Top Toys for Under $25

This week we will provide you with lists.  Lists for our top picks of the season and top picks under $25.  Why?  Well, we want to make things easier for you, our loyal customers. 

The holidays are just around the corner and every year we get asked the same questions. Now that we have the blog, we figured we’d answer them for you sooner than later.

Whether you are shopping for gifts for your own kids, or buying for neighbors or family we want to give you the tools and information to buy the right gift for each little (or big) one on your list. 

1. Anomia

MADE IN THE USA. Think! Shout! laugh! Anomia will have everyone laughing out loud while they try to beat each other to the punch.

2. Spot It! by Blue Orange Games

There is always one and only one, matching symbol between ANY 2 cards in this game.  Spot it and you win! 2-8 players

3. Little Labs

Thames & Kosmos makes some of the most comprehensive science kits on the market. Little Labs are a great introduction to simple concepts in science.

4. Zingo Number Bingo 1-2-3

Slide the Zingo Zinger to reveal a number tile, make a match and fill your card to win.  The fast-paced game play and zany Zinger will keep kid’s counting for hours! 2-6 players

5. Pigz Up

Pigz Up by Blue Orange Games is a super fun motorskill refinement game. Be the first one to stack the piggies and get rid of your cards to win the game.

6. Green Toys Blocks

MADE IN THE USA.  This 18-piece block set is made from recycled milk jugs. Over-sized and safe they are easy to stack and unstack, which makes them perfect for any little builder.

7. My Friendship Bracelet Maker Clipboard

My Friendship Bracelet Maker Clipboard simplifies bracelet weaving for any crafty kid. Just clip your thread onto the board and separate the strings. This way you never lose track of which string gets knotted next.

8. ALEX Sticker Factory

Every kid loves stickers, so naturally ALEX's Sticker Factory is one of our favorites. Kids can make their own stickers to decorate their school text books or to add another personalized crafty element to their art projects.

9. Fliptomania Flip Book Kits

Fliptomania Flip Book Kits teach kids the basics of animation. Each set comes with four flip books - two to color, cut and clip together and two that are blank for their own creative storylines.

10. Lego Head Lamp

Every child likes to explore. This little elastic band head lamp is sure to inspire more missions!

11. Hartia Paper Mobiles

MADE IN CANADA. These unique cut and fold paper mobiles are designed by a Canadian graphic design firm. They're a playful and beautiful addition to any space - not to mention super fun to make!

12. Uncle Goose Blocks

MADE IN THE USA. Uncle Goose's beautiful wooden blocks are great for counting and stacking. Each side features a different theme: numbers, trains, buildings and rocket ships are just a few!

13. Quercetti Fantacolor Daisy

MADE IN ITALY. Fantacolor Daisy is creative pattern building at its finest. Use the multi-colored pegs to create beautiful images on the daisy-shaped design board.  

14. Green Toys Fire Truck

MADE IN THE USA. Introduced this past September, this wonderfully designed little truck is made in the USA from recycled milk jugs. It is great for kids ages 1+.

15. Melissa & Doug Cupcake Set

Who doesn’t love cupcakes?  With this little set kids can pretend to run their own cupcake business from home!  They'll make good use of their imagination to decorate and serve these sweet treats.

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Flip Book Fun!

Much to my parents chagrin, I took an early interest in making my own flip books. These little moving picture projects were endlessly fun and usually involved recreating (in rudimentary stick drawings)  a stunt I had seen performed by Evel Knievel on Wide World of Sports. The problem was I did not have the proper materials so I made do using my parents' paperbacks. 

If you picked up a paperback in my house, there was a good chance that at the bottom of the book's pages you would find a short cartoon of Evel Knievel jumping the Snake River Canyon in his rocket bike, or maybe a ball bouncing over some random shapes.

If it was a new book, I was often in trouble...

When we went to Toy Fair this past February, Claudia and I found a great little company that makes a product called Fliptomania that my parents and I would have loved to have had.

The kit comes with markers and four flip books. Two of the books already have really fun illustrations that only require coloring and the other two are blank, allowing the young artist to design their own.

These kits have been a huge hit in both stores.