Neighborhood Toy Store Day 2012

The 3rd annual Neighborhood Toy Store Day is fast approaching this coming Saturday November 10th!

 Browsing local toy stores is a bit of a weakness of mine. I can easily get lost in all the cute yet hard to find quality products. Sure you can easily take a trip to your local 'big' toy store but finding the unique gifts (which we love to put under the tree from Santa!) aren't always so easy to find at those stores. Many of your local neighborhood toy stores are about promoting high quality products and I absolutely love that. Shopping locally at one of your neighborhood toy stores is a wonderful way to support your local community too!

On Saturday November 10th participating stores will host local in-store events for families like crafts, love entertainments and special discounts to help jump start your holiday shopping! The annual event is coordinated by the non-profit organization ASTRA (the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association). You can find a participating toy store at Your Neighborhood Toy Store. 

The new Your Neighborhood Toy Store website is a fantastic online resource for parents looking for the best toys on the market and where to find them. The website also features articles with expert advice on toys and playing for children of all ages and a local toy store locator. 

In an effort to show exactly what kind of high quality toys are available locally I was sent a few different toys to check out. I was super excited to find Tobbles Neo by Fat Brain Toy Company in our box! Tobbles Neo is a winner of ASTRA's Best Toys for Kids 2012 award.

I had actually been eyeing Tobbles recently as a possible Christmas idea for Zoey and it was a winner! Tobbles are an adorable tower of tipsy, topsy, spinning balls that all stack upon each other to make a unique tower that is oh so much fun to knock over again. And again. And again. 

We were also sent Roll & Play by ThinkFun which is designed to be your toddlers first game that encourages creativity, active play and gross motor skills. Roll & Play is geared for children 18 months and up so Zoey is still a bit young to enjoy it but I am sure we will be soon enough. Just like Tobbles Roll & Play is also a winner of ASTRA's Best Toys for Kids 2012 award. 

www.yourneighborhoodtoystore.org

You can find ASTRA/ The Woohoo Factor HERE on Facebook 

and HERE on Twitter (@TheWoohooFactor)

Disclosure: I was asked by Child's Play Communications to help spread the word of Neighborhood Toy Store day. I was not paid for this post but I was compensated with the toys I reviewed.