New Favorites from The Parent-Teacher Store & Toys too – family fun!
Before Christmas, I hit The Parent-Teacher Store & Toys too (10211 Westport Rd 40241) for some new finds. I wanted some little activities that could go with us on road-trips and be played with in the car or at restaurants. I also wanted something really unique. I purchased quite a few things but these two items have turns out to be quite a hit and I’ll likely return to the store to get more.
I was shopping around and a really adorable Grandma was grabbing a bunch of the Ginormous Hatchin’ Grow Dinos. I asked her about them and she proceeded to tell me that she got a few of them for a family vacation last year and the entire family was obsessed with watching it hatch, she said it was the best $5 she ever spent on her grand kids! Well, that was quite the sales pitch so I got 1 for my son’s stocking and a similar one for my daughter that would be a fish. They were $4 each with my Louisville Family Fun Pass ($4.99 retail).
On Christmas Day, both kids wanted to start their eggs. We placed them in a large bucket on the kitchen counter for both of them. We simply dropped the eggs into the water so that they were fully submerged and waited. Nothing happens as you watch, it’s a great lesson in patience. But, after a few hours, an outing to the grocery store or a night’s sleep, the kids rushed to see inside the bowl and there were cracks, then bulges and then little parts of the dino and fish started poking out of the egg. The kids would check it and yell “DINO EMERGENCY!” when they saw something change. It says on the package that it takes 2-3 days but it’s been a week and it’s still hatching. That’s a WEEK of excitement and entertainment for $4 a kid. That grandma was absolutely correct, check out these pictures and you’ll see how this simple idea is just so much fun. And, I think it’s a perfect favor to hand out after a party, so much better than most of the trinkets we find to give out.
My son loved this so much that each day he drew a picture of the egg and how it changed from the day before. He made it into a little booklet. He took his pet dino to his room and put it on his table next to his bed when he went to sleep!
The other present that I bought at The Parent-Teacher Store & Toys too that has gone over really well is the “At the Stable: Magnetic Figures” tin by Mudpuppy. This is a portable 5×7 tin that opens up and has a scene inside. It also has 4 sheets of magnets that kids can pop out and use to fill in the scene in the tin: several different sets of clothes for the girl, a saddle and more. We have designated this as a “travel” item so I tuck it away and my daughter can use it when we are at a restaurant (or I would give it to her in her car seat for a long drive). We have taken it out to two restaurants and both times she was fully occupied with the magnets and SNAP, closed it right back up when the meal arrived. It’s self-contained, has no tiny parts to lose, if it got dirty it would clean easily and has many combination for dressing the magnet girl. When I was at the store, I noticed that they had different theme other than a stable so there’s bound to be one that interests your child. It was $12 with my Louisville Family Fun Pass ($14.99 retail).
Stephanie
