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Shop local on Neighborhood Toy Store Day
We received toys and compensation for this post however all experiences and opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Shop local on Neighborhood Toy Store Day 11.11.17 #NTSD17 #NeighborhoodToyStoreDay
Save the date to join your neighborhood toy store as they celebrate during Neighborhood Toy Store Day TOMORROW!
We are avid shoppers in this family. In fact, most of this blog is about all of the shopping that we do. We love to shop together and we love to shop locally. This Saturday, something very exciting is going on and it is called Neighborhood Toy Store Day. The annual Neighborhood Toy Store Day will be held on Saturday, November 11, 2017 as the start of the holiday shopping season. This is your chance to really get out and support your local community by shopping at neighborhood toy stores.
What Neighborhood Toy Store Day does is that it introduces families to the fun of shopping locally and celebrates each toy store’s commitment to the community. We shop locally for toys at Beanhead Toys and have been going there for years. This is our go-to spot for all of our toy needs. I am excited to see that participating stores will host local in-store events for families such as face painting, craft projects, live performances and special discounts. We have several birthday parties coming up and are planning to do some shopping for the holiday season.
The November 11 Neighborhood Toy Store Day will feature special events to introduce consumers to the benefits of shopping local. The events include child-friendly activities such as face painting, craft projects, live performances and, in many toy stores, a charitable component to give back to their local communities.
Many of the store owners celebrating Neighborhood Toy Store Day have earned the ASTRA Certified Play Expert (CPE) designation after completing hours of research-based instruction and exams on the science behind the power of play, child development stages and learning styles, and using toys as tools to enrich children’s lives. ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailing Association) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting local toy shopping and creative, open-ended playtime for children.
“Neighborhood specialty toy store owners are the real experts when it comes to choosing toys for kids,” said Kimberly Mosley, ASTRA president. “Because they spend time with kids on a daily basis in their stores and participate in certification classes to learn more about childhood development, they understand the value of play and what types of toys encourage playtime.”
2017 ASTRA Best Toys for Kids Award Winners
The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA), recognized nationwide for its prestigious annual awards program, has announced its 2017 Best Toys for Kids Awards. 18 winners in 17 distinct categories are chosen by specialty store retailers – hundreds of men and women who understand the value of play and, day in and day out, have hands-on experience with how kids play. As a result, the annual Best Toys for Kids Award makes it easier for moms, dads and other gift-givers to make smart buying decisions for their kids. The Best Toys for Kids Award honors the new and improved toys that promote open-ended or creative play, incorporate innovative design features and maintain exceptional safety standards.
The winners of the 2017 ASTRA Best Toys for Kids Awards are:
ACTIVE PLAY
Laser X 2-Pack
NSI
BOTS
Playvision
Smart Bot Robot
CHOOSE YOUR OWN CATEGORY
Zipes Speed Pipes Performance Pack
Neat-Oh! International
CLASSIC 0-7 YEARS
Topanifarm
Djeco
CLASSIC PLAY 8+ YEARS
Doink it Darts
Marky Sparky
CONSTRUCTIVE PLAY
Geomatrix
California Creations
Remote-Control Machines: Construction Vehicles
Thames & Kosmos
CREATIVE ARTS PLAY 7+ YEARS
Linkt Crafts Kits Bubble Loops
Neat-Oh! International
CREATIVE PLAY UNDER 7 YEARS
The Ultimate Brick Maker
Relevant Play
DOLL PLAY
Rahel from Ethiopia
Hearts for Hearts Girls
EARLY PLAY
SmartMax My First Safari Animals
Smart Toys and Games, Inc.
FAMILY GAME NIGHT
SLAPZI: Carma Games
GAME PLAY 2-5 YEARS
Cha-Cha Chihuahua
Gamewright
GAME PLAY 5-8 YEARS
Go Go Gelato!
Blue Orange Games
GAME PLAY 8+ YEARS
Kingdomino
Blue Orange Games
LOGIC SKILLS: Roller Coaster Challenge from ThinkFun
PRETEND – ROLE/FANTASY PLAY: My Magical Sound & Lights Unicorn from Gund
SCIENTIFIC PLAY: Snap Circuits STEM from Elenco
See the list of this year’s winners and past winners at http://besttoys.astratoy.org.
Why shop locally?
Shopping locally fosters a sense of community and provides the following benefits:
- Economic stability
- Community development
- Reduced environmental impact
- Diverse product selection
- Better customer service
Find a neighborhood toy store near you!
Want to shop locally as well? Click here to find a local toy store near you.
Get social with ASTRA
Check out the Best Toys for Kids
My son WANTS that Laser game so bad! He has an off brand one and it doesn’t work all that well. This might be a Christmas gift for him!
I love shopping at our locally-owned toy store. They even gift wrap for FREE year round. My kids would love that Lazer pack!
I’d love to shop locally more often. Tomorrow should be a lot of fun! Checking out all of the events and activities will be great!
The annual Neighborhood Toy Store Day is a fantastic way to support local businesses. With Christmas around the corner it is a great day to get some holiday shopping done.
I love shopping local and supporting my community. People don’t realize how much it gives back to the community in general when you shop local!
Shopping local is a great way to support independent businesses. I don’t know if we have a local toy store in the area. I will have to check.
What a great way to show your support for local businesses. Our local stores are closed in the morning due to it being Remembrance Day but I’ll have to stop in during the afternoon.
We love shopping locally. We need to shop on Neighborhood Toy Store day.
Great set up if toys. We don’t have many local toy stores anymore
I love to see neighborhood stores being supported! There are a lot of great gift ideas on your list. I know when my son was younger he would have wanted quite a few items under the tree from the selection you have.
I love to shop locally whenever I can. We have an area in town that is filled with local businesses. It is fun to spend a day there!
My boys would go crazy for that Laser game! We love buying games for Christmas for all the kids.
Shopping from local vendors. Big box stores have slowly choked out local businesses with their free shipping and bulk buying. I think it’s important to support local businesses.
I love little local toy shops. They always have those toys and gifts you never see anywhere else!
Such a great idea. My nieces and nephews have grown up to the point when I ask them what they want for Christmas they tell me, “money Aunt Patty.” So I write a lot of checks. Sigh.
We have some local toy stores in Boston I need to check out! I love to shop local and help small businesses!
I try to shop local as much as I can. I love the gift ideas that you listed in your post. Great ideas for kids.
Shopping locally is really a great thing for neighborhoods and the families they support. Looks like there are lots of great gift ideas for every kid on my list!
This would be great for my girls. They love all kinds of games and toys. We have that Go Go Gelato game too! It’s a fun one.
This is awesome! We always try to shop local in our own little city. We’ve learned that it really makes a difference to keep our tax dollars at home.
I’ve never heard of Neighborhood Toy Store Day … and I don’t think we even have any small toy stores anymore. It’s unfortunate.
I am all about shopping local and supporting your community! Count me in!
I’ve never heard of this toy store but it’s on my list now! How great with the selection and of course the ones you featured would be perfect for my kids this holiday!
These toys look really cool! Kids will surely enjoy this holiday!
I wish we had a local toy store growing around Christmas ww would always go to the one in neighborhood I enjoyed it. Awesome selection of toys
I have never heard of this toy store but honestly, it looks really neat! Would be a great place to get my christmas shopping done.
I do try to shop locally when I can. I will admit sometimes it is just easier to order online instead of loading up 4 kids to shop.
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