Disclosure: I received a gift card from Stone’s Education & Toys as compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
I recently visited Stone’s Education & Toys in Raleigh, NC and was totally blown away with the variety of toys. I think it’s a child and adults playground, especially if you are a teacher! I love the layout of the store clearly marking what section you are in and separating the toys by category. It was easy to know what I would find in each isle. My six year old son accompanied me to Stone’s Education and Toys to give me the skinny from his perspective on what are must have gifts this holiday season. I will let you know that we were on two different pages! I went straight to the educational toys and he went straight for the FUN active toys! He had a blast sampling all the toys that were out to play with! I’m going to tell you now that my favorite section in the store is… The Retro Realm! That’s where I saw all my favorite childhood toys that brought back so many memories. Mini me even picked up SIMON and played it for a moment. That was truly a blast from the past! I had several toys that were in the Retro Realm like the Spirograph, SIMON, Chinese Jump Rope, Slinky, Monkeys in a barrel, Giant Pick Up Sticks, Lite- Brite, and Silly Putty. I had every last one of those toys at one point or another and it was great to see them!
Stone’s Education & Toys has great gift ideas for the holidays for everyone not just the young ones in your life. I really like the fact that you can shop for a Teacher Appreciation or Teacher Holiday Gift and you have so many things to choose from. If there is a special teacher that you’d like to surprise, I’m sure you’ll find what you are looking for. I know at times your child’s teacher may have a wish list with items that are needed in the class room and I can’t see you not being able to fulfill the wish list with the huge selection at Stone’s Education & Toys. I found a book that I fell in love with about Girl Scouts and I immediately thought that a Girl Scout Troop Leader or Girl Scout Troop would appreciate it. There is also a great selection of Science Kits, Puzzles and strategy games that will work your brain. Stone’s Education & Toys also offers toys for every age group starting with baby, toddler, preschool and beyond… You also have a wide variety of activity categories to choose from like Active, Pretend, Sports, Art, Crafts, Imaginative,Games and Science. During the holiday season I am focused on being thankful, unity and giving! So with that being said, I’ll give you my top five gift ideas along with my son’s top five gift ideas at Stone’s Education & Toys.
Here are the top five gift ideas from Stone’s Education & Toys from the six year old…
1. Popper Target – This is a fun game that you can use a squeeze popper which is an animal (Pig, Cow or Pony) and you have a sticky target. Test your target skills, its lots of fun! Cost: $25.99 Squeeze Popper with 5 foam balls. Cost: $8.99
2. Atomic Sword Popper – This sword can shoot up to 20 ft. It has 12 foam balls included! It has a dual purpose being able to strike and then blast the foam balls. Cost: $19.99
3. LEGO’s – I’ll tell you that my son went straight for Lego Ninjago! He loves cars, bikes and aircrafts and that’s what he saw. Cost: $29.99
4. Foam Strike – It’s a compound bow 2.0 and blasts the arrow over 150 ft. It has easy grab hook action and loads arrows quickly. Cost: $29.99
5. Cyber Cycle – Fully functional remote control futuristic cycle. It uses 5-AA batteries or a 9-V. $44.99
I’ll give you MY top five gift ideas from Stone’s Education & Toys…
1. Ready-To-Read Books! CLASSIC: Raggedy Ann & Andy Hooray for Reading Level 1! Books categorized by reading level are great. You can watch your child progress to the next level.
2. SIMON – Classic memory game that has been updated with animation and new LCD counter that tracks scores. Needs 3-AA batteries that are included. Cost: 24.99
3. Teaching Cash Register – Interactive cash register that will sharpen math skills as you play store. You can also start to teach about recognizing money and their values. Ages 3-9. Uses 3-C batteries. Regularly priced at $69.99, currently on sale for $59.99.
4. Spirograph – This timeless toy is awesome! There are three pens included, pencils and markers. You can make tons of intricate geometric designs. You have a carrying case with a built in drawing surface. Cost: $29.99 (This was totally a selfish me pick!)
5. Jelly Belly Jelly Beans – There are a variety of characters and flavors to choose from. These make great stocking stuffers and they cost $2.49 per pack. I had to satisfy my sweet tooth and get the Star Wars Galaxy Mix!
Stones Education & Toys is an awesome place to shop! They also have FUN in store events that you can attend with your little one on occasion. Check out the Stone’s Education & Toys website for more information. Feel free to follow them on Facebook, Pinterest & Twitter to keep up with events, discounts and sales! They also offer FREE Gift Wrapping! Reminder: Small Business Saturday is on November 29th, 2014! #ShopLocal