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| ABC News image “Shop Local” is a vital philosophy when it comes to our purchasing choices. But what about where products are manufactured? In these tenuous economic times, buying products made in the USA, maybe even in your own state or hometown, is a great way to help give our economy a boost and help create jobs this holiday season. ABC News has been running a great “Made in America”series all year, culminating with a “Made in America Christmas.” According to the interviews with economists that ABC news conducted as part of that series, if every American pledged to spend $64 on products made in the U.S.A. we could create 200,000 jobs – right now! At Grandrabbit’s Toy Shoppe we are proud to carry many products that are made in America. Here’s a sampling of several products and companies to consider putting on your list when you’re doing your holiday shopping. Make sure to ask a Grandrabbit’s associate for any questions you may have about finding toys made in the U.S.A.! Made in the USA Toy Companies We Carry Aerobi Block-n-Roll Clementine Art Constructive Eating Do-a-Dot Art Fractiles Gamewright Green Toys I-Spy Books and Games Keva Planks Knex Late for the Sky Games Lunastix Mama K’s Mighty Mind Perler Beads Zome Tool Products Made in the USA Astronaut Food Brainquest Workbooks Boomaphone Whack Pack Bubblegum Factory Kit by Scientific Explorer Carson Delosa Home Workbooks Herd Your Horses! Game Ice Cream Kit by Scientific Explorer Illustory Light Crystal Prism Name Train Letters and Cars Melissa and Doug Drawing Pads and Construction Paper Mentos Geyser Tube Mindware Coloring Books Potato Chip Science Sassafrass Fairy Princess Cookie Kit Slinky Spooner Board Sun-Art Paper Tasty Science Kit by Scientific Explorer Trunki by Melissa and Doug Uno Card Game Wikki Stix Yo Baby Kick Flipper Yomega Raider Yo Yo Zipfy Freestyle Mini Luge |
Friday, December 16, 2011
Shop Made in America Toys for the Holidays
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Our Favorite Advent Calendars for 2011
The daily ritual of opening the doors and counting down to the holiday is exciting for both children and parents alike. There are a myriad of Advent calendar options out there, but here are some of our tried-and-true favorites at Grandrabbit's.
PLAYMOBIL puts out a fun series of Advent calendars. With themes such as Dinosaur Expedition, Dragon's Land and Pony Ranch, there are a wide variety of unique themes to chose from. For more a more traditional Christmas motif, they also have a cute Christmas Post Office calendar. No matter which one you choose, each PLAYMOBIL calendar comes with 24 unique figures and accessories, as well as a backdrop. A great choice for PLAYMOBIL fans, that they can play with long after advent is over.
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LEGO makes a cool advent calendar every year, and this year is no exception. The LEGO City Advent Calendar features 24 LEGO toys for your children to build and play with each day leading up to Christmas. The toys can be added to other LEGO sets, making the "build-up" to Christmas extra fun!
Everyone likes chocolate, right? Well Madelaine Chocolate Company makes tasty and traditional Advent calendars. Their Santa's Toy Factory and Village Toy Shop calendars. feature a different chocolate treat every day. Yummy!
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You can come check out all these calendars at any of our three locations or order them online from grtoys.com. Happy Holidays from Grandrabbit's!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Grandrabbit's is proud to be a part of The 3/50 Project!
Grandrabbit's is proud and excited to be a supporter of The 3/50 Project, aimed at bolstering local economies.
Here's some history on the project and how it works:
Having been an independent stationery store owner for fourteen years, Cinda Baxter understood the pain felt by retailers when the economy sank and consumers held back. What began as an economic downturn in the autumn had become a psychological tsunami by March 1st.
What the country needed, in her opinion, was a meeting of the minds between two groups that held valuable stakes in the game—small business owners and members of their communities.
Enter The 3/50 Project.
With a tag line “Save your local economy three stores at a time,” the Project’s goal is to promote shopping in locally owned businesses while thanking customers for the positive impact that decision has on a local economy.
“We’re constantly inundated with doom and gloom,” says Baxter, now a retail consultant and professional speaker. “The system is broken, the banks are frozen, the economy is bleeding. That’s all we hear. The images painted by the media are ghastly and devoid of hope. What we need - what we crave - as a nation is to pinpoint areas where positive change can occur, then feel good about having promoted them."
By early March, she’d decided enough was enough, and that it was time to give retailers ammunition to fight back with. Rather than get tangled in complex messaging and deployment, Baxter combined a straightforward theme, a free flyer, and her blog as the mechanism to launch The 3/50 Project.
“We ask consumers to think about which three stores they’d miss if they disappeared, then remind them to return there,” explains Baxter. “Shoppers have become so rooted in thinking about the essentials that they’ve forgotten about the little gift store on the corner whose owner remembers their name.”
“Fifty comes from the idea that if even half the employed population spent a mere $50 per month in locally owned retail stores, those purchases would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue,” she continues. “That’s a huge impact for a relatively small investment.”
Which leads to a third number on the flyer, sixty-eight—the dollar amount that remains in a community’s economy for every $100 spent in locally owned stores. By contrast, only $43 per one hundred remains local when spent in national chains; little or no revenue results from online purchases.
“In essence, the whole thing boils down to Pick 3, spend 50, save the economy. It’s really that simple."
The year, The 3/50 Project launched their free iPhone app. It's called LookLocal and it allows users to search for locally owned businesses coast to coast, and share their favorite businesses with their friends. You can learn more and download the app here.
For more information and to find out how you can become a supporter visit their website at the350project.net
Building Good Parent-Teacher Relationships
It's back to school time! Parenting.com has some great tips on how to develop a good parent-teacher relationship. Help support your children's hardworking teachers by learning about what pet peeves to avoid, what you can do to score some major brownie points and what you can do at home as a parent. to make a teacher's life easier.
Read the article here, and think back on all the teachers who inspired you as a child!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Bananagrams Featured on NPR's Morning Edition
We love Bananagrams at Grandrabbit's. This super fun and fast-paced anagram puzzle game is one of our best sellers, one we are always eager to recommend to folks looking for a new game.
In case you missed it, last week NPR's Morning Edition ran a great story on the founding and success of Bananagrams:
Adrienne Appell, spokeswoman for the Toy Industry Association, says she thinks Bananagrams will continue to flourish, citing its mass appeal.
"Bananagrams is really turning into a classic game," she says. "Although it was only introduced in the last couple of years, it's really starting to have that stature of a long-lasting game that we envision will be played by generations of kids to come."Check out the full story here, and make sure to stop into Grandrabbit's to pick up Bananagrams!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
August Play Days
JOIN US FOR PLAY DAYS AT ALL THREE OF OUR LOCATIONS!
Designed for children ages 2-7 and an accompanying adult, each Play Day focuses on a different theme, with engaging stories, creative crafts, exciting science experiments and fun games. Add some play time this August at Grandrabbit's!
ORCHARD TOWN CENTER - MONDAYS AT 11
August 1
Green Scene - Celebrate the color of summer. Make a veggie magic print!
August 8
Twirl and Swirl - Create tie dye art to wear using all of the colors of the rainbow.
August 15
Scientrific! - Experiment with some concoctions that are sure to make you laugh.
BOULDER - TUESDAYS AT 10:30
August 2
Green Scene - Celebrate the color of summer. Make a veggie magic print!
August 9
Twirl and Swirl - Create tie dye art to wear using all of the colors of the rainbow.
August 16
Scientrific! - Experiment with some concoctions that are sure to make you laugh!
FLATIRONS - THURSDAYS AT 10:30
August 4
Green Scene - Celebrate the color of summer. Make a veggie magic print!
August 11
Twirl and Swirl - Create tie dye art to wear using all of the colors of the rainbow.
August 18
Scientrific! - Experiment with some concoctions that are sure to make you laugh.
We will take a Play Days break August 22nd through 31st for back to school time!
Monday, July 25, 2011
ASTRA announces it's 2011 Best Toys for Kids
The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) unveiled its 2011 Best Toys for Kids list this month. The list, which includes twenty-two winning products in twelve categories, is a well-balanced representation of the fun, top-quality, high play value products consumers can find in locally-owned neighborhood toy stores around the country.
"There are lots of top toy lists out there, but Best Toys for Kids is different because the collective expertise of ASTRA retailers nationwide is built into the selection process," notes Gwen Ottenberg, Chair of ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids Committee and owner of Imagine That Toys in Wichita, Kansas. "Hundreds of retailers who know toys inside out participate in picking the winners. The final list is a useful tool at retail for helping moms and dads and grandparents and other buyers understand the advantages of shopping at a specialty store."
You can view all the winners here!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
July Play Days and New Fun Days!
JOIN US FOR PLAYDAYS - AND OUR NEW FUN DAYS - AT ALL THREE OF OUR LOCATIONS!
Designed for children ages 2-7 and an accompanying adult, each Play Day focuses on a different theme, with engaging stories, creative crafts, exciting science experiments and fun games. Add some play time this July at Grandrabbit's!
ORCHARD TOWN CENTER - MONDAYS AT 11
July 11th
Blueberry Bonanza - Celebrate national blueberry month, make a "berry" blue print and a tasty treat too!
July 18th
Water Works - Drips and drops will fill your pail as you work with water in an unusual way.
July 25th
Flat as a Pancake - Squish 'em, squash 'em, and roll 'em out to create a critter with real "flat-titude"
BOULDER - TUESDAYS AT 10:30
July 5th
UFO - Play with things that fly and create a UFO - Unique Flying Object - of your own!
July 12th
Blueberry Bonanza - Celebrate national blueberry month, make a "berry" blue print and a tasty treat too!
July 19th
Water Works - Drips and drops will fill your pail as you work with water in an unusual way.
July 26th
Flat as a Pancake - Squish 'em, squash 'em, and roll 'em out to create a critter with real "flat-titude"
FLATIRONS - THURSDAYS AT 10:30
July 7th
UFO - Play with things that fly and create a UFO - Unique Flying Object - of your own!
July 14th
Blueberry Bonanza - Celebrate national blueberry month, make a "berry" blue print and a tasty treat too!
July 21st
Water Works - Drips and drops will fill your pail as you work with water in an unusual way.
July 28th
Flat as a Pancake - Squish 'em, squash 'em, and roll 'em out to create a critter with real "flat-titude"
NEW AT GRANDRABBIT'S - FUN DAYS!
Drop in all day to any of our locations on Tuesdays for these fun activities!
July 12th
TEDDY BEAR PICNIC - Bring your favorite bear by the store for summer tea and a special treat!
July 19
DOG DAYS- Face painting puppy style! Have a "dog-gone" good time!
July 26
WORM SQUIRM- Come face to face with a wiggly worm, try some wormy science and celebrate national Gummi Worm Day.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Terrific Backseat Travel Toys
There’s nothing quite like hitting the highway in the summertime for a good old American road trip. But keeping your kids entertained in the backseat can often be a challenge. Frequent bathroom stops, seat kicking, goldfish cracker fights, and the endless chorus of, “Are we there yet?” means a road trip can turn into a stress trip pretty quick. Being armed with lots of activities is a great way to prevent those backseat meltdowns. Here are some of our favorite travel games and products at Grandrabbit’s.
Travel bingo games are a great way to keep kids engaged in the scenery around them, as they spot road signs, buildings and vehicles to fill their bingo cards. Auto Bingo by Regal Games and Backseat Bingo by Reeve and Jones both feature cards with sliding markers that can be reused again and again. Another option in the travel bingo department is eeBoo’s Travel Bingo, which comes with four pads, each with several pages of bingo games.
Squiggle on-the-go will get your young artists’ pencils moving. The concept is simple – each page on the squiggle pad has a different squiggle on it, with each side of the paper marked with a letter. On the back of the pad is a spinner with the four letters. The pad is rotated so the spun letter side is facing up, and a picture or object is then created from the squiggle. It’s a blast seeing what kids will come up with – you may even want to try your hand at some squiggles yourself.
Bringing art supplies in the car is always a tricky bet. You don’t want to end up with melted crayons on the seat or marker on the windows. Wikki Stix are a fantastic product that will encourage artistic creativity without the potential mess. Kids as young as three can play and create with Wikki Stix. They are made out of hand-knitting yarn enhanced with a microcrystalline food-grade nontoxic wax, the kind used in bubble gum and lipstick. That means they stick together effortlessly, and are also easy to peel up and reposition. The best part is they are endlessly reusable, so one packet of Wikki Stix contains infinite possibilities!
Etch A Sketch is always a fun, dependable choice for a travel. It’s hard to think of how you would expand on such a classic toy, but leave it to the creative minds at Klutz to come up with a fabulous Etch A Sketch Book. The book, which comes with its own pocket Etch A Sketch, contains drawing ideas, games and activities – and even lessons on how to draw good-looking curves and diagonals. There are also 12 see-through game screens that fit on the pocket Etch A Sketch, making this an etch-tastic choice for long road trips.
Usborne Activity Cards come in many different varieties, and several are designed specifically for travel, such as 100 Things for Little Children to Do on a Trip, or Travel Doodles. But any of these sets would make fantastic travel toys, as they contain a variety of activities, are easily portable and wipe clean so they can be used over and over again. We have a wide selection of Usborne doodle, activity, puzzle and things-to-spot card sets. Stop into any Grandrabbit’s location to check out our selection.
There are many travel versions of classic board games, but Camp Travel Edition is a great option if you have a range of ages that need to be entertained – including adults. The compact wooden box is perfectly designed for travel, and the questions include facts about all 50 states, making it an ideal road trip game. With its focus on fun facts about nature and wilderness skills, Camp is a particularly apt choice if your final destination includes some outdoor adventures.
Portable magnetic drawing toys are a dependable travel toy, especially for younger children. We’re particularly found of the B. Toulouse-Laptrec. Not only does it have a thoughtful design, with a squishy pillow on the bottom and a comfortable handle, but it comes with four fun animal stamp shapes to add to the imaginative possibilities of the product. As an added bonus, the B. company donates 10 cents of every toy sale to freethechildren.com, an organization working to alleviate child poverty. A great product that goes to support a great cause, and keeps your younger children entertained on a long car ride? That’s a winner!
Have any other favorite travel toys or activities? Let us know in the comment section!
Have any other favorite travel toys or activities? Let us know in the comment section!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Vote for Green Toys for ABC News 'Made in America'
We love Green Toys at Grandrabbit's. Besides making eye-catching, well-designed, durable products entirely out of recycled milk containers, the company keeps every step of their process - from recycling to manufacturing to final assembly - in their home state of California. Now that's a company that truly supports their local economy!
As it turns out, this summer ABC World News is asking viewers to tell them about "the most incredible American products" as part of their Made in America series. Green Toys certainly fits the bill, and they are asking viewers to nominate them for the series.
To read more about Green Toys, and our other favorite eco-friendly toys, check out our Earth Day blog!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Summer Hours for all our Locations!
Can you believe it's June already? As the days get warmer, our store hours are shifting. Starting Monday, June 6th, these hours will apply:
Boulder
Monday - Saturday: 9:30am - 6pm
Sunday: 10am - 5pm
Flatirons
Monday - Friday: 10:30am - 6:30pm
Saturday: 9:30am - 5pm
Sunday: 11am - 5pm
Orchard Town Center
Monday - Thursday: 11am - 9pm
Friday, Saturday: 10am - 9pm
Sunday: 10am - 6pm
Stop into any of our locations for your summertime fun! Thank you for shopping at Grandrabbit's!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Make Sure Your Children's School is Signed up for Bunny Bucks!
We have recently opened a location in the Orchard Town Center in Westminster
How Bunny Bucks works:
January 1st to December 31st, parents, teachers, and others can come to any Grandrabbit's location, or order products from our website, and designate a particular school when paying for their purchase. The school receives 10% of the pre-tax sale. We add these up at the end of the year for each school, and give gift cards to the school for teachers to spend during the month of January.
At our three locations – Boulder , Broomfield and now Westminster
Talk to your school and see if they would like to sign up! We have enrollment forms at all three of our locations, or we can email a form to your children's school. Contact office@grtoys.com for more information.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
May & June Play Days
JOIN US FOR PLAYDAYS AT ALL THREE OF OUR LOCATIONS!
Designed for children ages 2-7 and an accompanying adult, each Play Day focuses on a different theme, with engaging stories, creative crafts, exciting science experiments and fun games. Add some play time this April at Grandrabbit's!
ORCHARD TOWN CENTER - MONDAYS AT 11
June 6
That's Handy - Explore hand puppets, hand prints, and even silly "handimals " today.
June 13
Balancing Act - Try some games and projects that will test your balance.
June 20
Worms - Take a close-up look at a worm and create a worm habitat.
June 27
Spy Time - Crack the code, and design a spy gadget that is sure to be fun!
BOULDER - TUESDAYS AT 10:30
May 24
Green Scene - Notice the green grass and new leaves. Make a green concoction and a grass rubbing.
May 31
In Stitches - With string and a bit of imagination stitch up a giant bug or butterfly for your room.
June 7
That's Handy - Explore hand puppets, hand prints, and even silly "handimals " today.
June 14
Balancing Act - Try some games and projects that will test your balance.
June 21
Worms - Take a close-up look at a worm and create a worm habitat.
June 28
Spy Time - Crack the code, and design a spy gadget that is sure to be fun!
FLATIRONS - THURSDAYS AT 10:30
May 26
Green Scene - Notice the green grass and new leaves. Make a green concoction and a grass rubbing.
June 2
In Stitches - With string and a bit of imagination stitch up a gient bug or butterfly for your room,
June 9
That's Handy - Explore hand puppets, hand prints, and even silly "handimals " today.
June 16
Balancing Act - Try some games and projects that will test your balance.
June 23
Worms - Take a close-up look at a worm and create a worm habitat.
June 30
Spy Time - Crack the code, and design a spy gadget that is sure to be fun!
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