Flashback Friday

Our first SnowDown parade...
Gee whiz, that was 3 years ago! We did a puppet show in the back of the truck.... the 3 little pigs and a big bad wolf. We had a hard time making the straw house and the twig house but it worked and the big bad wolf never blew our houses down!
Last year was just silly fun in our alien chase vehicle complete with Aliens, crazy hair, light up glasses, and foil! We had our geek on! That seems pretty easy for me to do....

This year I think we're gonna kill it with our "We herd they were coming" theme. Zebras. 

We herd zebras were coming to Durango. We even have Zebra suits to wear! 

Can't wait to see you at the Snowdown 2014 Light parade!

Dinosaurs 101

#7, Lucky 7 on our list of weird dinosaurs

Jeholopterus

JAY-hole-OP-ter-us 

 This guy is so cute, I think we'll call him Joel!

Joel grew to have a wingspan of three feet and weighed somewhere between 5 and 10 pounds.

Joel was a flying reptile with really large sharp claws and a cat-like head ( thought one paleontologist) who probably ate bugs for his main course and may have stayed on the backs of large dinosaurs sucking their blood a lot like a vampire bat!

Joel is a very interesting fellow because of the theories about his anatomy.  One man, David Peters studied the images of the fossils of Joel and thought the pterosaur to have the ability to deliver a strong blow, and a method to lock the fangs into another animal after striking. All these features led Peters to suggest Jeholopterus latched onto the backs of sauropods and lapped up blood from fang wounds. Peters doesn't offer any reasons for vampiric behavior — he simply offers it as a physiological possibility. We find it to be quite interesting indeed!

Wacky Wednesday

Not only is it Wacky Wednesday, it's also the first day of SNOWDOWN 2014!
The ultimate winter celebration in Historic Durango Colorado!

The theme of this year's celebration is

 "Safari so Good" so we are!

Here's an easy project to get into the spirit of Snowdown!

 This was just the beginning!

We'll always be going

 in the

 right direction!

Is that a panther sneaking 

up on us?

The best part of all this is that these are animals and flowers from our friends at Safari LTD!

Game Review

We find "Nowhere To Go" to be a most excellent 

2 player strategy game that can last 

5 minutes or 20 minutes

 depending on the players!

The object of the game is to block the other player so they have no where else to move. Each player starts out on opposite points of the board and then moves around leaving blockers so the other player can't cross. The blockers just fit over the "bridges" and you just move your Spy pieces around. So you have to strategize where you want to move so you don't get blocked in. My husband beat me in not too many moves! I love that there are no cards or complex instructions, just two player pieces and the blockers. It is a great game to unwind too and something to get you thinking. - See more at: http://www.educationalinsights.com/product/nowhere+to+go--174-.do#PowerReview

 The object of the game is to block the other player so that they have nowhere else to move. The plastic board resembles platforms connected by bridges. Each player can move as many spaces in any direction they choose on each turn. After the move, the player places a "blocker" on any bridge anywhere on the board trying to strategically block the path of your opponent.

Although the game is rated for 8 years and older, we find it to be a great game for learning strategy games. There are no complex rules, no cards, or no dice. Just the board, the spies, and the blockers. This is a great "quiet time" game as there really is no talking needed. The bonus is the box because its is a really sturdy storage box for all the pieces.

Spy vs spy with no violence, an opportunity to hone your strategic thinking skills, and a unique playing surface that could also be an island....

The object of the game is to block the other player so they have no where else to move. Each player starts out on opposite points of the board and then moves around leaving blockers so the other player can't cross. The blockers just fit over the "bridges" and you just move your Spy pieces around. So you have to strategize where you want to move so you don't get blocked in. My husband beat me in not too many moves! I love that there are no cards or complex instructions, just two player pieces and the blockers. It is a great game to unwind too and something to get you thinking. - See more at: http://www.educationalinsights.com/product/nowhere+to+go--174-.do#PowerReview

The object of the game is to block the other player so they have no where else to move. Each player starts out on opposite points of the board and then moves around leaving blockers so the other player can't cross. The blockers just fit over the "bridges" and you just move your Spy pieces around. So you have to strategize where you want to move so you don't get blocked in. My husband beat me in not too many moves! I love that there are no cards or complex instructions, just two player pieces and the blockers. It is a great game to unwind too and something to get you thinking. - See more at: http://www.educationalinsights.com/product/nowhere+to+go--174-.do#PowerReview

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is play important?

We asked some experts about this.....

Many years of research by a number of scholars has documented that healthy

 childhood play plays an important role in developing these skills:

• Development of motor skills
• Sharpening of the senses
• Development of empathy and the ability to express emotions
• Understanding and practice of sharing, turn taking, and other peer cooperation skills
• Increasing control of compulsive actions and learning to accept delayed gratification
• Sequencing skills
• Increasing the size of the vocabulary and the ability to comprehend language
• Increasing concentration skills
• Learning to navigate assigned roles
• Development of the capacity to be flexible
• Expansion of imagination, creativity, and curiosity
• Reducing aggression

This variety of life skills from healthy play draws a clear connection between play and the fundamental competencies that lead to success as adults in our culture such as literacy, mathematical reasoning, creative thinking, and the ability to get along with others. It’s also natural, fun, child-affirming, and family-strengthening.

To add to the good news, wholesome play doesn’t necessarily require a lot of planning or equipment. “The activities that are the easiest, cheapest, and most fun to do, such as singing, playing games, reading, storytelling, and just talking and listening,” notes Jerome Singer, “are also the best for child development.”Singer, Jerome L. and Singer, Dorothy. (June 1, 2000) Make Believe Play Boosts Learning and School-Readiness in Preschoolers, Yale Study Finds. Office of Public Affairs at Yale

Did ya know?

 A whale and a horse have a legend in common!

 Where did the legend of Unicorns come from?

It is supposed to have come from narwhals.

When a narwal dies, their horns have been known to wash up on the shore.

It is generally believed that ancient man found them and invented the unicorn to explain them.

The first known western written account of a Unicorn is attributed to a Greek historian named Ctesia around 400 BC. He described a horse-like horned creature that was thought to inhabit India. His unicorn was an animal that had the head of a deer, the body of a horse, the tail of a lion, the feet of a goat, blue eyes and a horn that was white at the base, black in the middle and red at the tip and was about 1 ½ foot in length. Interestingly enough, this creature was supposed to have purple head. This may have been a first attempt to link the animal with royalty as the colour purple has always been so hard to get and so expensive only royalty could afford to wear it. The unicorn was a very fast, powerful runner, even swifter than a horse. A recurring theme is that they are extremely hard to catch and were fierce fighters. Aristotle was fond of the unicorn myth and may have been responsible for it becoming popular in the Greco-Roman pantheon of mythical beings. A later historian, Megasthenes, also mentioned a unicorn that more resembled a rhinoceros.

Boredom Busters

Snowdown 2014 is just around the corner. 

Do you have your costume?

Have you picked your event to participate on or to cheer others on? 

So much to do, so little time!

 Make some gimongous bubbles!

Mix 6 Cups of Water, 

2 Cups of dishwashing soap, and 

1 Cup of corn syrup together for this fantastic adventure!

What better to do on a Saturday than explore what's in the kitchen cupboards and discover how some simple reactions can make a lot of noise and even a little bit of a mess! It's all here!

Flashback Friday

Remembering...... last year for SnowDown was our first parade entry, I believe we had a Geek Squad UFO sighting vehicle..... and a few of our own earthbound alien types hanging out with us.....

Pith helmets..... we made pith helmets back in March when we did the passports at the fairgrounds.... that was cool! We cut the rims off of paper plates, and placed that around a paper bowl and taped the whole thing together. A chin strap for safety and we were set.....

We herd they're coming.... the zebras that is! Not really ordinary zebras but mythical zebras.... Zebracorns of bright colors that look sorta like a unicorn and a zebra but, but, but, they re different and they certainly act differently..... perhaps we'll just turn the truck into a giant pink Zebracorn too! What if the Zebracorns poop on the street during the parade? It seems like they would just leave a giant pile of glitter behind.....
I better get the word out!

Dinosaurs 101

Coming in at #6 on our adventure to 

find the 10 weirdest dinosaurs!

Meet Brachytrachelopan (or Trey for short)
brak-ee-trak-eh-LOW-pan
Every dinosaur rule has at least one exception, and Trey is the exception to the rule that all the dinosaurs classified as sauropods had equally long necks and tails. This dinosaur's neck was almost comically short compared to other dinosaurs of his size (like brachiosaurus and diplodocus) most likely because Trey evolved not to nibble the tops of trees, but waist-high underbrush. 
 Although Trey's neck was short by comparison, he still gre to be 30 feet long!

Wacky Wednesday

It's Wacky Wednesday! 

What would be better than dressing animals in boots?

 I bet Dr. Seuss would be proud.....

More fun than a pig in a blanket is..... a piglet in boots!

 Wouldn't that be funny?

How about elephants in boots?

That's a job I would like to try!

Then there's Puss in Boots!

This is what I'm gonna today.... 

I'm gonna pretend all of the animals are wearing boots today!

Game Review

"The Outlaws hunt the Sheriff. The Sheriff hunts the Outlaws. The Renegade plots secretly, ready to take one side or the other. Bullets fly. Who among the gunmen is a Deputy, ready to sacrifice himself for the Sheriff? And who is a merciless Outlaw, willing to kill him? If you want to find out, just draw (your cards)!" (From the back of the box)

This card game recreates an old-fashioned spaghetti western shoot-out, much like the one at the Strater Hotel during the summer! Each player randomly receives a Character card to determine their special abilities, and a secret Role card to determine their goal.
Four different Roles are available, each with a unique victory condition:

• Sheriff - Kill all Outlaws and the Renegade
• Deputy - Protect the Sheriff and kill any Outlaws
• Outlaw - Kill the Sheriff
• Renegade - Be the last person standing

Everyone's Role is kept secret, except for the Sheriff. Character cards are placed face-up on table, and also track strength in addition to special ability.
There are 22 different types of cards in the draw deck. Most common are the BANG! cards, which let you shoot at another player, assuming the target is within "range" of your current gun. The target player can play a "MISSED!" card to dodge the shot. Other cards can provide temporary boosts while in play (for example, different guns to improve your firing range) and special one-time effects to help you or hinder your opponents (such as Beer to restore health, or Barrels to hide behind during a shootout). A horse is useful for keeping your distance from unruly neighbors, while the Winchester can hit a target at range 5. The Gatling is a deadly exception where range doesn't matter - it can only be used once, but targets all other players at the table!
We found this game to be perfect if you enjoy short card games (30 minutes) and best played with 5 or more players.

Frequently Asked Questions....

It seems to be award season in Hollywood, 

what about in Toyland?

We prefer to use the Parents' Choice awards, Mensa Awards, and the ASTRA awards as our resources for what the top toys for kids are. It seems though that the award winners aren't announced until the fall but we like to do our homework and follow the nominees in each category from each Award organization.
Why Parents Choice?
Because we believe in their evaluation process. Here's how they explain it.....
"The multi-tiered evaluation process is as true to its integrity today as it was when Parents' Choice Foundation was established almost thirty years ago. The Parents' Choice Awards Committees evaluation process offers objectivity, respect, and expertise – and all with a sense of humor. Learning is fun – and we want kids to know that.
The Parents’ Choice Awards evaluation process is a lengthy and confidential one. We don’t offer “feedback” to producers or manufacturers because we don’t work for them. We work for parents, caregivers, librarians and educators.
Approximately 20% of those items submitted to the Parents’ Choice Awards™ program receive a commendation in one of the six award levels: Classic, Gold, Silver, Recommended, Approved, and Fun Stuff, underscoring the influential and celebrated achievement of being honored with a commendation from the Parents’ Choice Awards program."
Why Mensa?
Because Mensa is an organization for anyone who scores in the top 2 percent on an accepted, standardized intelligence test. The organization has more than 57,000 members in the United States. Learn more at www.us.mensa.org/about.

"The Mensa Select seal signifies that a game has been chosen as one of the top five new games in a given year by members of American Mensa. Indirectly, it indicates that a game is original and creative in concept, challenging, a good value for the price, easy to comprehend and play, and, above all, fun!
The Mensa Mind Games® competition provides an opportunity for game manufacturers to compete in one of the most respected and recognizable national games competitions, while having their games reviewed by some of the nation's most avid game-players — members of American Mensa. Each year, 300 Mensan participants, or "judges," play and critique games released in the past year and award the coveted Mensa Select® seal to the top five vote-getters.
Why ASTRA?
We're a member of the American Specialty Toy Retailers Association which gives us insight into toy stores across the country that are much like ours. We also have a direct community connection with consumers and kids. This is how it's done....
"Over 550 of America's top independent and neighborhood toy retailers select the Best Toys for Kids every year. Drawing upon years of expertise, experience, and commitment to fulfilling play, ASTRA members hand-pick the most engaging, unique, open-ended, fun, and safe toys for your children. The annual "Best Toys for Kids" list features toys that deliver exceptional value and expand a child's imagination, toys that invite discovery and exploration, toys that get kids moving, toys that build creativity, toys that fascinate babies, and even toys that delight hard-to-shop-for pre-teens."

Did ya Know?

Mancala... around the world

Mancala is a family of board games played around the world, sometimes called count-and-capture games, which describes the gameplay. The word mancala comes from the Arabic word naqala meaning literally "to move." No one game exists with the name mancala; the name is a classification or type of game.

More than 800 names of traditional mancala games are known, and almost 200 invented games have been described. However, some names denote the same game, while some names are used for more than one game.

Some of the most popular mancala games are:

 Played along the east coast of Africa, and an integral part of Swahili culture; one of the most difficult games to learn because of its rather complex rules is called Bao La Kiswahili

• Congkak is a  close variant of the game in South Asia from the Maldives to the Philippines, also known by many different names like Dakon, Ohvalu, and Sungka
•  the only modern game, which has become a popular pastime played in the USA, where it is simply known as "Mancala"
• This game is extremely important in Central Asia, where it is considered a national sport superior to playing chess is Toguz kumalak

Boredom Busters

 Write your own words of advice or pick your favorite quote and make it into a poster to frame in your room or hang on the fridge for the whole family to see.

 Get you Safari on for SnowDown 2014! 

It's not too early to make up some animal jokes to tell your friends and family!

Like, "What do you get if you cross an elephant with a fish?"

"Swimming Trunks!"

It's time to make a pith helmet and figure out your costume attire for

 SnowDown 2014!
We made a pith helmet from a paper plate, paper bowl, ribbon, and some duct tape.... How will you make yours?

Flashback Friday

 Safari So Good! Hmmmmm, it's been quite the week, feels like Spring outside, new toy catalogs are arriving daily, and we have some new lights in the cabinets! Ya know, there's always time for a joke! A couple of my favorites....

EWE! Bugs!

 

Where's a Pirate go for their favorite lunch? AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRby's!

Dinosaurs 101

 #5 on our list of Weirdest Dinosaurs!

 One heck of a way to catch a fish!

This is Suchomimus, (SOOK - oh - my - mus) 

we'll call him Mimus!

Mimus looks as if he could be part dinosaur and part crocodile. Mimus looked a bit bizarre and almost as if he was a hybrid of these two families. Mimus had the body of a carnivorous dinosaur, but the long, narrow, toothy snout of a crocodile (which it presumably used to snatch fish out of lakes and rivers).

Mimus grew to be about 36 ft. long, grew to be about 12 ft. tall at the hips

                                                   and weighed in at about 5 tons.

Wacky Wednesday

We've got horses of a different color! Getting ready for a safari, Durango style!

But wait, wackiness is everywhere!

 Shhhhhhhhhhhh! 

He's resting after a long trip to Durango!

 I can fly, I am magical!

I am also the biggest fuchsia 

zebracorn around!

Oh yeah, it looks like  our 

Spiderkid Superhero has this

 Lion by his tail! 

If only we had our Tiger by the tail....

nonetheless, it's grrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeat!

Toy Review

Japanese Puzzle Erasers

Not only are these guys really cute, they come apart so that you can put them back together much like a puzzle. We think it's kinda fun to find erasers that we can switch the heads on!

Great for party favors, reward incentives, and a perfect "candy alternative" just because!

These are the authentic Japanese erasers, crafted in Japan and safety tested to meet USA safety standards.

"Recyclable, non-toxic, non-PVC, Lead-Free, no phthalate, no paint, no latex, no pollution, recyclable packaging, original designs, 100% made in Japan in clean environment.  No short cut, no compromise, no excuse, only the best from BC Iwako." 

 As cute as they are, these are functional erasers and some of the best I have ever used.

That's a pretty tough claim....

These erasers are so much fun yo play with and collect, that ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailers Association) named them "Toy of the Year."

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Movie Stars do you have in your store?

To answer that question, we'll have to take a walking tour.

 When you walk past this guy, you can hear him say "I'm not chopped liver ya know!" Big screen star and husband extraordinaire!

 Back in the day, Lamb Chop became a part of our day when we used to watch Lamb Chop with Sheri Lewis on TV. Lamb Chop is about the most lovable cuddly star I know!

Who is this handsome devil?

 Why it's Elvis riding one of his horses, Rising Sun. Elvis had horses at Graceland and loved to ride them....

Did Ya Know?

Fun Facts About Kites!

Kites have been around for centuries.

The world's longest kite fly is over 180 hours.

Kites were used in the American Civil War.

On average, adults fly kites more often the children.

There are over 50 million kites sold in the United States every year.

Kites have been used for fishing.

After reading these fun facts, I want to go fly a kite! Don't You?

Boredom Busters

 Try your skills at ice skating! Chapman Hill has open skating hours every week.When I was a kid, we would go to open skating at the ice arena at Michigsn State University on Sunday afternoons! We could also go to the outdoor rink at Sycamore Park. 

n Durango, we go to Chapman Hill Check out all the details at http://durangogov.org/chapman/

 Start the new year with a new money saving plan and make a bank from recycled materials! Here's one way to make a bank or use  your own ideas and see what you come up with! 

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Piggy-Bank 

Will you save $1 a week? $1 a day? 

Is this where all your spare change will go?

What is your savings goal?

The Infamous Durango Toy Depot 

puzzle exchange 

is a great way to beat cabin fever and recycle your old jigsaw puzzles! We have an "exchange collection" of all kinds and levels of jigsaw puzzles in the store. It's simple! Bring in a puzzle and drop it off, take a different one home to complete. What a great family project! I hear cats like them too! When you finihs a puzzle, bring it back for another!

Flashback Friday

Who am I?

Star of the big screen in the Toy Story movies, also a classic pull toy and whole generations who probably never had to use one! We had one at our house in the toy box and one on the wall that was real. We laughed at people on TV who had to climb a pole to use one or who had to call the operator to ring the other party. There were party lines and named exchanges (ours was IVanhoe), the numbers were used more than the letters.

I'm  a happy little telephone by the name of Chatterbox! I became readily available for kids of all ages in 1962. Some of you, may have to ask Grandpa & Grandma about this one!

Dinosaurs 101

A star of Jurassic Park, The Lost World!

Too bad his arms were too short to sign autographs!
Carnotaurus is #4 on our list of weirdest dinosaurs!

kahrn uh TAWR rus

Carnotaurus means "meat eating bull"

Everyone likes to make fun of T- Rex's arms, which looked like they belonged on a dinosaur one-tenth its size. But the stubby little arms and hands of Carnotaurus made T. Rex look like an Olympic swimmer: this may be the closest nature has ever come to rendering a reptile's hands completely useless! Keep in mind that this guy grew to be about 25 feet long, 13 feet tall and weighed about 1985 pounds! That may give you a better idea of how short his arms really were.

Wacky Wednesday

Thanks Dr. Seuss!

When we look around the toy store, it's easy to find 9 things that are Wacky and I didn't even make them Wacky!

1. Chicken Socks by Klutz. The chicken is wearing socks!

2. The grinning pull along croc who escaped from his box!

3. JawBones in a box!

4. Ein-O science! That's just funny!

5. The giraffe in the front window wearing a beautiful necklace!

6. The "Encyclopedia of Immaturity" that says on the front "My stinky Diary-rhea"

7. Whoopee Cushions and fart bags.

8.The Frog Prince puppet who is a frog or a Prince depending on how you look at him.

9. The Zen frog statue wearing a love bead necklace!

10. Sea Monkeys!

I bet we wouldn't have to change a thing and we could come up with 9 more Wacky things next week!

Toy Review

Aaaaaarrrrrgggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Matey! 

It's Stormy Seas!

  Hape International is a toy company dedicated to both quality and innovation in toy manufacturing. They are also dedicated to the protection of the environment through the careful handling of resources and attempts to reduce waste. Many Hape products are produced from eco-friendly, highly sustainable bamboo, painted with water-based paints, and are packaged in recycled cardboard materials.
 In this bamboo stacking game from Hape players must carefully load the wobbly boat perched on its uneven ocean base while balancing the cargo. Roll the picture die to see which of the 25 cargo pieces to put aboard. If you spill the cargo, you're out! The last player left is the Stormy Seas winner!
 For 2 - 6 players. Approximate playing time is 10 - 15 minutes.
 Unique inasmuch as this game can be played with the entire family or the kids can play with it by themselves. Stormy Seas helps to develop fine motor skills and balance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many color combinations does the Rubik's cube have?

 Rubik's Cube has 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 color configurations and only one solution. Ideal Toy Company originally wanted to name it "The Gordian Knot." The ultimate 1981 collector's item was a Rubik's Cube showing Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer. One of the youngest Cube solvers is a seven year old who doesn't even know how he does it ... and he does it often.

Is it true the Hacky Sack was invented as a 

physical therapy tool?

Yes, it is true! Mike Marshal made a handmade bean bag to exercise his knee after an injury.

What was the first children's toy advertised on TV?

Mr. Potato Head. The icon himself and Star of Toy Story movies.

Where did the name "Jenga" come from?

Jenga in the African Swahili language means "to build." The game was created by a African named Leslie Scott, whose first language was Swahili.

For more fun facts visit: http://www.toy-tia.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Press_Room/TOY_FAIR_100/TF100-FunFacts/TF100-FunFacts.htm

Did Ya Know?

 Who invented toy soldiers?

Just the words ‘toy soldiers’ can bring a smile to the face of those with a love of history and joy of play.

Toy soldiers have been collected since the time of the Pharaohs. First made from wood, stone, clay and metal for the nobility and the rich, it wasn’t until the end of the 18th century that toy soldiers (or military miniatures) were first mass-produced.

Made in relatively small quantities by the Parisian firm of Mignot, little lead figures, about 2 inches tall and, painted in colorful uniforms, were charming but expensive, so they failed to find a wide market. Nevertheless, other makers, such as the German firm, Heyde, followed, so that by the end of the 19^th century the market was established for the well-to do.
Then, just before the turn of the 20^th century the English firm, William Britains, introduced a less-expensive line of hollow cast leads. These finally began to catch on with children. About 2 ¼ inches tall (still the industry standard), these “little men”,  depicted armies of England, America, France, Germany and their opponents. Such noted collectors as Winston Churchill and H.G. Wells can be seen in old photographs, playing with little armies of Britains toy soldiers on their rugs and lawns.

 What about tutus?

Connoisseurs of ballet, the Russians wanted to see the new technical feats and fancy footwork of their ballerinas. The new long, floppy, 16 layer tutus reached to the knee and allowed the female dancers much greater mobility in such technically demanding ballets as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Paquita. The late George Balanchine's athletic choreography later led to the creation of the shorter "powder-puff" tutu that is worn in Symphony in C. These tutus allow the entire leg to be seen.

Boredom Busters

 Take a few minutes out of your day to

 go outside and do some bird watching.

How many different varieties of birds are

 hanging out in Durango this time of year?  

Get the blocks out and start building a tower to see who can build the tallest tower, 

or the widest, or the longest.

 What about a wacky tower that is balancing on a pillow? 

Or on a can of beans? Or on a bowl? Can ya do it?

 

Change it up! Your room that is! 

It's a new year so why not rearrange the furniture and create a whole new

 space in the same space?

Flashback Friday

What a year!

Dinosaurs 101

 #3 on our list.... of weird dinosaurs!

 Dinosaur or Fishing Pole?

Meet Tanner the Tanystropheus

Not technically a dinosaur, but an archosaur, Tanystropheus is the closest nature has ever come to evolving a living fishing pole. This reptile's neck was over 10 feet long, compared to only five feet for the rest of its body; clearly Tanystropheus made its living by perching on riverbanks, dipping its head into the water, and snagging unwary fish.