Lego Play Date

We had our first Lego Play Day today.  We have had Play Days before; we had a Thomas the Tank Engine Play Day once and a Princess Play Day, too.  But, this was our first Lego Play Day, and it was awesome!  I was not able to be there, but Stephanie says that is was a rousting success.  Some reflections:

• Lego brings a lot of people out to play.
• It was different to have lots of Dads coming to a play day, especially in the middle of the week.
• There were no "instructions," just three big buckets of Legos.  Kids let their imaginations run wild and they built amazing creations.
• Justin was a great guide and builder/mentor.  He would help with any construction questions and building designs.
• Some of the little girls, who came to the Play Day, were less interested in Legos.  They had a fabulous time playing in small groups, with several dozen stuffed animals.
• Overheard more than once, "when can we come back and play with Legos?"

Please follow us on facebook, if you don't already, to find out when our next Play Days will be.

Toy Review - Sticky Mosaics by Orb Factory

We had a great time today at the Mansfield Unplugged Arts and Music Festival.  Sure, it was over a hundred degrees, but that just makes you appreciate air conditioning more.  We met lots of neat folks from in and around Mansfield and were able to tell them all about our store.  Some people had not heard of our store, some had heard but had not yet visited and some had enjoyed the awesomeness of Town Square Toys.  We had a plethora of arts and crafts toys on display.  It was just a tiny smattering of what we have in the store, but it gave people an idea of what they could expect if they visited.  

One thing that we had to show people, were some Sticky Mosaics by Orb Factory.  I think these are so cool!  There are several different kinds to choose from and they come in single and multiple packs.  You are given a design template to go by.  On the template are various outlines of shapes such as triangles, squares, or circles.  They can be in all kinds of different colors.  In addition to the template, you will have several sheets of soft, foam shapes, corresponding to the types designated on the templates.  All you have to do is match the shapes and colors and build your mosaic.  The foam shapes are all pre-cut and sticky on one side.  No messy glue to worry about.

Since these are mosaics made of tiny bits of foam, they are not designed for kids under three.  That being said, if your little one is not prone to putting things in his or her mouth, this would be fun craft project for them to do.  It would definitely be a great little thing to do together.

Puzzibits are Flexible, Hexagonal Coolness!

I had never heard of Puzzibits before we got them in the store. The name had a cool ring to it, but the toy is way cooler. I have always been a fan of the building toy and I am definitely becoming a fan of this one.

Puzzibits are little hexagonal pieces of a tough, flexible plastic that interlock to form whatever you can think of. There are three sides on each Puzzibit with loop-like extensions. Alternating with these extending pieces are little pegs that the extensions fit into. The pieces join so that when put together, the connections are hidden on the underside of the creation so that the top just looks like a mat of hexagons. (Check out the bottom of this post to see an image of the pieces up close; see how they fit together.) The pieces come in all kinds of colors, so you can make some really creative patterns and designs.

The way Puzzibits goes to the next level, however, is by being flexible. You can twist and turn the pieces to create three dimensional creations, totally unlike other building toys. The pieces are soft plastic, so you don't have to worry about them breaking or scraping anything. The plastic that they are made of also helps them to hold on to each other so that creations don't fall apart too easy, nor do they shatter if dropped; usually they don't even pop apart and if they do, it is far less tragic than dropping a Lego ship or building. (Anyone else been there?)

Most of the Puzzibits sets are actually three in one sets. Instructions are included on how to make the three designs, but it won't be long before your little one deviates off that path and starts creating stuff from his or her imagination. You might even find yourself sifting through a pile of puzzibits yourself and building something awesome. They can get addictive. The pieces are small and are not for children under 3.

One last thing that I liked is that the box that the Puzzibits come in serves as a pretty good carrying case. It is cardboard, but I found it to be fairly sturdy. It isn't going to last forever, but it does have a little handle on it and it works well. If nothing else, it provides storage, to keep the little Puzzibits from invading every corner of your house!

Wedgits for Girls! ImagAbility Goes Pink!

Watch out boys. Girls, the wait is over! Wedgits has a cool 15 piece Pink Junior Set. Girls can now build in their favorite color. Now, I am not saying that boys cannot build in pink, I am just saying that pink is the most popular color amongst the little girls in our family.

For a little more information on Wedgits, you can check out our blog post from a while back.

These Wedgits are still as intriguing as original Wedgits and are completely compatible. Check some Wedgits out at Town Square Toys for the boy or girl in your house.

Getting Wedgits

We visit a lot of toy stores. We are always curious to see what others are selling and so we go on spy missions to check out the competition. One of our favorites is in Franklin, IN and its called Imagination Station. On one of our visits there, we discovered Wedgits. I had never heard of them but they had them out on a play table and my kids were instantly hooked. We were in the store for about 30 minutes and had to tear them away! We went home and I forgot about them and then after a market trip, we were given a sample. The rep said, "Take them home, give them to the kids and then you will order them!" So, like good buyers, we did just that. And enthusiastically, soon after, we ordered them - just as she had said we would. They are "blocks" in rhombus and octahedron shapes and the stacking, nesting and aligning is endless. I looked at them and just didn't get it. My kids looked at them and instantly loved them and jumped right in building and creating new buildings, towers and structures. There are instructions included but like with Lego sets, my kids move past them very quickly. There are wheels to add on to make vehicles and advanced design card sets for many more creation plans. If you own them, you too will "get" Wedgits.

-Steph