Boredom Busters

 We have a playdate at Trimble Spa & Natural Hot Springs today! 

How lucky are we! 

Congratulations to all the new swimmers who took lessons this summer and have achieved a new level of aquatic endurance!

 Get outdoors! 

Ready, aim, FAUX BOW! 

See how far you can shoot this faux arrow! 

What adventure awaits?

Flyyyyyyyyyyying, 

flyyyyyyyyyyyyyying

 o'er the clouds we go!

Build your own stealth flyers with this book of the bestest paper airplanes! Indoors or out, it's aerodynamics at its finest!

Flashback Friday

No matter how ya look at it, we've done some pretty funny stuff around here! Part of it ends up in the video or photo archives but so much just ends up as a video in my head that makes me randomly laugh out loud when I think I'm alone! That's it, someone usually sees me and when I try to explain, 

well, it isn't as funny in words as the

pictures in my head! 

This one though I think is a classic....

Dinosaurs 101

 All Aboard! 

We're gonna ride the Dinosaur Train!

 Troodon means "wounding tooth"

 TROH-o-don

Mr. Conductor is a Troodon and a special friend to Buddy and all of his family. He is in charge of the dinosaur train. He becomes one of Buddy's heroes because he is the Conductor of one the most awesome trains of all, the Dinosaur Train! Mr.Conductor is very intelligent and is happy to explain facts about dinosaurs, the places they visit and even how the Dinosaur Train works.

Mr conductor grew to be:

Length - 6.5-11.5 ft  long
Height - 3 ft tall at the hips
Weight - 110 pounds

Mr Conductor could probably be found in the dining car with a big chunka beef or something meaty for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Oh yes, he's a carnivore!
The first Troödon fossil was discovered by Ferdinand V. Hayden in 1855. Many teeth, 20 skeletons, and elongated eggs (some located in dirt nests) with embryos have been found.
 Fossils have been found in Canada (Alberta) and USA (Montana and Wyoming).

Wacky Wednesday

What day is it? What day is it?
Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, what day is it?
Today we're creating googly eyed fish out of paper plates!
What a great end of summer idea to put
 leftover plates to good use.
A few simple cuts in the plate and the cutout
mouth piece becomes the tail!  Or you could  use it as a fin on his back. Go crazy and create your own new friend!

Word of the Day

 

FUNSTIGATOR

fuhn-stih-ga-tore

A funstigator is one who instigates fun or who initiates the fun.

Did you see what is going on in the toy store? 

It looks like the funstigators are up to their tricks again!

FAQ

What is magnetic nail polish?

An up-and-coming nail polish trend ! 

Magnetic nail polish offers a unique design and new options for creativity that no other nail polish has been able to achieve before. Magnetic nail polishes contain iron powder that forms dark, wavy shapes when affected by a magnet. The possibilities are endless! 

Check it our, we have 6 colors and 6 designs!

Did ya know?

Who discovered magnets?

The most popular legendfor the discovery of magnets is that of an elderly Cretan shepherd named Magnes. Legend has it that Magnes was herding his sheep in an area of Northern Greece called Magnesia, about 4,000 years ago. Suddenly both  the nails in his shoes and the metal tip of his staff became firmly stuck to the large  black rock on which he was standing. To find the source of attraction he dug up the Earth to find lodestones. Lodestones contain magnetite, a natural magnetic material.

Boredom Busters

 It's a balloon powered boat that runs on nothing more that your hot air. 
How far can your boat travel? 
Oh Yeah!

 Build a giant Geo Mag something 
something with all those cool magnetic
 parts and pieces! Or build a really cool
 Geo Mag machine. Either way, Geo Mag
 and other magnetic building systems are just really cool.....

When all else fails, sharpen all your pencils. Perhaps the pencils will inspire a project or spark some creativity! Either way, you'll be ready for school!

Flashback Friday

It has been so nice outdoors this week. Durango is back in school, 

other kids are getting ready to go back and we still have a week 

or so before summer is over.

What haven't I done this summer?  When I was a kid there were 2 things that were "must haves" for summer adventures.

 The classic tin can phone which you made yourself and you could talk to your friend across the street, or next door, or in the basement of your house! Oh no, there was was no texting unless you wrote a letter!

I AM BIG! Standing on my stilts made from Jumbo
Coffee cans. I always loved to open a new can of coffee for my parents because I loved the smell (I prefer freshly ground beans now). We had to wait and wait and wait for the can to be empty then we had to wait for another one or you would just walk in circles on your stilt!

Dinosaurs 101

We want to share with you one of the 

coolest moments in 

Durango Toy Depot history!

Meet Hans-Dieter Sues the Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. What's so special about this guy? As you can see, he's holding a very small dinosaur in his hand and he's standing in our store. These two, Spikey Stygimoloch and Hans have a lot in common.... in fact, I called Hans Spikey's dad! 

Mr Sues and his British counterpart discovered and named Spikey in Montana and Wyoming some 30 years ago. 

Stygimoloch means "demon from the Styx (Greek river of death), 

and is pronounced stig-ee-MOE-loch. 

Spikey liked to eat meat and plants, grew to be about 10 feet long, 

5 feet tall and weighed a little more than 400 pounds.

I was in awe that Hans' work resulted in the

 creation of a miniature TV star!

Wacky Wednesday

Why are they Wacky Wednesdays?
Because that sounds like its a lot more fun than 

Weird Wednesdays or 

Working Wednesdays or 

Way Out There Wednesdays!

Besides, we get to make stuff that is pretty cool and so do you!

And I get to make a video! Animation, that is....

Word of the day

gobsmacked:

gob -smahked

Completely dumbfounded, shocked.

                                         utterly astounded

Missy K was gobsmacked when she saw all the different trains at Railfest today!

Frequently Asked Questions

The Top 10 Questions of the day....

10. Where's a good place to eat?

9. Do you have a bathroom?

8. What does this do? Looking at the screw pump on the counter

7. Do you have one of these open?

6. Do you have any dinosaurs?

5. Do you have any marbles?

4. What's your best selling toy?

3. Which of these is better? The 70 piece magic kit or Klutz book of Gotcha Gadgets?

2. Do you have any chocolate? Sorry, the candy store is next door....

1. The best question of the day today was asked by a 3 (ish) year old girl..... 

    "Is this a Dinosaur and a truck?"

Didya Know?

LEGOS
The word LEGO comes from 2 Danish words which mean "play well".  After deciding to make toys full-time, Ole Kirk Christiansen began producing plastic toys in 1947. Two years later, the company started making plastic blocks that could be put together to create different objects.

Who Invented Water Balloons?

Edgar Ellington in 1950. He was trying to make a waterproof sock, but it wasn't working out so he threw the water filled sock on the table where it broke. An idea was born. He made the "water grenades" as the first water balloon.

Awwwwwww! Calico Critters!

Calico Critters were created by a Japanese company called Epoch in 1985. They are marketed across the world by a number of different companies and have a number of different names, for example,  in the UK they are called Sylvanian Families. I believe that they were known as Sylvanian Families in the US, too, prior to 1993.

Boredom Busters

It's an old fashion wild west weekend!

It's time for some little cowpokes to learn a new trick or two!

I know just the guy to teach you too!

Meet Will Roberts...

Flashback Friday

Whoa! It's Railfest weekend this weekend! 

I love this event for so many reasons.

1. I get to see the Eureka & Palisade engine, my favorite.

2. The Galloping Goose is in town.

3.  There's wild west shows.

4. There's a parade of trains.

5. Sourdough Slim is in town.

6. Check out all the details here. True West Rail Fest.

Dinosaurs 101

Albertaceratops... Shall we just call her Berty?

Albertaceratops (Greek for "Alberta horned face"); pronounced al-BERT-ah-SEH-rah-tops

We also think she could have gotten her name when she was discovered in Alberta Canada in 2001!

 Berty loved her plans and leaves!

Habitat:

Woodlands of North America

Historical Period:

Late Cretaceous (80-75 million years ago)

Size and Weight:

About 10 feet long and 2-3 tons

                                 Didya know that Ernie Einiosaurus was about twice as long as Berty?

  But weighed about the same?

Wacky Wednesday

By using your own photos, glass gems, and the correct magnets with the right space age glue you can make a crafty refrigerator magnet for your locker, your fridge, or your friends!

We try to keep things simple and give instructions to our Wacky Wednesday project in 4 easy steps.

1. Choose you bauble....
  This could be any bright shiny object or the fancy 1/2 marbles or pieces of sea glass that you can   get in hobby stores. You may even have a favorite rock that you would like to use.

 Wash the bauble or the rock with soapy water to get off any residue that may be lurking.

3. Choose your art. You can cut out a picture, use a sticker, or even draw something on the top of your bauble.

4. Use space age glue to attach your art to the bottom of the bauble so the picture shows through to the top. It will look a little magnified! Cool Huh!

5. Use another dab of space age glue to add the magnet to the bottom.

               Here's a sampling of a few that we made! We have infinite resources in a toy store!

There are tons of ways you can craft with buttons, but these magnets from Fynes Designs just moved to the top of my list. They’re already the perfect size and shape — how much easier can it get?! - See more at: http://blog.hgtv.com/design/2013/05/06/fridge-magnets-you-can-make/#sthash.X7psMgHm.dpuf

There are tons of ways you can craft with buttons, but these magnets from Fynes Designs just moved to the top of my list. They’re already the perfect size and shape — how much easier can it get?! - See more at: http://blog.hgtv.com/design/2013/05/06/fridge-magnets-you-can-make/#sthash.X7psMgHm.dpuf

There are tons of ways you can craft with buttons, but these magnets from Fynes Designs just moved to the top of my list. They’re already the perfect size and shape — how much easier can it get?! - See more at: http://blog.hgtv.com/design/2013/05/06/fridge-magnets-you-can-make/#sthash.X7psMgHm.dpuf

Word of the Day

Swivet

noun

(SWIV-it)

A state of nervous excitement, haste, or anxiety; flutter.

I was in such a swivet that I could hardly speak!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 10 most popular toys in your store? 

A pictorial essay ( and some words).

Blast Pads and our newest Air Bolt!

Poppers, all poppers!

Curious George Jack in the Box!

Toobs..... and creatures

Magical magnetic gyro wheel

Buddy and all the Dinosaur Train Dudes!

Calico Critter Families

Klutz Gadgets and Lego Contraptions

OBalls and OBAll Rattles

Puppies, puppies, and all kindza puppets!

Did Ya Know?

Where did that Frisbee come from?

The story involves 1950s college students playing catch with cake tins and pie pans – sometimes from the Frisbie Pie Company of New England.

There was already a plastic flying disk on the market called the Pluto Platter, and the students nicknamed it Frisbie. When Wham-O bought the rights to that plastic disk in 1957, they respelled the nickname and made it official.

Because Frisbee remains a trademark, the more earthbound generic term is flying disk.

 Hall of Fame winner!
 In 2003, the alphabet block was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. Requirements for inclusion in the National Toy Hall of Fame are that the toy has an icon status and is recognized, respected and remembered by a wide range of the population, was popular for an extended period of time and fosters learning, creativity and discovery. Forty-two toys have   been inducted in the National Toy Hall of Fame since it was it was established in 1998

Boredom Busters

Spend the day at Purgatory!

 This year’s new attraction, Water Runners, will thrill all ages as you float, walk, run and roll on the surface of the water without ever getting wet.  Step inside a transparent bubble and away you go – walking, running and jumping on water – an exciting and fun experience. Watching friends and family navigate the bubble is a blast too!

We played Mumbly Peg as kids and now there's Mumbly's!

  Mumbly’s® is a simple game. The rules were kept simple for a reason. Like all schoolyard games from the past... rules were meant to be broken. The idea that “house rules” are developed and learned by the locals is what Mumbly’s® are all about.

 The Wright Flyer....

RUBBER BAND POWERED WITH TWIN PROPELLERS. Wing span 19"(490mm), length 20"(500mm), and height 6". This large-scale plane assembles in about 40 minutes and then the fun really begins. A unique ball bearing propulsion mechanism is powered by heavy-duty rubber bands wound by a special electric winder. Flights can reach the same distance as the original- about 120 feet(36M)

Flashback Friday

Hmmmm.... it's a rainy afternoon, 

which is making me kinda sleepy.....

 Perhaps a good time to take a nap or curl up with a good book? 

Wait, I'm at the toy store! Those aren't very practical ideas for today!

Let's see, OH! Jack just showed up! You know the guy who put together the 

Connex Maze Challenge that's about making me crazy! 

OOPS, did I say that out loud? 

I mean, really... it's a very, very cool contraption for those who have a steady hand.

 On the other hand (hahaha) when you hit the wire with the wand, the bell rings!

 Sometimes, the bell does not stop because the person with the wand has been startled and can't move! Watch out for the Maze Masters who have had too much coffee!

Dinosaurs 101

Dinosaur Construction!

Seriously, a dinosaur driving a Dino construction truck!

Back in the day of the dinosaurs,

what did they use to build their buildings?

Dino Construction Company Vehicles of course!

 Meet Boom, the Brachiosaurus Backhoe. 

 He is in charge of digging big holes, 

and his buddy T-Rex Wrecker crushes

anything that's in the way for the new building. T-Top, the Triceratops Bulldozer moves any extra dirt out of the way and Spike, the  Ankylosaurus Steamroller  makes a nice flat surface for any project. With this construction crew, you can follow their tracks in the sand and in the dirt because they have super  treads!

Wacky Wednesday!

Whoa! It doesn't get much wackier than this!

Watch what happens when the toys don't think we're paying attention.... 

Missy K caught them on film!

Word of the Day

Pixilated

[pik-suh-ley-tid]

adjective

 

 

1. slightly eccentric

2. amusingly whimsical, prankish, silly, or the like.

 

Pretty much everything at Durango Toy Depot is Pixilated.

 

 Just look at that pixilated mustache!

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 What do we do for fun when we aren't at the toy store?

We go out for adventure 

with our friends from

 Mild to Wild Rafting

& Jeep Tours

Then we come home for love!

We think that's a pretty perfect day right there. The only way it could get more perfecter (according to the guy you see on your right) is if we went to the dog park or up to Transfer Park so Rowdy could enjoy the river too!