Shop Local During ASTRA’S #toystoreday

Where do you shop for your children’s toys? Before I had kids of my own, I would shop at big name toy stores because that’s all I knew. I don’t think I paid less than retail during that time, and I didn’t really know the difference between quality toys and run-of-the-mill toys. Now that I have my own children, I know how important quality toys are, as well as the benefits of shopping at local stores.

ASTRA is celebrating their 3rd annual Neighborhood Toy Store Day on Saturday November 10th, 2012. On this day, local toy stores will host in store events and activities for the entire family. You can find out where your closest event is by checking out the ASTRA site. By shopping at local stores this season, you are supporting shops which bring you quality items.

I received two toys for my infant from a local toy store and I have been impressed by the quality and amount of entertainment and learning they provide for BOTH my kids. Even though my toddler is 2 1/2 years older than my infant, she loves inspecting and playing with any new toy that comes into our home. This has been their favorite:

The Tobbles are great for children 6 months and up, and provide hand-eye coordination movements. I have to admit, even my hubby and I have tried various ways to stack the “blocks” on top of each other. This is one toy I would definitely recommend to anyone that has an infant. Even though my baby isn’t quite 6 months yet, she is attracted to the bright colors. Since she is at a stage where everything is in her mouth, I feel comfortable with her playing with the Tobbles toy because it does not contain small pieces or sharp edges.

You can find out more by connecting with ASTRA on Facebook and Twitter, and by checking out the following hashtags: #toystoreday #localtoystore #shoplocal