Whenever possible, I prefer to shop both locally and at non-big-box chains, as anyone who follows me on Foursquare already knows.  You get more personalized (and often better) customer service, a variety of toys you don’t always find in chains, and the quality of the merchandise that is available is often of a higher quality then you can find in larger chain stores.

One of our favorite toy stores, and one I have written about before, is The Learning Express of Montclair, NJ.  They have the nicest sales staff, really cool (and educational, fun) toys stocking the shelves, and never (not even once) have I bought a toy from them that broke within a year.  (The one that broke after a year was inflated much too  much by an enthusiastic 4 year old.)

Gift wrapping is available, the team that works there actually knows A- what products they have in stock, B- where to find them, and C- what to suggest if you need an idea or what you are talking about if you come in with a vague idea of what you are looking for and don’t know the actual name.  Imagine that!  An informed, caring staff.

Our local toy store also has nearly all of ASTRA’s Best Toys for Kids available.  Non-Profit organization ASTRA helps parents and people with kids in their lives easier by compiling a list of the year’s best toys that they can refer to, based on a panel of 650 expert judges.

Some of the included toys this year are (click here for the full list of toys)-

Bunny Peek A Boo

In our house, my husband and son love games. They love when we get to have our special game nights. I am always on the look out for new games that we can add to these. Bunny Peek a Boo will be a new regular for us, even if it is meant to be a 1 person game.

• 1 Player Games
• Multilevel
• Easy Storage
• Durable

The Smart Games company has a large variety of games for your children. They are great because they can all be played with just one person, or you can easily adjust for more people to join you.

About Bunny Boo:
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