Have you seen the blooming flowers? Warmer weather here we come!
Can you believe it's already April? We had so much happen in March it feels like it just flew by!
Party bins galore! Restocked on things like die cast cars, bouncy balls, erasers, mini games, sensory toys, and more.
Tiger Tribe is back! Find you inner artist with their countless activities, both indoor and out, with painting, coloring, and transfering (just to name a few!).
Thames and Kosmos is back with your favorite science projects, but also with a new marble run called Gekko Run! Names aptly, this marble run can attatch to your walls to make even crazier shapes!
SmartMaxx is back as well, with your favorite animals and building rods!
Many new Lego sets have come in, especially some new Harry Potter that makes us feel so magical~
Creativity for Kids is back just in time to fill up on outdoor and nature based activities. Grow your own plants and decorate them to make them even more personal!
Crocodile Creek puzzles are restocked, including your favorite floor puzzles
So many new and fan favorite books!
Speaking of puzzles, expect a restock of Ravensburger puzzles as soon as this week!
Ravensburger games are also back, including board games, card games, and educational games (think Zingo!)
Plus Plus, Green Toys, and Magnatiles are on the way!
Find even more updates on our instagram! @teachingtoyswa
March 2nd, 2024
“March”ing towards springtime!
Thank you to everyone who came out and supported the Polar Bear Party on Leap day! We could ‘bear’ly believe the amount of support you showed, and want to send out a big thank you from both us and the event organizers!
Now, on to the news!
Crazy Aaron’s has returned, with a brand new “Peel to Reveal” mini tin. New surprise, same fun!
Gamewright favorites like Sleeping Queens, Slamwich, Outfoxed, and more are back, with some new titles to freshen up your game night. Are you ready to explore the new ‘Forbidden Jungle’?
DAM’s brings with it staff favorites, like the Magic Water Painting Books, Nail Stickers, and Tattoos!
Plush friends are filled to the bring, with Douglas, Jellycat, and Folkmanis restocks
Build, play, and learn to your heart’s content with the return of Quercetti!
Play food is always fun, and who does it better than Hape?? Food, art, baby toys, and more!
eeBoo debuts some gorgeous new puzzles and games; but don’t worry, we didn’t forget about your favorites, including a great selection of art supplies!
Earth Grown Kids Dough, Fat Brain, Bright Stripes, Viking Toys, and Tikiri return as well, ready to play in the (hopefully) warming hair
Lot’s of new and returning favorites planned to come in this month!
Small brands like Petit Mason Play’s play forts, and Little Luminaries’s stickers and affirmation cards will join our fun collection of brands, ready to bring a smile to your face!
Smart Toys and Games is expected soon, with restocks of favorites like the SmartMax animals and Start sets, and new additions to their wonderful line of games.
Expect a new line of rubber animals to join soon, Papo! Realistic enough to join your existing collection, but fantastical enough to set themselves apart, they have anything from your normal zoo animals to knights and dragons!
New games and dress up with add that extra special magic to your daily routine, with Speedy Monkey and Souza’s amazing selection.
These are the brands to look out for that do not have a set delivery just yet: Faber-Castell, Creativity for Kids, Winning Moves, Plus Plus, Epoch, Calico Critter, and Tiger Tribe!
We are also continuing to get a great selection of books, new and fan favorites!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day and a very pastel Easter!
Febuary 1st, 2024
The month of pink hearts…will you fall in love with our new selection?
Have you seen our Valentine’s Day options? You’ll get heart eyes when you see these adorable options
New cards! Big cards, small cards, birthday cards, you name it!
A new selection of Turtle Soup stickers, and they are definitely the cutest ones yet.
Finger and regular puppets have been restocked for all your puppeteering needs
Sophie Giraffe is back with new variations: rattles, rings, and more! She is joined with a new line, Three Hearts, to have all the chewables your baby can sink their (almost) teeth in to.
Blue Orange is back with even more fun games! Next Station; Tokyo (card game), Moon River (board game), and Bubble Stories (escape game) are just a few we’re really excited to try out.
Kidamento Kid’s Digital Camera’s are back, just in time for the weather to start clearing up.
BRUDER is back as well, with all your favorite options.
Plush just got a whole lot softer with a HUGE delivery from Douglas!
We will be open late on Leap Year Day, 2/29, to celebrate the holiday and the 9th annual Party for Polar Bears; Bear Crawl! Almost all of Proctor will be open extra late, 5pm - 9 pm, so you can shop and help the polar bears simultaneously. See you there!
In restock news:
Be on the look out for some more smaller companies, such as Momiji (construction dolls), Tiny Mills (baby teethers), Tarnawa Toys (cars), and The Bird and Elephant (crinkle toys). We’re very excited for them!
Crazy Aaron’s is on the way, with some new designs and texture’s we think you’ll love.
Lots of returning favorite’s to be excited for in the coming months! Magna-Tiles, Green Toys, Fat Brain, DAM, Eeboo, Hape, and Gamewright, just to name a few.
Have a happy Valentine’s Day!
January 3rd, 2024
Happy New Year everyone! Our sights are set for the stars!
Thank you everyone who shopped with us this holiday season (whether you were celebrating the holiday, a special birthday, or just because), and everyone who shopped any other time of the year! Your continued support is why we have been able to stay open for as long as we have (43 years this year, wow!), and stay in this wonderful community. Despite the ups and downs of this last month, and the entirety of last year, we thank you from the bottoms of our heart for shopping at Teaching Toys. We’re already working hard to make 2024 just as fun-filled! See you soon!
As the holiday season is wrapping up, here’s what you can expect from us in the New Year:
Both Teaching Toys and Books and Teaching Toys Too will be closed 1/21 for inventory.
New items and deliveries will be extremely slow. Orders have already been set in motion, but changes in store will take some time, so thank you in advance for your patience.
Book requests are back! If you know you would like a book we do not have in store, we’d be happy to check and see if it’s something we could order for you. Delivery typically takes about a week.
Thank you again, and Happy New Year!
December 1st, 2023
It’s getting chilly so you know what that means…another newsletter!
We want to thank everyone who came out and supported us on Small Business Saturday! We know the web has made it really to go with the bigger brands, so we really appreciate you taking the extra time to come out to support us and your other local businesses.
Now, onto the restock news!
Popular brands like Calico Critter, Corolle, and Crocodile Creek make a alliteration heavy return, and Green Toys joins them!
We’re welcoming Sam & Julia, a very adorable mouse pair who love to build, and would like you to join them. Not only do they have DIY rooms and furniture, but little accessories to go with it too.
Party Bins are filled to the brim for all your small toy needs, no matter how many days you’re celebrating this month!
As we head into the holiday season, Teaching Toys hours will be changed to accommodate those late night shoppers. The hours will proceed as follows: through December 23rd, our new hours will be 10am-8pm everyday at Teaching Toys and Books, but only Friday and Saturday at Teaching Toys Too. We will be open December 24th but only until 3pm. Both stores will be closed Christmas Day and the day after. Regular hours return afterwards until the 31st, where we will be closing early, and be closed all day January 1st, 2024.
Additional news:
Marvin Vialle will be joining us on December 2nd for a signing of his book ‘ The Story of Hank the Tank’! Signing will begin at open, and his book can be purchased at our store while supplies last.
We plan on receiving product throughout the month, including Magna-Tiles, Hape, Faber-Castell/Creativity for Kids, and Thames and Kosmos, so keep an eye out for those!
As the month progresses, hold times for items will shorten from a week to 3 days. As always, if you need more time we are happy to try, but it can’t be guaranteed.