Kazoodles Blogoodles

ASTRA's Best Toys for Kids List 2009

2009-10-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

The Best Toys for Kids list released by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) gets back to the basics—toys for good, old-fashioned, make-it-up-yourself, belly-laughing play that’s great for kids. It’s a great reason to pass by the hordes of anxious, exhausted shoppers at the usual big box stores and try a new way of more relaxed, productive shopping for toys that are actually healthy for your kids.

Kazoodles carries everything on the list! A few things may be en route to us; we've noticed a lot of these toys are already our best sellers and it is hard to keep 'em on the shelves. with out further ado, here is the list by category. Click the links see each toy on our website!

Infant Play (0 – 12 months)

* Sophie Giraffe by Calisson Inc.
* Natural Skwish by Manhattan

Toddler Play (1 – 3 years)

* Twilight Ladybug by Cloud B
* Wee Wedgits by ImagAbility

Pretend Play - Role Play

* Tea Set from Recycled Milk jugs by Green Toys
* Shopping Cart by Melissa & Doug

Pretend Play - Fantasy Play

* Reversible Knight/Dragon Cape and Reversible Knight/Dragon Hood by Creative Education of Canada
* Egyptian Pyramid by Playmobil

Constructive Play

* Automoblox Vehicles by Manhattan Toy
* Magformers Multicolored 30pc Magnetic Building Set

Creative Arts Play

* Create Your Own Pop-up Books by Faber-Castell Creativity for Kids
* Sticky Mosaic Twinkle Tiaras by The Orb Factory

Scientific Play

* Snap Circuits Green by Elenco
* Power House Green by Thames & Kosmos

Active Play

* Ezy Roller by Ezy Roller
* Original Djubi by PAV/Moonracer

Game Play (3 - 7 years)

* Chickyboom by Blue Orange

Game Play (8+ years)

* Bananagrams by Bananagrams

Just For Fun

* Mini Collectible Erasers by BC Office

This collection of cute erasers probably won't be offered on our website, but we have a constantly changing selection at our store! Come and see! (I will update if they become available online.)

Classic Play (Older)

* Doinkit Darts by Marky Sparky

Classic Play (Younger)

* Magnatiles by Valtech

Don't forget we have all of these and many many other toys, books and games with tremendous play value available at your favorite neighborhood toy store. Come visit us soon!

Dude, where's my blog?

2009-09-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

I don't like to be one of those bloggers who is always apologizing for not posting more, but seriously... it's been way too long! Here's what I've been doing instead:

Well, sorta...
At Kazoodles, we've been receiving one shipment after another for the last couple of weeks. As you are strapping on backpacks and new shoes and playing with your protractors we've caught a whiff of things to come. THE HOLIDAYS!! You may think it is too soon to consider such things, but we are contracted elves. Our merriment begins now! More shipments = more toys. This should come as great news to our fans because it means our toy selection is at its pinnacle.

We have glitter balls to the gills! Piles of puppets! A gaggle of games!

Many of you are familiar with the holiday catalog we mail out each year. A lot of product comes into the store in preparation of the catalog and this time we're putting it out a bit early. If you were on our list in June you should expect a shiny catalog in your mailbox mid October. If you weren't on the mailing list by June, just stop by and pick up one of our spare copies. There are coupons. Man, are there ever coupons.

And just because I'm soooooo cool and my title is manager schmanager, I will tease you with a few of our newest additions. Oooh, also keep an eye out for our newsletter in early October, Mary will be highlighting more of our new offerings.

Rock Tumblers!

Metal Detectors!

Quadrilla's super cool new composer sets with xylophone bells, OH MY!

What are you waiting for? Come over to our place and play!!

Helping kids of all abilities transition to school

2009-08-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

At the ASTRA toy show in Minneapolis in June I found a new line of wonderful toys and products for kids with special needs. What really grabbed my eye were the weighted costumes — fairy princesses, firemen and policemen outfits with pockets for adding weights to calm and provide sensory input for children. Fun and Function is the name of the company, and it's oh so appropriate! F&F also has a line of scooters and some great squeezable toys for gross motor and sensory skill-building fun.

While I didn't order at the show, I've kept the company's catalog at the front counter to show parents and teachers of special needs kids. If there's enough interest I would certainly be glad to place an order for these well-thought-out toys. Take a look while you're in and let us know what you think.

Meanwhile, Fun and Function has posted a blog about helping kids transition to the start of school. While the blog targets families of special needs kids, I think there are some great ideas for all families who are getting their kids ready to return to the classroom. Click here to read more!

Invasion of the frogmen!

2009-06-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

Are you headed to a birthday party this summer? Can’t think of the perfect gift? Our answer for you: Frogs! Kazoodles now sells African Dwarf frogs by Wild Creations in cute decorative EcoAquariums.

Each unique self-contained EcoAquarium comes with two male frog friends. In the bottom of the tank is “living gravel.” These specially conditioned stones have microorganisms that manage the Ph and ammonia levels in the water. There is no filtering necessary. A small bamboo shoot and snail help keep the aquarium clean and oxygenated. $29.98 gets all of this plus one year’s supply of food.

The frogs only need to be fed twice a week and the water changed twice a year. These pets are so durable and low-maintenance you won’t have to worry about being an irresponsible frog steward. You don’t even have to wait to receive the frogs in the mail; they’re already here!

Frogs make a great gift for both boys and girls in a wide range of ages. When we got our shipment, we sold one EcoAquarium right out of the box. The mom said she knew her gift would be the hit of the party. Even adults love to watch them calmly swim around their amphibious apartment. What a great natural stress reliever.

Our first batch of frogs is already hopping out the door.
If frogs leave you feeling green, we also have easy and educational butterfly and ant habitats for all your critter keeping needs.

Best Summer Ever.

2009-06-08T15:07:00.000-07:00

HALT!

It is officially against Kazoodles law to be bored this summer. Not only are we well stocked on bubbles, bug sprinklers, hula hoops, gardening toys, and other sunny day staples, we also have lots of activities planned. We've been waiting patiently all winter for you to come over and play with us, so make sure to stop by.

Free events every week:

Open Arts & Crafts Experience

Tuesdays, 2-4 p.m. June 23rd through August 25th.
Presented by Elizabeth Armstrong, student at Pacific Northwest College of Art. Drop in on Tuesday afternoons and experiment with different materials and ideas in a relaxed and supportive creative environment.

Preschool Story Time

Stories and Songs every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. with Miss Mary or a qualified substitute.

Thursday special events:
Please call 360-699-9200 to sign up.

Puppets and Story Telling
June 25th, 1 p.m. Free! Ages 4+
Do you have a flair for drama? Do you sometimes talk to yourself and like what you hear? Always want to know what happens next? Come tell stories and play with puppets at your cool neighborhood toy store.

Recycled Arts Play Day
July 2nd, 1 p.m. Free! Ages 4+
Make the world a cleaner, more beautiful place by turning trash into treasure. Feel free to bring any kind of recyclables or found objects to add to your masterpiece.

Pop Bottle Science
July 9th, 2 p.m. $2 Ages 4+
What did the Mentos say to the liter of Diet Coke? You better come to Kazoodles and find out in person. There are many fun ways to use and reuse a pop bottle; we'll show you how to do it.

Robot Party
July 16th, 2 p.m. $2 Ages 4+
Come explore and share your love of robots with other humans. Be prepared to dance and expect a few surprises!

Build a Fairy House
July 23rd, 1 p.m. Free!
This is a Kazoodles family favorite. Use natural found objects to arrange a special dwelling for our fairy friends. Feel free to bring additional natural materials such as pine cones, leaves and shells if you wish.

Bubble Day
July 30th, 2 p.m. $2
We'll break out the kiddie pool and get stoked on soap! Use all kinds of different objects to make bubbles in every size.

Fancy Nancy Party
August 6th, 2 p.m. $2
Don your posh frocks and jazzy jewels and celebrate everything elegant! We'll read about Fancy Nancy and enjoy an afternoon filled with her favorite fancy things.

Science Day
August 13th, 2 p.m. $2 ages 4+
The next scientific break through is just around the corner. Maybe you'll be the one to discover a special slime that cures the common cold. Or maybe we'll just get to see something explode! It's educational!

Sock Puppet Play Day
August 20th, 1 p.m. Free!
Meet your new best friend Randy. He lives at the end of your arm. What's that? You can't see Randy? Well you better make him a face, quick! Hours of riveting conversation will be yours to share with your new sock puppet friend.

Solar Print Making
August 27th, 1 p.m. $2
Use the awesome energy of the sun to create cool pieces of art to share with your friends and family, like magic!

Please call 360-699-9200 to sign up. As always, parents must accompany children. We are not licensed or insured as a day care provider.

Happy Summer!

Tween Time!

2009-05-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

Lately we've been working on building up a section geared toward those terrific tween girls and we were really excited to get on board with this new Snap Caps craze.

Snap Caps are decorative bottle caps with a strong magnet back so you can stick them on the fridge, or lockers if you still have them. We also have the choker so you can sport your caps all over town. You can switch them out and trade them with your bff! We have several super cute designs to choose from, and we're hoping to get more.

Best of all, Snap Caps were invented by a brilliant 6th grade girl named Maddie Bradshaw. Here is a video all about Snap Caps and Maddie.

Feeling extra creative?! The Capsters activity book from Klutz has all the stuff you need to make your own cap designs. You can even put pictures of your own friends or pets in your bottle caps! Klutz always does a great job with their instructions for kids, and it is so cool to have all the supplies you need in one place.

Visit Turtle Place!

2009-05-01T23:50:00.000-07:00

Esther Short is not the only park near Kazoodles. Turtle Place made its debut May 1, a fantastic addition to downtown. Remember where the bus mall used to be, on 7th St. between Main and Washington? Chunks of the old transit center literally make up pieces of Turtle Place. Artists Greg Conyne and Wendy Armstrong built a water sculpture with recycled castoffs from C-Tran and the PUD. The square reuses and recycles everything from concrete to rainwater.

This was a project of Vancouver's Downtown Association, and it's a great symbol of how hard (and smart) that group is working to revitalize downtown, the center and heart of our city. Volunteer Carl Dobbs coordinated the project, but a whole lot of people made it happen. The grand opening was an exciting event, with Hough third-graders led to Turtle Place by the Columbia River High School marching band. The mayor primed the water sculpture, spraying it with a fire hose. Real turtles small and giant were on hand for kids to see. Kazoodles was there, too, with a Flying Turtle for kids to ride.

Next time you're at Kazoodles, take a trek through Esther Short Park, between the towers of VancouverCenter, and across Washington to Turtle Place. You'll be following centuries-old traditions of the original Americans who first called the area by that name.

Earth Day and Uberstix

2009-04-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

April's on vacation so I'm taking my first crack at blogging. So far so good -- I found the page, anyway!

Did you know Earth Day was started by a Camas native? Denis Hayes was the coordinator of the first Earth Day, way back in 1970 when I was in high school. It's now part of our national culture, a day to stop and think about the impact each of us has on the planet we share.

Kazoodles offers an Earth Day activity, compliments of Plan Toys. Drop in between 2 and 5 p.m. April 22 to make a cardboard Eco-House. You can see a sample in our window.

And check out one of the coolest building toys that just arrived -- Uberstix! (There are supposed to be two dots above the U, but I don't know how to put them there). Uberstix work with Legos, K'nex, Zoobs and other major construction toys. You can also use Uberstix with all kinds of recycled materials. The pirate ship in the Scavenger series, for example, lets you scavenge for paper clips, a plastic water bottle, popsicle sticks, a plastic grocery bag, paper cups, and a rubber band. Use them to build a boat that floats and you've got one side of the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle triangle.

Now if I could just figure out how to upload a video. There's a great one at the address below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPV0OjckhZw

Spring Break 2009!!

2009-03-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

Staying in town this Spring break? Well that's no excuse to be bored all week. We've got lots to see and do at Kazoodles. We'll be hosting fun activities every day next week at 2 p.m.

Monday, March 30th
Paint a Planter.
Get spring started by painting a design on a planter and growing some flowers.
Cost is $10 to cover materials and preregistration is required. 360-699-9200.

Tuesday, March 31st
Fairy House Building.

A Kazoodles favorite! Join us on our back patio as we use natural objects to create forts and dwellings for the fairies. If the weather is bad, we'll have a fun alternate activity.
Free!

Wednesday, April 1st
Storytelling and Puppet Play Day
Try out some of our puppets or practice telling funny stories.
Free!

Thursday, April 2nd
Green Science Play Day.
Our guest Jill Alm, an environmental educator,
will share some fun hands-on activities for future earth scientists.
Free, but pre-registration is requested. 360-699-9200.

Friday, April 3rd
Hama Bead Creations by You!
We'll do the ironing, you do the art. Take home your masterpiece to give as a gift or use for decoration.
Free!

Bus, Do your Stuff!

2009-03-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

First off I want to thank everyone who came down to celebrate our 3rd birthday with us. We had a great time fishing for prizes and painting faces and making crafts. My favorite part was seeing all our little kid friends who were babies when we first opened and are growing up right before our eyes. It is special to share that with you, and we value the choice you have made to shop with us. Thanks for keeping us in the neighborhood; we have so much more fun in store!

*Big Hugs*

I also want to let you know about some great new science kits we just got in today! I am so super excited about them! One of my favorite childhood heroes was Miss Frizzle from the Magic School bus. If you haven't been introduced, here is an official site. Basically Miss Frizzle is the best (fictional) science teacher around! Using her magic school bus, she's able to drive the class to some pretty tricky spots to learn first hand about the scientific world.

I vividly remember when Miss Frizzle took the class to see bread baking...inside the loaf! I had never before considered what was physically happening to the dough while it was turning into bread and the chemical reactions that are behind it. On top of that, this lady has some awesome style. She usually is wearing a dress that reflects the wonders she'll be illuminating that day, and occasionally earrings to match. I think this is why I own a pair of awesome Monkey-in-a-Barrel earrings; they also tend to reflect the experiences I will have that day.

Young Scientist's Club has come out with these great science kits based on the Magic School bus series. We have The World of Germs, The Secrets of Space, The Mysteries of Rainbows, and Journey into the Human Body. All the experiments in these kits have been tested at a science camp by genuine kids to ensure they are both fun and educational.

Granted you won't actually fly into a friends digestive system, we just don't have the technology yet. But these kits capture the great hands-on exploratory spirit of Miss Frizzle and her sweet bus. Man I wish I had that bus!

Guess who is turning three?

2009-03-02T17:28:00.000-08:00

*Sniff* Toy Stores... They grow up so quickly!

Join Us this Sunday!

2009-02-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

I can't wait to see what kind of deals are to be had! Please note, this event is NOT at the Kazoodles location, but over in East Vancouver.

Surf's Up At Kazoodles

2009-01-26T13:57:00.000-08:00

Anybody notice how cold it is outside? Brrrr!! Although the sun is shining, it is pretty unmistakably winter in the Pacific Northwest. I don't want to be a hater, but I really think I prefer Spring Summer and Fall. Yeah, I'm pretty sure about that. Thank goodness Kazoodles is going to alter reality and invite you to experience a little bit of paradise in Vancouver this weekend.

HawaiiFest 2009

Saturday Jan. 31st
All day at Kazoodles Toy Store

11 a.m. Hang 10!
Show us your surfing moves on a Yo Baby Practice Board. 99.9% shark and water-free.
1 p.m. Hula Lessons!
Join Deva Yamashiro from Kaleinani o ke Kukui for an introductory hula dance lesson
We'll learn about volcanoes as we try out a volcano kit from the science department.
2 p.m. Volcano Time!
We'll learn about volcanoes as we try out a volcano kit from the science department.

Plus: Fish for prizes, including sunglasses, leis, and Kazoodles gift certificates all day. Enjoy live and recorded Hawaiian music. Get 20% off "Hawaiian Playground" from Putumayo World Music on Saturday only.

Local to the Max! Come celebrate the aloha spirit while shopping local.

Obama-Rama!!

2009-01-16T17:41:00.000-08:00

Inauguration Day is right around the corner and to celebrate we are having a presidential sale.

Only on Tuesday

you'll find these these fun

Obama-related items on sale at 20% off!

Reenact the swearing in of our 44th president in real time with your very own set of Obama family paper dolls. Yes, this set does include Michelle, Malia and Sasha for all your high fashion fun.

This is a beautifully illustrated book that explains the life of Obama through the perspective of children. We love it!

Even O-Balls are on sale this Tuesday. Because not everyone can go to an Inaugural Ball, but everyone in the family can have a ball on Inauguration day! Chuckle, Chuckle... Seriously these balls are great for all ages!

We'll be tuning into the festivities on NPR during the day, and possibly even streaming video from the internet. So come on down to Kazoodles on Tuesday to check out our inaugural display and witness history! Barack n' Roll!

Enjoy your Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. observations this weekend!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-24T09:54:00.000-08:00

It has been quite a while since our latest post, and that is because all of our wonderful customers have kept us so busy during the last several weeks. Thank you to all our new customers who just found out that Vancouver Washington has an awesome toy store. Thank you to our loyal and fun-loving regulars who continue to make a powerful decision to shop locally. Thank you to our neighbors and friends who bring us soup and chocolate to help us through the many hours and days that is the holiday shopping season. And thank you to Santa who let us help him make wishes come true!

We hope you have been having a wonderful holiday season in spite of the weather. Exciting news! It is time for Kazoodles' official end of the year "We Don't Want to Count It" sale! Mark your calendars because Kazoodles will be closed Dec. 31 & Jan. 1 for inventory. We need your help to reduce our stock this weekend, so great deals are coming your way.

Take 20% off EVERYTHING in stock.
(All toys, books, games, Ezyrollers, Bilibos, Whatzits, everything!)
Saturday, Dec. 27 through Tuesday, Dec. 30

Plus 40% off all holiday merchandise! Remember, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 we will be closed for inventory. Count, count, count.

The political toy saga continues
Look for a newsletter soon after the calendar turns. There's some important information about the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) that could have a detrimental effect on small manufacturers and independent toy stores like ours. Check out www.handmadetoyalliance.org to see how this law could put some of our wonderful suppliers out of business, or www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html for the latest on the CPSIA. If you value what Kazoodles offers, we urge you to write your U.S. senators and representatives.

Thank you so much! We hope to see you this weekend.

Get Out The Vote, Shop Local and Save!

2008-11-04T16:49:00.000-08:00

Hello my poodles, greetings from Kazoodles!

Today is the big day in American history we've all been waiting for. So many voters are turning out for this election, it sort of boggles the mind. If you are like me though, you took advantage of Washington's vote by mail system and probably already mailed or dropped off your ballot long ago. That means you may not have had anything to vote for today and you're probably feeling pretty left out, right? Well never fear... I have something else for you to vote for!

That's right-- the Kazoodles crew would love it if you voted for our awesome store in Vancouver Family Magazine's Best of Vancouver competition. There are several categories and we appear under the Best Toy Store heading. When you've completed your ballot, you can check out the results and enter to win a stay at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, WA.

Speaking of mail (sort of) In about a week everyone who is going to get our fancy holiday catalog will find one in your mailbox. If you don't get a catalog, just ask for one at the store. We'll pass them out until they're gone. You are going to love this catalog; there are about two hundred products featured that you may not have seen before. Not to mention three valuable coupons to help you save on your holiday gifts.

When you come to the store to cash in those killer coupons, be sure to check our our newest window display which is all about shopping local. With all the bad news about the global economy, you may be anxious the gift-giving season. When you shop at Kazoodles you are helping our local economy thrive and building hometown memories. Rather than giving your hard-earned dollars to national chains for toys that may only hold your kid's interest until Groundhog Day, we invite you to select high quality toys that last from your friendly neighborhood goofballs. Plus we will gift wrap your items for you and we are going to have so much fun around here! We are looking forward to seeing you in the coming weeks.

Games and Gelato, what could be better?

2008-11-04T13:02:00.000-08:00

Did you get that? Not only will we be hosting a game night over at Dolce Gelato on Thursday, but we will also be open late for all your birthday, holiday, heck-of-it needs. So if you are usually at work or soccer practice or night class, this is a rare opportunity to play at Kazoodles. We'll have all our demo games our for your perusal at Dolce, just bring your friends and relax. Oh man, I may not be able to wait until Thursday though, I think they've got pumpkin flavor gelato and lattes over there! Yum!

P.S. Get out the vote! Not that you need reminding...

Gobble, gobble, Gobblet!

2008-10-27T15:58:00.000-07:00

One of our good friends from the community stopped by today to ask about the game Gobblet by Blue Orange Games. We now have over 370 game titles available in stock at Kazoodles, not to mention any we've ordered that haven't quite made it into the store yet. Despite the many options for play around here, this is one game we come back to again and again.

To get a basic idea of how to play Gobblet, take a look at this quick demo. Some of the grammar in the demo is unusual, but you can see how the pieces move. The simple black and white wood pieces have a neat classic look to them.

Gobblet is a lot like tic tac toe, but instead of working towards 3 in a row, you're playing on a 4x4 grid and looking for a row of 4 pieces. But of course there's a twist! You are using 12 nesting "gobblets" as they are called. You are therefore able to conceal or reveal pieces. This adds a memory skill to your strategy game, making things a little more interesting. I believe this game is as interesting to an adult (like me!) as it is to a 7 or 8 year old. Beware! I think those 7 and 8 year olds may be more sophisticated in their strategy skills than you realize.

Many of the games by Blue Orange are considered green, or eco-friendly. We know our customers will appreciate that fact. Not only are the games made of quality wood and not plastic, but the company also plants two trees for every one they cut down! The game Gobblet has earned several awards, including The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio's Best Toy award, and the 10 Best Games award from Dr. Toy.

You can find Gobblet for sale on our main web site here. Or check out Gobblet Junior for the younger version, which is a 3x3 grid with colorful pieces. This would be a wonderful game to have around when your family is all waiting around to gobble up some Thanksgiving turkey!

Second Annual Kazoodles Picture Day

2008-10-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

Are you prepared to become Kazoodles' next top model? Would you like to see your precious little people in print and web advertising in 2009?

Last fall we took pictures at the store of about 10-15 Kazoodles patrons playing with their favorite toy. Those pictures have been included in many ads like the one below in papers such as the Columbian, the Oregonian, the Reflector, the Senior Messenger and Vancouver Family Magazine. Max the Crocodile Hunter and and Cowgirl Aly are the stars of our website home page.

Would you like to participate? All participants will receive a Kazoodles wooden nickel worth $5 to spend at the store. We need parents or guardians to sign a permission form and be present at the shoot, which is at our store. See you there!

Kazoodles Picture Day

Saturday October 18th

3-5pm

575 W 8th Street

Vancouver, Washington

Extreme Scarecrow Makeover Contest

2008-10-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

Hello there my little pumpkin-headed friends, and Happy Fall!

Did you miss me? I am sorry to have let our awesome blog go to seed for a while. Everyday the delivery guys bring us more and more toys to put on our shelves, so we've all been pretty busy pricing and stacking and moving and playing with all the new stuff. I have lots to chat about, though, so enjoy the next couple of posts!

First of all, I really need your help. Kazoodles is participating in the third annual Extreme Scarecrow Makeover Contest. The contest is organized by Clark County Historical Museum. There are 15 businesses throughout downtown and uptown Vancouver that have created scarecrows and displayed them in their windows. These scarecrows are being judged by you the people and Mayor Royce Pollard. We have walking maps and ballots at Kazoodles so you can go view all the entries and vote on your favorite scarecrow. The mayor stopped by this morning to take a look, but he sure didn't give up any clues to which way he was leaning, so we really need your votes!

Fellow Kazoodler Ashley Thompson and yours truly spent a magical autumn evening HANDCRAFTING our very creative scarecrow entry. We would love you to meet our friend and no-so-scary scarecrow. His name is Rusty and he is a Scarecrowbot (part scarecrow part robot.)

If you really really love Rusty, you have a chance to take him home for your very own. On October 23rd from 6-8:00 p.m., Rusty and all the other scarecrows will be auctioned off at the museum to benefit the Clark County Historical Society.

You have until October 19th to get out the vote.

Please come to the store and vote for Rusty, and tell your friends!!

Walking around to see the all entrants is a fun and free way to enjoy the Fall in downtown Vancouver. We'll let you know how it all works out.

Unplugged Play

2008-09-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

Hello to all my favorite playtime buddies!

Sorry for the long delay on blog posts. Our heads have been spinning with all the new product streaming in. We've also taken on some cool projects such as building beautiful new bookshelves for the book and game section. It seems so open in there now; we kind of can't stop admiring them.
As soon as I have a minute to put the packing knife and hammer down, I have lots to report on including all the fun pictures and videos we took during our Thursday activity days this summer. Stay tuned for that. For today I just couldn't wait to tell you about a great new book that I hunted down for the store.

Unplugged Play by Bobbi Connor is available now at Kazoodles, and it is a great resource for inexpensive, developmentally rich activities for all age groups. I saw this book at Woodbury MT toy store in Montpelier, Vermont when we were there for Bob and Mary's daughter's wedding in June, and knew I must have it. At Kazoodles, part of our mission is to provide children in our community with toys that rely more on kid power than battery power. Sometimes it may seem easier to plop your kid in front of a DVD than it is to think up an activity on the spot. This book makes it easy to avoid that style of parenting by giving great suggestions, rules and materials lists to keep kids entertained and learning.
I know I am buying a copy for myself and I don't even have kids! Actually this would make a great gift for baby sitters, grandparents and any other person who interacts with children and needs a good bank of ideas. Fall is fast approaching and who knows what the weather will bring. Now is the time to stock up on board games, books, and this great anti-boredom book.

The Flibbix Lady Cometh

2008-08-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

Exciting news!

Stephanie, the co-creator of Flibbix is coming to our store this Sunday, August 24th from 2-4 pm to play Flibbix with all of you!

A week or two a go I blogged about some games and mentioned the fabulous Flibbix. I have since gotten several chances to play and it is AMAZING! The whole concept behind Flibbix is that almost any rule, and even the game board, change as you play. Thanks to the magnetic game tiles, you can start off with a different layout every time. On top of that, dice rolls and action cards help mix it up every step of the way. You will never play the same game twice. Imagine that you are working your way to the finish line and all of a sudden the start square and the Finish square trade places? I will totally suggest this to customers who are working on following directions or trying to learning flexibility and adaptiveness.

In short, I heart, heart, heart, Flibbix. I think it is a great basic board game, that is only limited by your creativity. While I sometimes dream of having the most well-stocked game cabinet on the block, I think that I could just own Flibbix and Settlers of Catan be happy. And maybe Bananagrams for good measure. ;-)

So please join us on Sunday and try Flibbix for yourself. It is my day off but I might just have to come too! You know I cannot stay away from game day.

Fairy Houses Everywhere

2008-08-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

Wheee! I am so excited for this week's special activity! On Thursday we are building homes for all our fairy friends who live behind the store in our small garden patch. Did you know that sometimes fairies need to take naps? You would too if you spent all day flitting about, grant wishes and playing in the woods. The idea for helping the fairies build their homes comes from the series of books by Tracy Kane. Click here and discover Fairy Houses!

The people who write these books are from New Hampshire and every year they have a big party and invite everyone to build beautiful dwellings for the fairies. Last Year, Bob and Mary got to go to this party and they took some pictures for us to see.

The rules for building Fairy Houses are simple:

1. Fairy Houses should look so natural they are almost hidden. A location close to the ground is best.
2. You should use only natural materials. Dry grasses, leaves, sticks, pebbles and pinecones are just a few examples of materials to choose.
3. Be careful not to use or disturb any of nature's materials that are still living, especially flowers, ferns, mosses and lichen. Fairies do not like to disturb or destroy anything that is growing in nature.

Fairy House Building Day
Thursday August 21, 2008
11am
Please dress for the weather and bring natural materials to share.

I think the fairies really need us. We have made fairy houses twice, and it has been very popular. Hope you can make it.

New national toy standards protect local kids

2008-08-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

For immediate release...

PRESIDENT BUSH SIGNS COMMON SENSE NEW TOY SAFETY LAW

Vancouver, Wash. (August 19, 2008) New toy safety regulations will help Vancouver parents stop worrying about whether the toys they buy are safe, says Mary Sisson, owner of Kazoodles, a locally-owned downtown Vancouver toy store. Last week President Bush signed into law a sweeping set of reliable new nationwide toy safety standards designed to give shoppers the comfort of knowing that toys purchased anywhere in the United State are subject to rigorous safety requirements.

The new law puts teeth in the Consumer Products Safety Commission’s (CPSC) oversight of toy safety, giving the CPSC more authority over recalls, more funding, and more staff to monitor toy design and materials. It also mandates implementation of a certification program for manufacturing facilities (wherever in the world they are located) and increased mandatory testing of products for lead content and some other chemicals. Perhaps best of all for parents and others who buy toys, the stringent national standards will help avoid a confusing, inconsistent patchwork of state-by-state regulations that do little to reassure parents about gifts or toys in school that may come from states with low standards.

In Washington, a task force appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire will consider the impact of the federal law on the state’s Children’s Safe Products Act at their September 9 meeting. When she signed the bill in April the governor set up the task force to gather input from all sides of the issue, from businesses that would be affected to the Washington Toxics Coalition that wrote the bill.

“As a local small business, we are committed to knowing what our customers care about, and certainly their children’s safety is at the very top of that list” says Sisson, a board member of the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association. Kazoodles, which is owned and operated by Sisson, specializes in high quality, developmentally appropriate toys that help children learn while playing and having fun.

“The great thing about the new law coming out of our nation's capitol,” continues Sisson, “is that it takes a common sense, easy-to-understand approach: less lead, more testing, and better Consumer Products Safety Commission oversight. Simple. It aims to enforce the same high standards in all states, no matter where you buy the toy anywhere in the country. And that will go a long way in giving moms and dads and grandparents and other toy buyers what they need—toys they can trust.”

Last story for the summer

2008-08-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

For the last two summers, our friend and children's librarian, Linda Thompson has come to the shop to read books to school age kids. We've done it every week at he same time, but we're not sure too many people know about it. So, please come enjoy our last story time of the summer for kids over 4 or so. (Ages don't matter too much.) Help us thank Miss Linda for her visits, listen to a story and have a cookie!

Kazoodles Story Time

Wednesday August 21st at 1 pm.

Note: Our Wednesday morning story time for preschool ages is year round. Miss Mary is still singing and reading at 10:30am every Wednesday.

Little Humbugs and other good works

2008-08-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

Well folks, Canada did it again! Our neighbors to the north have made yet another good move in the world of toys. I present for your enjoyment the Little Humbugs! Our new friends are sweet butterfly girls and dragonfly boys who are part Human and part Bug. These are plush dolls (think groovy girls) that come with a little pod bag that they live in. The pod can also be used for your butterfly girl's treasures. The best thing about these fun creatures is their environmental message.
Check out their beautiful website where you can find the story behind each of the Little Humbugs and their mission to help the earth. We see lots of kids who are excited about fairy themes for pretending. Why not use these dolls and books to catalyze an interest in environmental stewardship? This is an example of how pretend play is useful for imparting values.

Which reminds me...

Yet another great thing about being in the specialty toy industry as opposed to the mass market, is that we can carry toys from smaller companies like Little Humbugs. These smaller manufacturers in many cases are creative family folks who are bringing their ideas to market. They often have a concept or message behind their line of toys and begin by producing a few products to see if people like the idea and want to buy the product.
The idea for Little Humbugs is wonderful; these are kids who are a part of nature, taking responsibility for their actions in nature. The creators are a husband and wife team and only the first three dolls are available in the series so far. I think the idea is inspiring and I am glad that we can offer the dolls and books to our customers. A big corporate store can't really do that. Their staff couldn't tell you about the concept behind the dolls, and the value would be lost.

Playing with a purpose.

We carry several product lines that not only have inherent play value, but also teach kids about deeper human experiences. Karito Kids dolls come to mind, which is a whole other blog post and conversation all together. For now, please read up on some of these lines, and their message or practices!
PhD Flying Discs
Plan Toys, (go to the About Us section)
Moon Jar moneyboxes
Geopuzzles
Cooperative Games from Family Pastimes (Canada strikes again!)
Thames and Kosmos
Coming soon to Kazoodles, super cool green toys by Sprig Toys! (We are so excited about this. Expect them in our store by October.)

I invite you to ask questions about any of the toys we carry and how they can be used to help kids grow into happy, healthy, caring human beings. This is why we love what we do!!

More New Things, Games Edition.

2008-08-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

I, April Chambers, manager-type staff member of Kazoodles toy store, have a confession to make... I am a gamer. To me, games of any kind are the cat's pajamas, the bee's knees, and even the hippo's favorite race car. (I don't know what that means either, but if the hippo loves it then we're cool.) I would gladly play any game with anyone and probably get pretty competitive too. So pardon me if I dominate the blog with my predilection.

The truth is, games have a lot to offer. Games of all kinds are great for families to bond. Playing games gets the family to sit down and spend a little time together, often with a common goal. Games can help kids who are having difficulties communicating, following directions or focusing on one task at a time. We have a large and evolving collection of games that work on a myriad of skills, including math and language skills. Games also hold a secret cure to one of the most confounding and ridiculous problems in the world:

I, for one, am never bored. If you have this problem, come check out a game immediately! We can help. Don't suffer in silence! To get you started, today's post features some games we're getting in that we've never had before-- plus one review of a game we've rediscovered.

Double Shutter

Ever played Shut The Box? This is the sleek and fancy new spin on the old classic. In an average, everyday game of shut the box, a player rolls two dice and chooses a tile or tiles that add up to the sum of the dice rolled. The player continues rolling the dice and flipping tiles down until all the tiles are down (in other words, you've shut the box.) This is what it looks like.

Now in Double Shutter, your goal is the same, but now you have two rows of numbered tiles that must go down. The rows are numerically opposite each other, that is, behind the 9 tile is a 1 and behind the 8 tile is a 2 and so on. This makes a round of Shutter a little longer and the strategy a tiny bit more complex. This is a favorite of fellow Kazoodler Josh (who is a 17 year old high school senior) and our friend and regular customer Lorna N. (who would like it for Christmas, hint hint.) Note: I will post video of Josh and the Double Shutter when I can.

Discombobulation

I found this pretty concise description from the company's website.

The goal is to play all of your cards first. But watch out for 10 crazy challenge cards designed to DISCOMBOBULATE you and make you draw more cards. For example, if someone plays the Maestro discombobulation card, they pick a song, like The National Anthem, and sing the first line. “OH SAY CAN YOU SEE!” The next player must sing the next line and the song continues until someone makes a mistake or doesn’t know the next line. This person has to draw. Other challenges will make you mimic others, make lists, remember nicknames, keep a rhyme going, and much more

I have not yet truly played Discombobulation, but Josh and I did have a little preview. We tried the challenge card where you have to go back and forth quickly naming as many vegetables as you can. It was totally fun and I would get this as a good speech-driven travel game.

Family Talk
Family Talk lives in our game section but there aren't exactly any rules. This is more of a conversation starter that is geared toward families. A deck of many cards is attached to a nifty little carabiner, each with a question you can ask another family member. We even have a set that is specific to grandparents. Often times people in different generations don't think they have a common language when maybe all they need is to ask the right questions. What is your favorite meal made by your grandparents? Name three qualities of a good friend. Do you have these qualities? How old were you when you began to drive? Try it out! Think of the wisdom and insights you could be sharing!

Flibbix

This is one I am really curious about. I have not played Flibbix at all, but I am intrigued by the teaser printed on the box. It reads, "breaking rules has never been this much fun." Why, how did they know that I like to break rules? The unique thing about Flibbix is that the board is actually 45 magnetic tiles that are double sided. Players can set up the game board in the configuration they choose, select the rules they'd like to follow and choose the cards they'd like to play with, all of which makes a different game every time. During play you may be directed to flip over a tile, changing the layout and goal as you go along. This is a really creative and interesting take on the old standard board game. It seems like it would teach kids to create strategies and then adapt to changing situations which is a wonderful life skill.

Consensus

I am first on the game library list to check this out. Consensus is sorta kinda similar to Apples to Apples, in that players pick noun cards that most closely represent the adjective card. Instead of appealing to one "judge" as in Apples to Apples, players are trying to choose the nouns they think everyone else will pick. Majority wins! If you chose a noun that most everyone picked you advance to the next space. The first player to reach the end of the board wins. The box says it is playable for 3-8 players, but the sales rep told me to try it with at least 5 players. Confused? Here is a pretty good tutorial on how to play Consensus.

Tri-Words, A Review.
While we were looking over all the stuff on sale this weekend, we got a little curious about the game Tri-words. We've had this game in stock for a long time, but since no one had ever played it, we never recommended it to customers. It had been hiding behind something on a shelf and so it was going through life unloved and unplayed. ;-( Sad. Well, I have watched Toy Story 2 and I just can't let that happen. Today we played Tri-words and I definitely loved it. If you are into making words a la Scrabble, Bananagrams or Boggle, you are sure to like Tri-words. Each player gets the same number of triple-sided word tiles (you can decide how many, 5-8 each.) One player rolls a die that determines how many words you are trying to make, and what colors you are trying to use. If you roll "two words-green" your goal is to take your 7 tiles and create two words using all the green sides of the word tiles before the other person. Having the die is cool because it changes the goal slightly each time. If you don't reach this goal you still get points, which I really enjoyed. You'll get the best score when you pair good vocabulary, strategy and speed. Tri-words is recommended for ages 6 and up.

Playing the games helps us make good recommendations for all our customers. If you'd like to review one of our games, we would love to hear what you have to say! Either tell us about a game you bought here or you can check out one of several demo games for up to a week. Leave us blog comments, send an email or just call the store with your review.

Triops, creepy pet from the past.

2008-07-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

Wow, I almost can't look away from this hideous, yet fascinating creature. Meet Notostraca, your very own Triassic period pet. He is also known around here as Triops, so named for his three eyes. We are selling the dried eggs of this amazing creature which hatch once submerged in water-- a similar concept to the Sea Monkeys you are probably familiar with. Unlike Sea Monkeys, Triops grow a bit larger. Yours may not reach the size of this guy because siblings often turn cannibalistic. That means they EAT each other. Or rather one Triops may eat another Triops. Apparently they are able to eat just about anything smaller than themselves. One of the tips for growing larger Triops is to actually feed them Sea Monkeys, which are a variety of brine shrimp.
I have now read the instructions and decided to grow Triops at the store. I will be documenting the process here on the blog and using Twitter over there to keep y'all updated on their growth. I think with a little care and effort I will be a great Triops owner, but I may need to stop gagging every time I look at the pictures. They are kind of creepy after all.

This is the Wikipedia.org article on Triops. I will share some of the facts and trivia on the species as they grow.

News you can use.

2008-07-29T17:38:00.000-07:00

I have some little bits and bobs of information to share with you. Today we welcome our newest Kazoodler Ashley Thompson. Ashley and I have worked together before, and she has extensive background in inventory management. She also has a lot of experience working, volunteering and playing with kids with all different forms of disabilities. She's still learning about the oodles upon kazoodles of toys we have in the store, but she is happy to help you find just the right toy for your child's needs.

If you follow recalls in the news closely you may have heard today about a company called Earthentree from Kirkland, Washington. They have had some wooden toys recalled today due to risk of strangulation or choking hazard. I wanted to make you aware of this for two important reasons. Although these toys are imported by a Washington state company, we do not carry this line or any of the toys included in the recall. Secondly, these toys look very, very similar to toys we do carry: a line called Maya Organics. They are not the same at all. Mary was able to contact Cynthia from Maya Organics who told us that her company and its products had a complete audit by the CPSC and passed with flying colors. So there is no need to worry about your Maya Organics toys. As always, we at Kazoodles are committed to the safety of our customers and we do everything in our power to insure that the companies we buy from have stringent safety standards. Please don't hesitate to share any concerns or questions you may have.

I got some great feedback on this blog today from one of our favorite customers. Thanks Heather! Let me know if there is anything you'd like to see covered in the blog, and for goodness sakes, don't be afraid to leave comments. And don't be afraid to tell all your friends about the blog, our website, our Sidewalk Sale, or what you ate for lunch...

Summer Sidewalk Sale!

2008-07-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

Now hear this...

SUMMER SIDEWALK SALE
at Kazoodles!

August 1-3, 2008

We are serious about unclogging these aisles! Our store is jam packed with all sorts of activities, games, toys, kits and dolls. We need more space for all the great things that we keep ordering. We are offering great toys, books and games at bargain prices during the first weekend in August. Come browse our outdoor tables and shelves and score some nice quality holiday gifts for super cheap prices. It should be a great week at the Vancouver Farmer's Market, so why not make a morning or afternoon of it? Hope to see you there!

Some restrictions will apply to sale items. For instance, we do not offer gift wrapping for sale or clearance items, and we cannot accept returns on sale merchandise.

Shaking things up for all the locals!

2008-07-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

Things have really been shaking up around here! We've been doing a little bit of rearranging to accommodate all of the wondrous new amusements we seem to be receiving. So don't be surprised to see things in a different place since last time you were here. We are also preparing for a BIG HONKING GINORMOUS SALE, so stay tuned for some info on that.

Man, we must have hit a secret pocket of birthdays, because I've noticed a lot of customers getting things wrapped. (We gift wrap for no additional fee, in case you are just joining the fun.) We had one regular customer come in because a friend of hers was registered at Target for some wedding items including one of our staple games, Blokus. Well she decided to come to little ol' Kazoodles to fulfill that gift request instead of Target. We really appreciate that level of loyalty. We know that sometimes those giant chain stores seem to offer things a little cheaper. However- last time I checked- Target does not gift wrap, or loan out demo games, or blog about their wonderful customers. There are many reasons to shop locally and we've printed a few of those reasons in our most recent paper newsletter. Here it is again in case you missed it before. Again, a million thanks to our customers that value what we do. More info on our BEHEMOTH BEVY OF BIG BARGAINS after lunch!

Nine Good Reasons To Shop Locally First

Buying goods and services at locally owned businesses:

1. Strengthens our community and economic vitality.

2. Recirculates more dollars in our community. Studies show that significantly more money will stay in Clark County when purchases are made at locally owned rather than nationally owned businesses.

3. Supports and strengthens local jobs and businesses. Small local businesses are the largest category of employers nationally.

4. Preserves and enhances our unique community. Our one-of-a-kind businesses give Vancouver its distinctive character.

5. Nonprofits and community organizations receive greater support. These organizations receive, on average, three time greater support from smaller, locally owned businesses than from national chains.

6. Customer Service is better. Local businesses often hire people with more specific product expertise, providing better customer service. and owners who live in the community are motivated to treat customers who are neighbors with respect in order to keep a good reputation in the community.

7. Local business owners invest in community. When owners live here, they're less likely to leave and more likely to be invested in the community's future.

8. Public benefits far outweigh public costs. Local businesses require comparatively little infrastructure investment (because its already in place) and make more efficient use of public services

9. Competition and diversity lead to more choices. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on their own interests and the needs of their customers, guarantees a broad range of product choices.

Pop Bottle Science This Thursday

2008-07-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about our summer activity this week! We are going to explore the varied uses of a two liter soda bottle. Excited yet? It is going to be a blast. We are gathering ideas from the book Pop Bottle Science, which we stock in our science area.

We will also be making a tornado in a bottle using a cyclone tube. When I was going to elementary school my science teacher had one of these doohickeys and I always wondered where I could get one. Well now I know we have them at Kazoodles!

And I am really looking forward to the most exciting and potentially messy moment of all. We will create the popular soda and Mentos geyser using Steve Spangler's Geyser Tube. This handy gizmo allows you to load all your Mentos in a little magazine, so all you have to do is pull a string and run!!

Wait a minute! Don't tell me you're unfamiliar with a soda and Mentos geyser before! Well you'll just have to come in tomorrow at 2pm and observe science in action. In the meantime, let me just provide you with some background information. Materials fee is $2 and we do need kiddos accompanied with their adult friends who love science and fun.

More spoils of ASTRA Marketplace 2008

2008-07-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

The truth is out! It seems our Chief Kazoodler, Mary Sisson, had a lot of fun at our toy industry's annual convention this year. We've been seeing a lot of our friendly delivery driver these days as all her purchases are finding their way to Kazoodles. The Giant Microbes and EzyRollers were just the beginning! So now that more has arrived here's a little showcase of all new offerings from your favorite neighborhood toy store.

First Up: Superstructs. These are construction toys kind of like Tinker Toys, but made out of sturdy plastic. It looks like these have even more play value with the moving gears etc. The Superstructs just came this morning so I haven't even had a chance to play with them yet.
Here are a couple of awesome games. Camp is a game where both children and adults can play and learn fun facts about the great outdoors. The game play includes different levels so adults and children can play together. The mission of the company that created this game (Education Outdoors) is committed to bringing families together by learning about the outdoors. Here at Kazoodles, we love toys that have strong values behind them.
Another new and exciting game is called Senet. For all you budding Egyptologists out there, this game is a modern version of one of the oldest games ever discovered. Check out this wikipedia article all about Senet.
Cuddle up with Zoobie Pets! Oh my gosh, this is the coolest! A Zoobie Pet covers all the comfy bases. It is a friendly push animal, a squishy pillow and a snuggly blanket all in one. It is hard to describe the transformation, so please check out their website for a demonstration with this link. We currently have Babo the Baboon, Hada the Hippo and Lencho the Lion (pictured) in stock. These are great for sleepovers, road trips or even just good ol' nap time. The animals themselves have such character in their faces. Love it!!

Craft attack! Check out these cool sticky mosaics from Orb Factory. This is definitely gonna be a hit at birthday parties, I can already tell. One lucky mom came looking for these before they had even gotten all the way out of the box. I love them on three points.
1.They are reasonably priced for buddy gifts ($14.99 for a jewelery box you can decorate and then use.)
2. It is a very creative, colorful and fun little project!.
3. There is no mess!
Yo Baby practice boards are super hot! We've already sent 13 of them home to lucky little shredders. Yo Baby boards are wheel-less plastic practice skate boards. You can slide them along on carpet, grass and sand and they are designed to help in learning tricks like kick flips and ollies and such. The best part? The age range starts as young as 18 months! I think this could be a great compromise when your little ones want a board, but you are not quite ready to treat real skateboard injuries. Your teen and preteens will love them too because you can practice indoors when you can't really go outside to skate. They've even been featured at various X-games events. By the way they're only $12.99. Here is a video.

I'm all blogged out for now, but I've just scratched the surface. Come on in, check it all out and say hi!

This just in...

2008-07-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

EzyRollers are here! We just got in four hot pink rollers after we sold through our initial order this week. Come try it out before they're gone!

Happy Happy! Joy! Joy!

This Thursday! Parachute Party & Balloon Bash

2008-07-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

It is getting closer to Thursday, and that means more action and more fun at the Ole Kazoodles. We had a great time last Thursday making our cool solar prints. It was fun to have so many people there! I'll try and get the pics from that up as soon as possible.
This Thursday we'll be playing with balloons and parachutes. According to Mary we are going to play with our play parachute out by the park and then try and make our own balloon animals and swords for a sword fight. Should be a Blast!

Think you could get this good? This is some amazing work called Revenge of the Megadon by balloon artist Jason Hackenwerth. You can read more about him and his process here.

New Favorite Literally Rolling Out of the Door

2008-07-14T14:59:00.001-07:00

Originally I was going to post all kinds of videos of us riding this CRAZY COOL new toy around the neighborhood, but in the process we've almost sold out!! We have one left, and it is the one we've been riding up and down the sidewalk for 7 days.
Say hello to the EzyRoller, a hot new kinetic ride-on created by New Zealanders. Just watch this clip to get a taste of how this moves. This commercial from New Zealand has a hilarious soundtrack that totally gets stuck in my head...

Why I love it:
1. Adults can ride it. Technically, the thing is recommended for riders under 150 lbs. but it has been safety tested up to 430 lbs. The seat is a little small but the extension bars it comes with are great for long legs.
2. Kids can ride it as young as 3.
3. You can really get moving, especially on a little bit of a downgrade.
4. No cables, gears, batteries or extra parts. This cool luge-like roller operates on pure kid-power (that is good for everyone!)
5. Very light and compact, it doesn't take a lot of room and it is easy to move around.
6. It comes in red or hot pink!
7. Really easy to put together, and just as easily adjusts to your height.

Here is the deal. WE HAVE COMPLETELY SOLD OUT. We have 4 more hot pink rollers on their way to us right now. 12 red rollers are also en route but they are going through a random customs process which may take up to 4 weeks.

I suspect the both the EzyRoller and the Plasmacar will be VERY POPULAR items for us during the holiday gift giving season. I suggest you come to the store and try it out, and if you fall in love with it as we have, pre-order yours for the holiday season to make sure we don't run out. Last year we had lots and lots of interest in the Plasmacar, and we ran out of them a few days before Christmas. Don't let that happen to you!

If you want to purchase yours ahead of time remember we giftwrap for no additional cost, which could help you hide it. It comes in a neat little box, which helps. EzyRoller is $119.99 and is not available just anywhere. We are one of a few retailers selling it in the Northwest that I know of.

(Oh and if anyone is wondering, this is what I want for Christmas!!)

If you have specific questions about the EzyRoller you may email me at kazoodles@gmail.com or call me at 360-699-9200.

Chalking it up!

2008-07-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday was chalk day. Here are some photos of the colors splashing our sidewalk. This was so fun, I'll bet we do it again. There weren't many kids around because everyone was on vacation for Independence Day. Come in and ask for chalk day by name!

We used our big bucket of sidewalk chalk that we always carry, but we also tried a little bit of the new Crayola 3D Sidewalk chalk. We have ordered the 3D chalk and we are still waiting for it to come in. It does work, but I suggest reading the directions carefully before drawing your masterpiece. The 3D effect works best when you put certain colors together.

Get it? Robots are forever...because they're not human! Okay, this is one of mine. I'll admit my human love of robots!
Tomorrow is Thursday again and what do we have planned? Solar print paper!! Yes, all you need is the sun and this special paper. It looks like the weather will be perfect too! Solar Printing Day starts at 11 am and costs $1 for supplies. Call me about it! 360-699-9200. Stay Cool.

Summer Update

2008-07-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

Is it really summer time already?
It has been a whirlwind of a June, with a whole lot of comings and goings. Many of our customers know that Bob and Mary's daughter Carrie was married in Vermont on June 14. The Sissons and I (a bridesmaid) headed to the lush Green Mountains for the big day. It was so beautiful! Of course we couldn't leave all the fun behind; the kids' table was stocked with mostly wedding-theme toys from Kazoodles. It really helped keep those little ones entertained during the reception! Check out Ryan Sisson, ring bearer, rockin' the snowmobile!

After the wedding, Bob and I returned to the store, but Mary hung around the Northeast to attend this year's American Specialty Toy Retailer's Association (ASTRA) convention. Mary is currently serving on the board of this great group that connects small independent toy store like ours with other stores and really cool toy companies that create toys you can't find in the big box stores. I'm sure to write several posts to show you all the cool new products she found there, so this is just a taste.

Giant microbes! Cute! Gross! Educational! These are cuddly plush interpretations of real organisms such as the flu virus, ulcers and fat cells. I never thought that I would fall so in love with a louse!

Labyrinth Skills!

2008-01-30T10:50:00.000-08:00

I just love finding videos of folks playing with toys! Please let me know about any cool ones you may find.
I was thinking about Labyrinth today because a customer requested a large version like this. We get the larger maze from Brio, and it comes with several interchangeable boards that range in difficulty. I would say this video depicts a very difficult puzzle! Props to this guy who has mastered the secrets of the labyrinth.

If you are interested in the labyrinth, give me a call or stop by and I'll let you know when they show up!

Fastest game of Blokus ever!

2008-01-15T14:15:00.000-08:00

Here's a video from someone on Youtube of a game of Blokus in stop motion. In this game, players take turns putting their colored pieces on the board, allowing only the corners to touch. Your goal is to get as many of your pieces on the board as you can, while making it harder for your opponents to get all their pieces on. This is a good family game because it is easy to learn yet hard to master.

Screaming Flingshot Monkey

2008-01-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

Today on youtube, I found this dramatic scene featuring one of our best selling toys, the screaming flingshot monkey. If you've never sent one of these down our aisles, you haven't lived. The monkey's arms are elastic and you can slip two fingers into the monkey's hand pockets to fling him across the room. He really makes this sound and sports a cape and mask to scoot across the skies in style.

Makes a great cubicle toy!

Word Nerd? Indubitably!

2008-01-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

It has become a Kazoodles tradition to play the latest and greatest board games at our staff Christmas party. The big winner this year is a game created in Seattle called Word Blur. This is another charade-style game where teams race against each other to guess a word. Rather than drawing, acting or speaking to give clues, players must pick out words from a pile that will help your team zero in their guess.

At first the pool of words looks inviting and plentiful. You think, of course I will be able to choose a few nouns and verbs and cream that other team. After you’ve stared for a moment at the black and white cacophony of etymological specimens you realize how vast the language is and how little of it is represented on the table.

To make matters all the more esoteric, the words you are trying to guess tend to be conceptual, obscure and in some cases quite specific. Our big stumper was Samurai. Even if you were able to dig out clue words like Japan, sword and honor, who knows if your team will be on your wavelength? Word Blur does offer one great tool to help its players. Included is a modifier card that helps change the form of any word, in case you need to make something plural or add “ing,” etc. We found Word Blur to be addictive; you’ll be clamoring for “just one more round.”

When we pick toys and games for our store we try to go for things that have developmental value. Playing Word Blur is just challenging enough that I feel like my brain actually stretches to make new synaptic connections. My resolution for the New Year is to get my brain back in shape! Your brain is always growing and learning, after all. Games and stimulating toys can be appropriate for all ages, even adults; just let yourself out to play once in a while!

Word Blur is only $19.99, is best for players ages 10 and up, and is flying off our shelves!

Article about blocks

2008-01-15T10:49:00.000-08:00

Although blocks may be on the expensive side, please don't pass them up. This is an article about all the benefits of building.

Old-school blocks prove best for brains
In the digital age, it's simpler toys that may make children smarter

By PAUL NYHAN
P-I REPORTER

Parents these days are willing to try almost anything to give their toddlers an educational edge: Mozart, baby DVDs, even flash cards.
It turns out that blocks may make their toddlers smarter.
Children who played with blocks scored on average 15 percent higher on language tests -- an early indicator of cognitive development -- than their peers who didn't get a chance to stack and pile, according to research released Monday by the Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute.
"Many toys make claims they are actually educational for kids," said Dr. Dimitri Christakis, who led the study. "The interesting thing is that things like blocks never made such claims."
The research appeared in this month's Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
It is a bit of old school knowledge for today's hyper-involved parent, who is inundated with electronic interactive toys. Sometimes lost in this crowded toy marketplace is the fact that parent-child interaction is the best way for toddlers to learn.
The research is also more fodder for the nostalgic parenting movement. "The Dangerous Book for Boys," which celebrates such old standards as marbles and tree houses, remains a New York Times best-seller, and learning through play has become a rallying cry for parents and educators.
The science of play is that toddlers learn by doing -- say stacking blocks or building a tower -- because they begin to grasp the world around them. Kids who engage in imaginative play also may have better impulse control and longer attention spans, according to the research paper.
"I think nowadays too many parents rely on the television for example," said Dr. Tanya Remer Altmann, author of "The Wonder Years: Helping Your Baby and Young Child Successfully Negotiate the Major Developmental Milestones." She didn't take part in the study. "They don't spend enough one-on-one time down on the ground playing blocks," she said.
It is also possible toddlers in the study watched less television because they were too busy playing with their blocks, said the researchers, who work at both the Seattle Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center and the UW.
Even though educational toys are big business, there is little independent research that proves the toys help young children learn, Christakis said.
Blocks "are one of the few toys that actually now have shown that they do" help, Christakis said.