Green Toys are Way Cool!

When you ship as many packages as we do, you tend to notice the packaging.  There are about a billion toys out there and, consequently, a billion packages.  Some of the packages are as cool as the toys!  Okay, not really.  But, I digress.

I was noticing the packaging on the Green Toys that we sell.  I like how it is clean, sharp and simple.  Here is a bit of info from their website:

Green Toys environmental mission even extends to our packaging. We strive to minimize packaging, and all of our boxes use as little material as possible. All Green Toys products are packaged in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties, and are 100% recyclable. So, not only are they earth-friendly and ready for your recycling bin, they are really easy to open for those little fingers just itching to get at the toys!!

The toys themselves are super earth friendly:

We use recycled milk containers as the main ingredient in creating our toys. Yes, the exact plastic milk jugs that you and your family drink from every day. When you finish your milk and toss the container in the recycling bin, these milk containers are collected at your curb by a local recycling company, who then sorts them from all the other types of plastic. Next, the milk containers are reprocessed into super clean fresh plastic. For you plastic geeks, the plastic material we use is called high-density polyethylene (or HDPE). This material is considered one of the safest, cleanest plastics around.

Go check out their website for more information.  They even use the word "plethora!"

Only 26 days until Christmas!

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!

PlasmaCars are Fun for All Ages!

When I first saw the PlasmaCars, I didn't know quite what to think. I liked their bright colors and the interesting, curious shape. The scientist part of me wanted to understand the physics behind their movement. The kid in me wanted to start riding one right away. But, I was patient and let my kids go first. Which brings up an interesting point: both kids and adults can ride these things. They are a lot of fun to ride.

You will want to be careful if you or your kids decide to ride one. They work great on any hard surface, but I would not ride on hardwood floors or linoleum; the turning back and forth could scrape up the flooring. When you are just casually riding, the gentle, back and forth motion would be fine. When you get the urge to race, though, that is when the scraping may occur. Sidewalks and driveways are perfect. You will be amazed at how proficient you will become in no time, swinging and steering around obstacles.

I also want to let you know that these are incredibly durable toys. Our kids have been racing and crashing their PlasmaCars for years now, literally. Other than some superficial scrapes, they are still in fine working condition. I just rode one the other day. Go on over to Town Square Toys and check one out today!

Knights and Dragons Figure Toob by Safari Ltd

Okay, earlier I was talking about the Safari LTD Toobs and how cool they were. I thought that I would just get a little more specific about the Knights and Dragons Figure Toob. I know we have talked about knights and such here before; this little tube of fun is just a miniature battle waiting to happen. What you have in this Toob are eight knights, two horses, one catapult and a dragon. Four knights are obviously on one side and four are wearing opposing colors. Most of the knights are bowlegged so that they can take turns riding the horses. That is cool. The plastic that they are made of is pliable enough that they fit well and stay put. The dragon is cute. The catapult arm is flexible so that you can pretend to fling stones in battle. I guess you could put a pea or a rice grain on it and actually flick something, but we haven't yet. I really like the portability and packaging of the Toobs in general and I think they did an excellent job on the characters in this one. Long live the King!

Toobs are Too Cool! Safari LTD is awesome!

Okay, some Safari Toobs came home with us the other day and I just have to say that they are the coolest! I already dig Safari and their line of figures. The Toobs are just really neat. You see it's a tube of little animals or people that you, or your kids, can play with. The Toob is a clear, square shaped, tube with a string handle and a cap that features a spinning globe. Actually my niece and nephew liked the lid almost as much as they liked the little creatures from the Toob. There is just a coolness and a cuteness about these Toobs of little guys that your family will love. Come and check them out! - Brian