Frequently Asked Questions

What does a girl really want?

It is tough to say what a girl wants because every girl is different in their own way!

Some girls like to dress up as fairies and princesses, complete with sparkles and tiaras. Fairy wings and magic wands are a must and the outfit is not complete without roll on glitter and a lovely locket bracelet.

Other young ladies might want to dress up as a cowgirl! These are the horse crazy ones who want to ride on the open plains and have the wind in their face. They would have to have the cowgirl hat with matching bandana and a lariat to catch the cattle that have escaped from their pasture.

And then their are girls who want to be a super heroes to save the day! They dream of flying across the city to rescue those who are in need of her help. She would need a cape to help her fly and a mask to conceal her identity.

Next Saturday from 10-5, we will be at the What A Girl Wants Expo at the LaPlata County Fairgrounds to show awesome dress up attire and fashion accessories!

 We hope to see you there!

Happy Birthday Rosie!

Rosie the  Riveter turns 93!

Most everybody has seen the iconic image of Rosie the Riveter encouraging people with her "We Can Do It" spirit, but did you know that she was based on a real person who just celebrated her 93rd birthday?

Meet Elinor Otto, one of the original Riveting Girls, who worked on the assembly lines during World War II while the men went overseas to fight. Elinor stepped up in 1942 and hasn't stopped working since! When she started working, she made 65 cents an hour and loved the working environment. After the work week was over, Elinor and her friends would go ballroom dancing and get ready to do it all over again the next week. 

Much has changed in the 71 years since she started working, but to this day, Elinor wakes up at the crack of dawn to drive to the Boeing airplane factory to put rivets in C-17 Cargo Planes! She says she just really likes working and doesn't have plans to stop anytime soon. Keep up the hard work Elinor!

Boredom Busters

 Make a pennant and cheer for your favorite football team! 

 Or make one color pennant and see how many teams you could use it for because they all have that same color! From midget league to the pro's there are lots of teams to choose from!

 Body Crayons! 

You could become the team mascot with a little artwork! Half your face is purple, half of your face could be yellow!

 These high-quality cosmetic pencils are capable of producing a cleaner, brighter line of color than any others we've seen. They come in red, blue, yellow, green, black, and white. The book itself is packed with tons of inspirational ideas, including a butterfly who'll stay perched on your shoulder forever - or at least until bath-time

Oh yeah! 

Build this fun circuit board maze and then test your skill and patience. Build the science kit and then play with the toy!

Try your hand at working the wand around the wire. Be careful because you built a circuit that causes the bell to ring when you hit the

 squiggly wire. 

Ah- MAZE-ing!

Flashback Friday

I am searching the memory banks for something really clever and witty to write about this week.  

Have you ever noticed that the harder you try, the more difficult it becomes to search the memory banks in the clever and witty department? But then it's a little awkward too, because I feel like I'm being watched by 3 eyes, not a third eye mind you, but 3 eyes. How peculiar is that? EEEEK! Googly eyes  pointed right this way, not even being discreet, not even looking away when I look in their direction! I suppose I should introduce these characters, Meet Fez (the blue one) and Kai (the other one, Kai doesn't like to be called "the green one"). These guys have been a part of our toy store family since we opened and will be around for quite some time. 

They come to life when you pick them up and are just plain silly sometimes! Sometimes, their voices change from really high to really low! Sometimes, they just don't say anything at all, like now because they are watching me!

Dinosaurs 101

Looks like this one is dancing to the beat of a different drummer!

I think we'll call her Mim.

Harpymimus

(pronounced HAR-pee-MIME-us)

 [a Greek bird-woman monster]  was a therapod dinosaur, a bipedal meat-eater that lived during the about 119- 97.5 million years ago in the Cretaceous period. It had a beak and 10 - 11 cone shaped teeth in its lower jaw.No one really knows what Mim ate. She had tapered, three-fingered hands. This extremely fast-running dinosaur had thin, long-shinned legs and a light-weight body. It was about 6.5 feet (2 m) long and may have weighed about 275 pounds (125 kg). 

 This bird-like dinosaur is known from a skull and a few bones found in Mongolia. Harpymimus was named by Barsbold & Perle in 1984. The type species is H. okladnikovi.

Wacky Wednesday

This is a pretty cool Craftopia project!

 I made my Tyrannosaurus Rex  out of a paper plate, soft foam sheet pieces, and a few brass fasteners so her arms, legs, and head can move! Her eye is also a brass fastener .

Part of our Craftopia adventure is getting out the craftainer to see what we can work with. For this project,  I found the plates, the foam that was leftover from another Craftopia adventure, and some markers to make this T Rex more colorful than any T Rex I had ever seen!

You'll have to make a tough decision today as you decide if you're gonna make a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a Diplodocus, or a Stegasaurus!

Word of the day

Discombobulate

dis-come-BOB-u-late

dis-come-BOB-u-lated

A state of confusion, disarray, off kilter

Another word that's just fun to say.

When the box was opened it contained not what we had ordered, for a moment the situation had me discombobulated!

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you always this silly or just when I'm here?

That would be always, although I do enjoy the company of my Durango Toy Depot friends, I am pretty much silly all the time. This is the perfect setting to nurture silly, to be yourself, and the perfect place to be 5 to 8 years old again!

Did Ya Know?

The mechanical bull as an entertainment device as well as the commercial use of mechanical bulls gained popular appeal with the release of the 1980 movie Urban Cowboy.John Travolta demonstrated the art of riding a mechanical bull to the larger movie-going population. The mechanical bull featured in this movie was the El Toro brand of mechanical bull. This brand of mechanical bull is still in circulation, but does not carry the same safety features that are available on more current models, like the quick shut off switch.

An abacus may be considered the
 first type of cash register. An abacus, which is a frame that holds beads 
suspended on wires, was used by merchants in Mesopotamia 
around 5000 BC.

Boredom Busters

Join us at Rotary Park as we take some of our funnest games to play!

16th Annual AIDS Benefit Run/Walk/Bike for the Whole Family When: Sat, September 21, 9am – 1pm Where: Rotary Park, 1565 E. 2nd Ave., Durango, CO 81301 (map) Description:  Run/Bike/Walk events for the whole family, including  a picnic and ceremony to follow at Rotary Park.  Distances/event: Fun Run/Walk – 1.6 k Run/Walk –  6 k Bike Ride – 4 or 8 miles All proceeds will help to  fund AIDS education and prevention.       Leave (hahahaha) your troubles behind and take a nice long walk to admire the trees adapting to the changing of the seasons!

Flashback Friday

There's a pallet of toys outside the front door just 

waiting to be unwrapped and brought into the store. 

 Just waiting patiently, soakin up some sun, listening to the people walking by speculating and guessing what could be in all the boxes. Oh yeah! There's some brand new products involved that will hit the shelves soon enough along with their cohorts that we have proven they belong here on Main Street. Seriously, what could be out there? Here's a hint.....

Dinosaurs 101

Quiz question

Were the largest dinosaurs carnivores (meat-eaters)

or herbivores (plant-eaters)? 

 They were herbivores

The biggest dinosaurs were sauropods; they were gigantic, slow moving, tiny-headed, cow-like plant-eaters from the late Jurassic and the Cretaceous period. They had very long necks which were useful for reaching wide (and tall) swatches of vegetation. The lengthy neck was counterbalanced by a massive tail. These sauropods are the largest land animals ever discovered:

Supersaurus - 134 feet long (41 m) Argentinosaurus - 115-130 feet long (35-40 m); 80-100 metric tons Seismosaurus ("Earth-shaking lizard") - 120+ feet long (37 m); +80 tons Ultrasauros - 100 feet long (30 m), +80 tons Diplodocus - grew up to 90 feet long (28 m). Brachiosaurus - about 85 feet long (26 m), 40 feet tall, and weighed 70-80 tons.  The biggest carnivores were much smaller. They were theropods from the Cretaceous period and include: Giganotosaurus carolinii - 47 feet long (14 m), 8 tons in weight, and 12 feet tall (4 m). Tyrannosaurus rex - 40-50 feet long (12-15 m), 6 tons in weight. Carcharodontosaurus saharicus - probably about 45 feet long.

Wacky Wednesday

This Wacky Wednesday is magic and nature all rolled into one adventure to Craftopia!!
We'll be using solar energy to create today's art project to take home.



This is how we're gonna do it.
Just add sunshine and water and see what develops! Use natural or man-made objects to make beautiful and unique prints. Use your SunArt Paper Kit outdoors on a sunny or an overcast day or even in a sunny window. All kits come with 15 sheets of SunArt Paper.

Cyanotypes are photographs sometimes known as blueprints, sunprints or sunlight prints. a photogram is a photographic image made without the use of a camera by placing objects on light-sensitized paper. Also called shadow prints or "Rayograph", after the artist Man Ray. Cyanotype paper is a light-sensitive coated paper.

Step 1
Select item(s) such as leaves, flowers or objects found around the house. Arrange a composition that will fit the size of the paper. You can even use negatives but it can take up to 2 hours for exposure.

Step 2
Assemble in this order:

Surface or cardboard for the bottom

SunArt Paper - blue side up (keep away from direct sunlight)

Chosen item(s)

Acrylic sheet which holds items in place
(Peel protective coating from acrylic sheet before use)

Step 3
Expose to the sunlight until SunArt Paper turns a very light blue. Approximately 1-5 minutes, depending on sunlight. Stay away from shadows.

Step 4
Once the SunArt Paper has turned a very light blue, carefully slide the paper out from backing board and your objects. Quickly rinse the SunArt Paper with water for about one minute. The image will turn lighter during this process. To obtain darker, more intense blue tones, simply add a few drops of lemon juice to a tray of water. Use the tray to rinse your exposed SunArt Paper.

Step 5
Place the rinsed SunArt Paper on a flat surface or paper towels to dry. See your beautiful solar photograph darken to a richer blue as the SunArt Paper dries. To flatten, simply place the completely dried sheet under a book for 1-2 days. Do not try to flatten your print before it is completly dry.

Use only as directed. Adult supervision is recommended.

Word of the Day

Skedaddle

skiˈdadl/

noun: skedaddle; plural noun: skedaddles

1.

a hurried departure or flight.
2. quick exit

After I heard the big "boom", I skeddadled outta there!

Frequently Asked Questions

Who gets everything ready for Wacky Wednesday? 

This video should answer that question and show you 

how we painted and tricked out our train cars!

This just happens around here!

Did ya Know?

 Hape (We call this company "Happy")
In addition to using particular materials and methods,
Hape seeks out people who bring a new sensibility to the
process. A collaboration of international and local employees
creates a global corporate culture with a particular understanding
and respect for the world in which we live.
Sustainability, education, innovation and fun.
Hape Toys represents the next generation of play.

Less Transportation, Less Energy
All Green Toys products are 100% made in the USA. To be more specific, they are produced in California, a state known for strict toy safety and environmental laws. It's cool to buy USA, but also think about this: transportation is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gasses. We all know driving less is good for mother nature, but did you ever think about how many miles a toy logs before it ends up in your local store?

Our toys are truly local creations. Every step in the process, from milk container recycling to toy production to final assembly, occurs in California. Our raw materials and toys aren't shipped from overseas, which saves a lot of energy and reduces greenhouse gasses. 

 

American Made, Naturally
We have been making eco-friendly, educational wooden toys, games and gifts since 1979 at our shop here in Middlebury, Vermont. We pride ourselves in being a local company that supports other local companies who operate in a responsible and sustainable manner. We employ about 40 local folks year around. As a result of these practices we produce products that have always been safe and of superior quality.

Boredom Busters

 Be a tourist in your own town and spend some time at the DURANGO train museum behind the depot.

 Ride, ride, ride on your mystery tour!

Or just let yourself go on an out of this world adventure wheeling around on a Plasmacar! Pure energy!

Adopt a dragon!

This just happens to be from Eragon's journeys but I would adopt Saphira in a minute as long as she can get along with Rowdy.

We would even adopt a dragon we didn't know so we could train our dragon to live with everybody in the toy store.....

Flashback Friday

Last summer I wore this hat quite often and would wave to the carriage driver from the General Palmer every time he would go by the front of the store on Friday and Saturday nights! Snicker, snicker, then he came in and introduced himself because he wanted to meet the nut who kept waving! Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't... I guess I feel like a nut most days especially when I wear my pink hat, it just makes me sillier than usual. 

I like to wear my pirate hat as often as I can! When my friend Lucas comes in, we have a sword fight as pirates on the ship then I end up walking the plank. It helps me swab the deck after we close instead of just mopping the floor. It's aaaarrrrrggggghhhh-uably more fun that way!

I guess I just don't wear a hat when I make funny jokes.... I suppose my next project will be to find a hat that suits me and inspires me to be my comedic self..... I can almost picture it now!

Dinosaurs 101

 

This guy is not to be confused with the car from the 70's. The Vega!

His discovery is fairly new to the world of humans!

Name: Vagaceratops ‭(‬Wandering horned face‭)‬.
  Va-ga-seh-rah-tops.

Named By: Scott D.‭ ‬Sampson,‭ ‬Mark A.‭ ‬Loewen,‭ ‬Andrew A.‭ ‬Farke,‭ ‬Eric M.‭ ‬Roberts,‭ ‬Catherine A.‭ ‬Forster,‭ ‬Joshua A.‭ ‬Smith,‭ & ‬Alan L.‭ ‬Titus‭ ‬-‭ ‬2010.
Diet: Herbivore.
Size: Up to‭ ‬6‭ ‬meters long.
Known locations: Canada,‭ ‬Alberta‭ ‬-‭ ‬Dinosaur Park Formation.
Time period:  Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Skull and post cranial remains.

Wacky Wednesday

We're gonna start with a tanker or a box car. 

They're just waiting for us to customize them!

That's some custom work!

All Aboard! Fuel for Fun!

Word of the Day

catawampus

 cat-a-WAM-pus

out of alignment, askew, off kilter, crooked

or a fierce imaginary animal (bogeyman)

 

Be careful to cut the boards exactly how we measured them or we may end up with a catawampus house!

Frequently asked questions

How do we do it?

Well, we put on our best play clothes, wake up all the toys, and Viola! 

The toys and DIY craftopia supplies do the rest! 

We have a magical place here at Durango Toy Depot!

Did ya Know?

The movie "Night at the Museum" is a 2006 American action, comedy, adventure film based on the 1993 children's book by author Milan Trenc. It follows a father trying to settle down, impress his son, and find his destiny. He applies for a job as a night watchman at New York City's American Museum of Natural History and subsequently discovers that the exhibits, animated by a magical Egyptian artifact, come to life at night.

The game known as Kendama refers to a Japanese game of skill. It is made up of a wooden ball (Jap.: dama) which is attached to a wooden handle (Jap.: ken) by a string.It has three cups of different size  to catch the ball  and a a spike to spike up the ball.

Kendama is much like a combination of similar games from many cultures. Almost everywhere on earth there were at some point in time similar games. For example in France there is bilboquet, in Britain cup-and-ball, in Germany it was called Kugelfang  or in many Spanish speaking countries there, for hundreds of years, has been a game called balero.

All these games are based on the same principle: catching one object with another and both object are attached to each other with a string.

Boredom Busters

 Make a tree your family tree!

Design something that represents each member of your family and hang it from the tree in your yard. It could be a family crest, it could be an animal totem, it could be a star... Remember not to tie anything to tightly to the tree because the tree will grow with your family.

 Recyle - Reuse - Repurpose

Take 2 empty toilet paper rolls or an empty paper towel roll cut in half and create your own binoculars. These are pretty high tech but you can customize your own with a little paint, maybe some markers, and maybe even with some stickers. A strip of duct tape holds them together nicely. Don't forget the string or ribbon for a neck strap!

Create your own game! 

We started with a deck of cards and a game of 52 card pick up which was a lot of fun because we flicked the cards into the air and let them lie where they may. Soon enough we were playing another game where one person had to pick out all their hearts without moving all the other cards. Then we added marbles, we shot the marbles from outside a circle onto the cards and whoever got the highest score on 3 marble rolls, won the hand. Then we added .... well, the list goes on....

Flashback Friday

Before there were Crazy Forts (which somewhat resemble 

giant Tinkertoys), 

before there were fancy schmancy super duper

 put- together fort kits, 

we relied on what was at hand!

Oh yeah, the coffee table, the sofa, the chair arranged just right made the 2 room fort with a connecting tunnel! The dining room table covered with a sheet made a huge fort and provided protection from the elements and from any unfriendly intruders! The best part was that we could line up the dining room chairs in 2 rows and cover them to connect us to the other rooms, we seriously, had a sprawling castle!

Dinosaurs 101

EDMONTONIA

ED-mon-TONE-ee-ah

 No one knows what color any of these dinosaurs were.

So we can make Edmon (short for Edmontonia) 

any colors we choose!

Edmon was an herbivore (a plant-eater). He ate low-lying plants, like ferns and cycads . Cycads are seed plants typically characterized by a stout and woody trunk with a crown of large, hard and stiff evergreen leaves. 

This nodosaurid ankylosaur (an armored dinosaur with no tail club) was about 20 to 23 ft long and weighed about 3.5 tons. Edmon  had a bulky body, four short, thick legs, wide feet, a short neck, and a stiff tail. It was covered with bony plates and spikes, and had a long, flat skull. The teeth were small and the jaws were weak. I

 Edmontonia means "from Edmonton." This dinosaur was named from a fossil specimen found in 1924 in the Edmonton rock Formation in Alberta, Canada by George Paterson. Fossils have also been found in Montana, USA.

Edmontonia was an armored, tank-like dinosaur that lived  about 76-68 million years ago.

But we like to call him Edmon!

Wacky Wednesday

And this little piggy went weeee, weeeee, 

weeee all the way home! 

He just doesn't like to get his feet muddy!

He will not be a part of our muddy pig project  

today but these guys are just waiting

for us to smear the mud around so they feel at home!

We're gonna take some sponges, some brown paint, and some creativity and we're gonna wallow in the mud! Join us!

Word of the Day!

ram·bunc·tious

ramˈbəNGkSHəs/

adjective: rambunctious

uncontrollably exuberant; boisterous.

That's one rambunctious jumping girl!

That's not rowdy, that's rambunctious!

You can't not smile when you're all about being rambunctious!

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the toys in your store safe?

Toy Safety is something we take very seriously so we make sure we buy our toys and games from reputable dealers.

Toy safety is the practice of ensuring that games and toys are safe usually through the application of set safety standards. In many countries, commercial toys must be able to pass safety tests in order to be sold. In the U.S., most toys must meet national standards, while other toys may not have to meet a defined safety standard. In countries where standards exist, they exist in order to prevent accidents.

oy Safety Tips

Find the Perfect Toy for the Right Age

• Consider your child’s age when purchasing a toy or game. It’s worth a second to read the instructions and warning labels to make sure it’s just right for your child.
• Before you’ve settled on the perfect toy, check to make sure there aren’t any small parts or other potential choking hazards.

Don’t Forget a Helmet for Riding Toys

• If your children have their hearts set on a new bike, skateboard, scooter or other riding equipment, be sure to include a helmet to keep them safe while they’re having fun.
• Learn more bike safety tips and watch our helmet safety video. 

Store Toys After Play

• After play time is over, use a bin or container to store toys for next time. Make sure there are no holes or hinges that could catch little fingers.

Sign Up to Receive Product Recalls

• Safe Kids compiles product recalls specific to children and sends twice-monthly e-mail alerts for recent recalls. Sign-up for the latest recall information. 
• Go to www.recalls.gov for additional information about product recalls related to kids.

- See more at: http://www.safekids.org/tip/toy-safety-tips#sthash.j9ZC2Cc5.dpuf

Toy Safety Tips

Find the Perfect Toy for the Right Age

• Consider your child’s age when purchasing a toy or game. It’s worth a second to read the instructions and warning labels to make sure it’s just right for your child.
• Before you’ve settled on the perfect toy, check to make sure there aren’t any small parts or other potential choking hazards.

Don’t Forget a Helmet for Riding Toys

• If your children have their hearts set on a new bike, skateboard, scooter or other riding equipment, be sure to include a helmet to keep them safe while they’re having fun.
• Learn more bike safety tips and watch our helmet safety video. 

Store Toys After Play

• After play time is over, use a bin or container to store toys for next time. Make sure there are no holes or hinges that could catch little fingers.

Sign Up to Receive Product Recalls

• Safe Kids compiles product recalls specific to children and sends twice-monthly e-mail alerts for recent recalls. Sign-up for the latest recall information. 
• Go to www.recalls.gov for additional information about product recalls related to kids.

- See more at: http://www.safekids.org/tip/toy-safety-tips#sthash.j9ZC2Cc5.dpuf

Toy Safety Tips

Find the Perfect Toy for the Right Age

• Consider your child’s age when purchasing a toy or game. It’s worth a second to read the instructions and warning labels to make sure it’s just right for your child.
• Before you’ve settled on the perfect toy, check to make sure there aren’t any small parts or other potential choking hazards.

Don’t Forget a Helmet for Riding Toys

• If your children have their hearts set on a new bike, skateboard, scooter or other riding equipment, be sure to include a helmet to keep them safe while they’re having fun.
• Learn more bike safety tips and watch our helmet safety video. 

Store Toys After Play

• After play time is over, use a bin or container to store toys for next time. Make sure there are no holes or hinges that could catch little fingers.

Sign Up to Receive Product Recalls

• Safe Kids compiles product recalls specific to children and sends twice-monthly e-mail alerts for recent recalls. Sign-up for the latest recall information. 
• Go to www.recalls.gov for additional information about product recalls related to kids.

- See more at: http://www.safekids.org/tip/toy-safety-tips#sthash.j9ZC2Cc5.dpuf

 We've put together some toy safety tips right here

Toy Safety Tips

Find the Perfect Toy for the Right Age

• Consider your child’s age when purchasing a toy or game. It’s worth a second to read the instructions and warning labels to make sure it’s just right for your child.
• Before you’ve settled on the perfect toy, check to make sure there aren’t any small parts or other potential choking hazards.

Don’t Forget a Helmet for Riding Toys

• If your children have their hearts set on a new bike, skateboard, scooter or other riding equipment, be sure to include a helmet to keep them safe while they’re having fun.
• Learn more bike safety tips and watch our helmet safety video. 

Store Toys After Play

• After play time is over, use a bin or container to store toys for next time. Make sure there are no holes or hinges that could catch little fingers.

Sign Up to Receive Product Recalls

• Safe Kids compiles product recalls specific to children and sends twice-monthly e-mail alerts for recent recalls. Sign-up for the latest recall information. 
• Go to www.recalls.gov for additional information about product recalls related to kids.

- See more at: http://www.safekids.org/tip/toy-safety-tips#sthash.j9ZC2Cc5.dpuf

Toy Safety Tips

Find the Perfect Toy for the Right Age

• Consider your child’s age when purchasing a toy or game. It’s worth a second to read the instructions and warning labels to make sure it’s just right for your child.
• Before you’ve settled on the perfect toy, check to make sure there aren’t any small parts or other potential choking hazards.

Don’t Forget a Helmet for Riding Toys

• If your children have their hearts set on a new bike, skateboard, scooter or other riding equipment, be sure to include a helmet to keep them safe while they’re having fun.
• Learn more bike safety tips and watch our helmet safety video. 

Store Toys After Play

• After play time is over, use a bin or container to store toys for next time. Make sure there are no holes or hinges that could catch little fingers.

Sign Up to Receive Product Recalls

• Safe Kids compiles product recalls specific to children and sends twice-monthly e-mail alerts for recent recalls. Sign-up for the latest recall information. 
• Go to www.recalls.gov for additional information about product recalls related to kids.

- See more at: http://www.safekids.org/tip/toy-safety-tips#sthash.j9ZC2Cc5.dpuf

At the store:

• Check and follow age guidance and other safety information on packaging (age grading is based mostly on safety and not on how smart a child may be)
• Avoid toys with small parts for children under age three (3) and children who mouth toys
• Inspect toys at the store, looking for sturdy parts and tightly secured joints
• Make sure that batteries in toys are firmly enclosed and inaccessible to children
• For children under 18 months of age, avoid toys with strings, straps or cords longer than twelve (12) inches
• Check to see that plush (stuffed) toys have age-appropriate features such as embroidered or secured eyes and noses for younger children and seams that are reinforced to withstand an older child’s play
• Avoid toys with sharp points or rough edges, especially for younger children
• Shop at a reputable retailer you know and trust

Once the packages are opened:

• Read instructions carefully; save directions, warranties and assembly hardware
• Role play the right way to use the toy or game and explain to your child the importance of proper use
• Dispose of all unnecessary toy packaging and gift-wrap as soon as possible (piles of discarded gift-wrap can conceal sharp objects or the edges of hard plastic packaging that can cut small fingers)
• Store toys safely in an easily accessible storage bin; lidded toy storage should be non-locking and have special safety features such as air holes, spring-loaded hinges and clearances at the hinges to make sure little fingers won’t get caught
• For more information we suggest the American Specialty Toy Retailers Assoc site.
  www.astratoy.org/toy-safety-tips.asp

Toy Safety Tips

Find the Perfect Toy for the Right Age

• Consider your child’s age when purchasing a toy or game. It’s worth a second to read the instructions and warning labels to make sure it’s just right for your child.
• Before you’ve settled on the perfect toy, check to make sure there aren’t any small parts or other potential choking hazards.

Don’t Forget a Helmet for Riding Toys

• If your children have their hearts set on a new bike, skateboard, scooter or other riding equipment, be sure to include a helmet to keep them safe while they’re having fun.
• Learn more bike safety tips and watch our helmet safety video. 

Store Toys After Play

• After play time is over, use a bin or container to store toys for next time. Make sure there are no holes or hinges that could catch little fingers.

Sign Up to Receive Product Recalls

• Safe Kids compiles product recalls specific to children and sends twice-monthly e-mail alerts for recent recalls. Sign-up for the latest recall information. 
• Go to www.recalls.gov for additional information about product recalls related to kids.

- See more at: http://www.safekids.org/tip/toy-safety-tips#sthash.j9ZC2Cc5.dpuf

Toy Safety Tips

Find the Perfect Toy for the Right Age

• Consider your child’s age when purchasing a toy or game. It’s worth a second to read the instructions and warning labels to make sure it’s just right for your child.
• Before you’ve settled on the perfect toy, check to make sure there aren’t any small parts or other potential choking hazards.

Don’t Forget a Helmet for Riding Toys

• If your children have their hearts set on a new bike, skateboard, scooter or other riding equipment, be sure to include a helmet to keep them safe while they’re having fun.
• Learn more bike safety tips and watch our helmet safety video. 

Store Toys After Play

• After play time is over, use a bin or container to store toys for next time. Make sure there are no holes or hinges that could catch little fingers.

Sign Up to Receive Product Recalls

• Safe Kids compiles product recalls specific to children and sends twice-monthly e-mail alerts for recent recalls. Sign-up for the latest recall information. 
• Go to www.recalls.gov for additional information about product recalls related to kids.

- See more at: http://www.safekids.org/tip/toy-safety-tips#sthash.j9ZC2Cc5.dpuf

Toy Safety Tips

Find the Perfect Toy for the Right Age

• Consider your child’s age when purchasing a toy or game. It’s worth a second to read the instructions and warning labels to make sure it’s just right for your child.
• Before you’ve settled on the perfect toy, check to make sure there aren’t any small parts or other potential choking hazards.

Don’t Forget a Helmet for Riding Toys

• If your children have their hearts set on a new bike, skateboard, scooter or other riding equipment, be sure to include a helmet to keep them safe while they’re having fun.
• Learn more bike safety tips and watch our helmet safety video. 

Store Toys After Play

• After play time is over, use a bin or container to store toys for next time. Make sure there are no holes or hinges that could catch little fingers.

Sign Up to Receive Product Recalls

• Safe Kids compiles product recalls specific to children and sends twice-monthly e-mail alerts for recent recalls. Sign-up for the latest recall information. 
• Go to www.recalls.gov for additional information about product recalls related to kids.

- See more at: http://www.safekids.org/tip/toy-safety-tips#sthash.j9ZC2Cc5.dpufWe've pou3 ]r;  x

Did ya know?

Didya know how easy it is to make someone's day?

Just the other day there were 2 girls shopping who had picked out good luck minis as what the wanted. They brought them up to the counter and started emptying their wallets and coin purses in an effort to find enough money to pay for them. After figuring and counting and counting again, they just didn't have enough money for both of the good luck minis.

Alas, a tall handsome young stranger came up to the counter and place $5 by the toys and told the girls he would pay for them. The girls were shocked! He also told the 2 girls that they could have the change and spend it however they wanted!

After the girls giggled and thanked the tall handsome young stranger they danced outta the store and the young man remained. He was smiling from ear to ear and said, "I remember what it was like as a kid to want something and not have enough money for it. Besides it made me feel good!"

Ya know what else? It felt really good to have been a witness to all this kindness!