A few weeks ago, I received a newsletter from this locally-owned store (situated in a lovely, growing downtown) sharing some of the ways they can help you for Easter gifts...either by creating a custom basket for you based on a child's age and gender, choosing from a pre-made basket, or you arranging items which you choose on-the-spot in a basket...AT NO CHARGE. Customer service at this store is outstanding, and I no longer have to wrap birthday presents, OR arrange Easter baskets (I'm horribly uncreative when it comes to visually pleasing arrangements), and get this...I can also send my husband there and just give him instructions to have them pick something for him, LOL! Yes! I actually sent him there for a double-birthday party recently, and he came home with wonderful gifts lovingly arranged in fun-looking gift bags. And they never forget to remove the price tags. ;0)
What I further wish to share with you today is some of the items which kept the boys very, very busy today...for the 3 hours in the car, plus a couple of hours outside, plus fun family game time! And some nostalgic retro candy as well! Here were some of the favorites, in no particular order (although this is a local independent store, even my distant followers can call and order them from the store):
Spot it! had me from the aesthetics, but the fun of the game will keep it out of the closet in my home. Inside a sturdy canister are 55 round cards, each with 8 colorful pictures on them. Choose any two cards from stack, and there is EXACTLY one matching image amongst the two groups of 8. First one to spot the match wins the cards--there are several fun variations to play, and making up your own is simple, too! You literally can learn to play in 20 seconds, and in our family, everybody has won at least once! As a mathematician with a penchant for neurology, this game intrigued me in many ways. The brain is a constant source of wonder and amazement to me, and this game highlights that fact! We observed many different strange, quirky brain behaviors, like who in the family dominated when the cards were close together, who did when they were a foot apart, how well we could focus when there was music in the background...it's an intense game that will have you laughing and wondering how the brain works! I also think it's a fabulous "workout" for the brain. When we brought it to Grandma's house, I was afraid we would embarrass her; that she wouldn't be able to keep up with our young neurons, but she proved us wrong...this game is a HUGE winner at a great price.
Next...this super-cool, well-made slingshot!
Yup, I got slingshots for the boys. (Those who know me may keel over...I also got "space guns" with a really cool sparky effect--perhaps I'll review them another day; also a huge hit). Grandma's house was a great place to learn how to use them; Grandpa grew up with slingshots (either the retro Wham-O brand or making them himself with tree branches and innertubes), so he was able to help them learn proper form, plus Grandma and Grandpa live on 11 wooded, rolling acres with a stream, so we got to stand on a cliff and shoot a never-ending supply of rocks over or into the creek! I couldn't believe how long my bookworms spent doing this--I'm sure their arms will be sore tomorrow! The slingshots were made very well, and from what I can tell, it's a Pinckney, MI company which sells them. There are a variety of woodland animals you can get on them (wolf, bear, deer, eagle), and the sling is a heavy-duty rubber tube, like the medical type the nurses tie around your arm when they take your blood!
I waited (I think) around two years to purchase this game, but it was worth the wait:
It's called Find It! and it's quite addicting! I, personally, spent probably about an hour today turning this canister of plastic beads trying to find all of the hidden objects inside: paper clip, toothpick, pushpin, fishhook, button, etc. There are actually an amazing amount of items in there! The game comes with a pad of paper which serves as a checklist for the items so you can keep track of which you've found. As with Spot It!, you can easily make up many of your own games and contests--how many can you find in ten minutes, for example, to make it competitive, or who can find 30 of the items in the shortest amount of time, etc. Please note that you do not open the canister, but turn it, shake it, or flip it to spot them. This lack of mess makes it a great game for the car! There are several Find It! themes to choose from--we got the classic, which I love, but I did have to teach the boys what a couple of the items were (a pony bead, a bobby pin, a paper fastener, wire nut, etc). Fun for all ages!
Here's a fun twist on a classic toy:
Magnetic Putty! Wonderfully tactile and very fun in a bizarre sort of way! If you have a child who enjoys Play-Doh, silly putty, etc, this will probably really intrigue them. It's a few dollars more than their other putties, like the glow-in-the-dark, but it's enough of a curiosity to make it worth it. My husband (yes, my husband...isn't any great toy enjoyed by all ages?) loves to make a shape and set the magnet atop it, watching the putty slowly gobble up the magnet. Ball it up and bounce it like a ball (although it's a little heavy and hard on the house floors, and taking it outside will get it dirty, so you've been warned!), or shape it into your classic putty shapes, like the universally pleasing rolling-it-into-a-hot-dog technique. :) Another plus about this item is that it's made in the USA by physically and/or mentally challenged individuals! Isn't it great to have a toy store like Little Monsters to hunt down these gems for you??? :D
And who doesn't want to run with a kite in the Spring, especially after such a long winter? What better way to celebrate April!
This parafoil from Skydog kites looks like it will last us longer than the usual month or so, which is par for the course in my household...what is there to break? No sticks, and a well-made product on a strong line--I have high hopes! Winds were very, very light today, and this kite came right out of its zero-waste packaging and up into the air with my 10-year-old on the other end, grinning happily. It was a bit tricky to get in the air with the light winds (not steady, and only gusting to about 5 mph), but it did lift consistently, which really impressed me. Very light, very easy to fly, and very colorful with its tie-dye pattern. I'd never seen a parafoil fly before...they sort of get inflated by the wind--very cool! Andrew flew this for about an hour this afternoon (it was the draw of shooting rocks over the cliff with his new slingshot that eventually drew him away--can you blame him?)! Can't wait to see what he does with it on a windier day. Is there nothing more heartwarming than watching your child fly a kite???? It's no fun watching them get frustrated and feeling unsuccessful, though, or so sad when they break, hence I'd recommend this awesome kite! It even folds right up into the bag it came in for VERY easy transport--keep it in the car, or backpack it on the trail!
So there are a few of our Easter favorites from Little Monsters in Lake Orion, MI! When you visit them, or call to order any of these, please tell them my blog sent you! :D I'll end with some images of the retro candy they also carry:
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