Earth Friendly Playthings!

Happy Earth Day, Everyone! Today is a day where we're encouraged to think about how we're treating our planet. And what decisions we can make to change our environments for the better. Most toddlers can chant "Reduce Reuse Recycle" at their grownups. And most of these small folks have a pretty good idea how to make this phrase part of their lives. As their grownups, we struggle to follow their example. Maybe we make a bigger effort to sort recyclables and get them in the bin. Maybe we're taking that extra step and feeding our gardens with compost. Many of us remember (ok, maybe not all the time, but most of the time!) to bring reusable bags with us to the store. And these are all great ways to walk a little softer on the earth. And of course we're passing on those phrases our parents bellowed at us: turn off that light if you're done in that room! Don't leave the refrigerator door open! Don't let water just run in the sink! All key phrases to ensure another generation grows up annoyed and aware of how they consume resources. So if this is all sounding familiar, pat yourself on the back.

While there are lots of ways the toy industry could improve their global footprint, there are several toy companies that are taking steps and using a business model that is focused on being good environmental stewards. First up is:

Green Toys - From tea sets to dump trucks, Green Toys offers toys made from recycled materials and packaged in an easy-opening, easily recycled manner. My particular favorite is their Recycling Truck. Not only is the cheerful green color and gentle curves very appealing from a design standpoint, it also is created without any metal parts. How many times have you discovered a beloved dump truck has a rusted axle? The Recycling Truck solves that issue for you. A great addition to kitchen role-playing, the Tea Set will serve up pretend beverages for years. Made in California from recycled milk jugs, the entire Green Toys product line takes traditional toys that next step to being good for our planet.

Kidsonroof - So we're all familiar with the traditional plastic building and construction systems, right? The folks at Kidsonroof have created a building system that uses recycled cardboard: Meet Totem. Open ended, encouraging imagination and exploration, the Totem building system was listed in the 2009 TIME Magazine GREEN DESIGN 100. The Totem Nature set has panels printed with pretty florals, woodsy textures, and bright patterns. The Totem City set has a more industrial and mechanical feel to the printed panels. Coming across the ocean from Holland, the Kidsonroof products are standouts and unique compared to other building toys offered in the US. Each set includes instructions on building a few things, but the real fun is when the child (and the twiddly-fingered grownups!) starts exploring how to create their own structures.

Dreaming Lion LLC - So these are the folks who have created the super-cute Aminals. Aminals are stuffed ... er ... animals that look like children's drawings. Their design is very simple, with a heavy dose of whimsy. What makes these interesting is that they are made from 100% organic materials. Everything, from the stuffing, to the cloth, to the dyes, each stage of production is certified as organic. Manufactured in India, the Aminals are also certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard, which helps to ensure fair labor practices and livable wages are paid to employees. So here's a stuffed toy you can feel good about. Interesting tidbit: They're completely biodegradable! I must admit I'm not thrilled with the cutesy misspellings in the names-- But that's a whole other blog post/rant!

April's Games for the LagoonaMagoo Toys at the St. Louis Mills Mall Family Game Night

You're invited to come play with us at the St. Louis Mills Mall location of LagoonaMagoo Toys!  Our family game nights are an great chance to get out and play your favorite games.  Or maybe discover a new favorite.  Or rediscover one you haven't played in eons.  If you have any questions, feel free to give the playful folks at the store a call:  (314) 227-5335

We play every Friday from 6:30 - 8:30pm
Hope to see you there!

Our Games for April are:

• April 2 - SET  (ages 6 and up)  Challenge your ideas of what cards can create a set in this game of visual perception! Match shape, number, color or shading. Or match none. Easy for youngsters, SET can be a challenge for the grownup brain.
• April 9 - Dicecapades  (ages 10 and up)  By combining several dice games, physical and artistic challenges, and trivia questions, Dicecapades has something for everyone. It’s not just your luck, it’s your mind that counts in this game!
• April 16 - MiQube (ages 7 and up)  It's a puzzle & four board games in one!  MiQube encourages spatial thinging through it's seemingly simple puzzle cube.  Then the board games challenge everyone to think strategically, too!
• April 23 - Five Crowns (ages 8 and up)  It's not like any card game you've played before--  Instead of four suits, you've got five!  Played in rounds, this Rummy-like game is quick moving and a ton of fun!
• April 30 - Zombie Fluxx (ages 8 and up)  Just when you think you've got the rules down, Fluxx changes them all!  Add in a Zombie invasion, and there's more crazy play in store for you and your family!  Fun, funny, and totally unpredictable, Zombie Fluxx is sure to become a favorite!

What We Couldn't Resist from Toy Fair Part 3

These are just way too cool! The Hexbug Nanos have arrived!

These were one of the top toys for this year's toy fair. Grownups and kids can't resist them. So how do they work? From the Hexbug website: "The motor inside the Nano rotates a counterweight that causes forces up and down. The down force causes the legs to bend and the Nano moves forward. The up force causes the creature to hop lifting the front legs off the ground and allowing the legs to unbend. This up and down movement repeats several hundred times per second causing the Nano to move forward. The Nano creature's ability to flip over by itself is due to the rotating forces caused by the motor and the unique internal and external chassis design (and a little magic)." Didja follow that? Watch the video-- You can see how their rapid bouncing creates a forward movement.




So what do you do with them? You can create mazes and habitats for your Nano to navigate-- to get started, there is a set that comes with a few pieces and a Hexbug Nano. And you can easily expand beyond the starter set by using items in your home already. They happily bounce and skitter around obstacles. Get more than one and race. Create entire swarms!

When you're considering itty bitty bots, don't forget the Original Hexbug-- it responds to sound as well as touch. It's realistic walking motion is fascinating. The kind of fascinating that stops grown men in their tracks and reduces them to 10yr old boys.

And the Hexbug Ant is just as cool, too-- and super fast! With 6 gear-driven legs, this little guy is the speed-demon of the bunch.

I predict we will be overtaken by the bots very soon! Resistance is futile!

ps-- check it out: the links go to our new website. Isn't it just tooooo coooool?  And so y'all know, we are no longer taking orders through our old website, onceuponatoyinc.com.  So please change your bookmarks to http://www.happyupinc.com/.  What hasn't changed is our commitment to customer service & supporting all the playful folk in our communities!  So pass the word!

LagoonaMagoo @ the St. Louis Mills Mall Family Game Night!

Wondering what to do with the family on a Friday night?  Wonder no longer!  LagoonaMagoo Toys at the St. Louis Mills Mall is now hosting a family game night.  Come and play your favorite game or learn a new one.  For more information, give the playful people at the store a phone call at (314) 227-5335

Games start at 6:30 and run until 8:30, every Friday.
Here is the schedule for March and the beginning of April:

• 
  
  March 19:  Quiddler (ages 8 - Adult) - Played in rounds, Quiddler is a card game that asks you to think about how to spell short words while racking up the most points with the letters in your hands.  Addictively fun and quick to play, Quiddler is sure to become a favorite!
• 
  
  March 26:  Qwirkle (ages 6 - Adult) - Qwirkle is a board game that combines strategy & matching skills.  Match based on color or shape (or both for big points!) to score and win.  The difficulty level of Qwirkle is influenced by the skills of the players. 
• 
  
  April 2:  SET (ages 6 - Adult) - SET is a game that relies on your visual perceptions (shape, color, etc.) to create patterns & score.  Easy enough for youngsters, Set can be a challenge for the grown-ups who are used to looking at the world in one way, and one way only!

PHD's Flying Disk of Fabulousness!

Before we move on to talk about more of the new things that are wandering into LagoonaMagoo & Once Upon a Toy, we want to give some attention to a great little toy with a kid-can back-story.

A few years ago, 3rd grader (and child of one of PHD's founders) Savanna Groft was assigned a craft project at school--  crochet a round tablemat.  It didn't come out quite the way her teacher had intended.  By not adding enough stitches, her tablemat developed a small curled lip on it's outer edge.  One day, on a lark, Chris Larsen, one of Savanna's friend's father and another of the founders, tossed it across a room.  It sailed.  Beautifully.  Wonderfully.  Amazingly.  And the rest is history.





What might have looked like an error in Savanna's project was the beginning of a company that involves two families and several villages in Guatemala.  Dedicated to fair trade practices, PHD is one of those companies the Happy Up stores are delighted to support and promote.  You can read more about their philosophy and commitment to the Mayan women of Guatemala on their website.

So what does PHD stand for?  er... ummmm...  didja know they run a contest about that? 

Toy Fair Finds pt. 3 on it's way soon!

What We Couldn't Resist From Toy Fair 2010 pt 2

Next up on the "Too Fun! Gotta Have That!" list is the Zyclone Ring Blaster.

Spring will be here soon, and with it will come that "gotta get outside" feeling.  Make sure you bring the Zyclone Ring Blaster along with you!
Designed to launch lightweight foam rings, the Zyclone is easily loaded and fired by a wide range of ages and abilities (they suggest 6yrs and up--  I suspect you may be able to go a bit younger if you're willing to help the child launch the first few times). 

The projectiles are round rings, so no poky/sharp edges to hurt your companions (although, just to be clear, aiming at someone's face is still a bad idea).  Made from a tough, rigid, & lightweight foam, the rings can take a serious amount of playtime.  Two come with the launcher, and they'll be available separately, too.  Which is a very good thing when you consider it is possible to launch one over 100 feet!

Using a twisting action, the rings spin off of the launcher and sail through the air amazingly far!  Don't just take my word for it, watch the mildly cheesy commercial from Zing toys:



Too cool, eh? 

While this isn't exactly new (it was a favorite of ours for Christmas), we've got  Djubi (pronounced joo-bee) back in stock!  If you haven't seen it yet, it's like a slingshot you play catch with.  The racket looking thingies are both launcher and catcher for the special ball, the djubi.  What makes the ball special?  It's on a slingy elastic band!  Aimed at kiddos 8 and up, this is a great new twist on playing catch.  And perfect to go in Easter Baskets.  That's a hint, Mr. Easter Bunny!

Stay tuned--  Part 3 of our Toy Fair Finds will be posted soon!

What we couldn't resist from Toy fair 2010 pt. 1

Soooo...  Y'all are just dying to find out what was fab and fun at the 2010 Toyfair, right?  Well--  fasten your seat belts!  Several posts heading your way about the cool stuff Shawnta', Rick, & Neal found on their trip to NY.  So sit back and prepare to be hit by the "o cool i want that" feeling!

First up, we have Buckyballs! 

Made from rare earth magnets, these little spheres are addictive fiddly fun.  Mold them, connect them, snap and slip and slide them to form shapes and sculptures.  Rolling Stone Magazine proclaimed them one of the best new toys of 2009.

We should note that Buckyballs aren't designed for small folks.  Let the little ones have their geomags, magnatiles, and magformers.  Due to concerns over what could happen if someone swallowed one (truthfully, the issue is if you swallow more than one), they're labeled for people over 13 yrs old.  So repeat after me:  Buckyballs are not food. 

It's hard to describe why they're so un-put-downable and twiddly-fiddly fun.  So instead of waiting for me to stumble on the right way to explain them, feast your eyes on this slightly-hypnotic video from Zoomdoggle, the folks behind the buckyballs.  And if you do visit their website, you've got to pinky-swear you'll be patient and get yours from your favorite Happy Up store once we've got them in stock! 



What We Couldn't Resist From Toy Fair 2010 pt. 2 coming soon!