Because toys from all over the world can visit Historic Downtown Durango Colorado before they get adopted

6. So one of the owners can be nicknamed "Bubba"

5. To give back to our great community 

4. So we can do silly things in the middle of downtown that cause a raucous

3. It seemed like a fun thing to do

2. Work.... no, play all day!

1. To hear belly laughs and see smiles all day long!