Have you heard the exciting news? Artist Karl Johnson is returning to Portland! Karl makes absolutely beautiful and spot-on silhouette portraits of your children and grandchildren! Details below! And, check his website for examples of his gorgeous work, www.cutarts.com.
And, in other awesome news, we just got these in:
Project a rainbow in your room! Great for use as a night light! Rainbow in my Room, Ages 5+, $31.99
Have a bright and shiny day!
-Childs’ Play
Hey!
Whew, that was quite a week! Happy weekend everyone! How to Celebrate Screen Free Week Tip #5 is a great one: Go out and about! Tomorrow we’re having a flower planting event from 10am-12pm! Check the details below! Hope you can make it!
And, mark your calendars for our special Original Handcut Silhouette event happening on Wednesday, May 16 from 1pm-5pm.
Artist Karl Johnson returns to make beautiful silhouettes in only 5 minutes! Have squirmy kids? No problem!
Call 503-224-5586 to set up your appointment.
Appointments are not required, but are recommended.
Each Beautiful Silhouette is $25.
Duplicates and Frames available at an additional charge.
Spend $100 at Child’s Play and your Silhouette is FREE!
(This offer applies to purchases made at the time of the event.)
Visit www.cutarts.com to see a video of Karl in action as well as some celebrity silhouettes and magazines featuring his work!
And, need something cute to look at, you know to get your weekend started right? Click here for adorableness.
Have a fantastic weekend!
-Child’s Play
Wow! It’s amazing what you can build from a few thousand toothpicks!
Today our Screen Free entertainment suggestion is to Build Something! Our store carries everything from legos to knex to basic blocks for your youngest builders. But, an oft overlooked building toy (that dad tends to love just as much as the kids) is the Marble Run! We’ve got marble runs for the wall, the floor, in plastic or wood – and all the marbles to go with ‘em! Here’s a few top picks:
Q-Ba Maze 2.0, Ages 5+ $24.99
This is not just any ol’ run-of-the-mill marble maze. With a unique cube design and side slide connections, your run can take on totally twisty-turny shapes. This starter kit includes 36 cubes and 14 marbles. Plus, with specially engineered “double exit” cubes you’ll always be wondering which way the marble will go!
Wall Coaster Extreme Stunts, Ages 5+ $29.99
Tired of building your marble runs on the floor? You need a Wall Coaster kit! This marble run comes with “coaster tack” to stick all the tracks, crazy circles and zig-zags to the wall. Using the basic laws of physics and gravity your marble will glide, twist and turn down your ever-changing run! Includes Glow-in-the-Dark marbles, was invented by a 12-year-old and is made in the USA!!
Migoga Marble Run, Ages 4+ $24.99
This is the tried and true, classic marble run. Made in Italy by Quercetti, this kit includes sturdy feet, water wheels, transparent track and 10 marbles. The best part is watching the marbles fall through the transparent tubes!
Hope everyone gets to build something today, even if it’s just a sandwich! Have fun!
-Child’s Play
Howdy!
The word of the day is Groovy! That’s right, it’s time to get your groove on. A great idea for some Screen Free entertainment is to make some music! We’ve got musical instruments for all ages – drums and shakers for babies, horns and beginner keyboards for preschool guys and starter guitars and music makers for those a little older!
Flash Beat Drum, Ages 1+ $25.99
This is one of our best selling first musical instruments! With easy to turn on lights, sounds and beats it’ll keep any little guy busy for quite awhile. It even makes music while rolling along the floor!
Beginner Band Set by Melissa & Doug, Ages 3+ $24.99
What a fun set? Including a xylophone, clackers, harmonica, kazoo and tambourine stick – this is everything you need to start a band! Great quality, all wooden (except the harmonica)!
The Music Maker, Ages 6+ $37.99
And, if you have a grade school child The Music Maker is really fun! Just slide a song sheet under the strings and pluck the string above each note. No experience needed! Anyone can play a song! And, it’s made in Belarus!
Or if listening to music is more your thing, check out live tunes from Mr. Ben at Santa Fe tonight 4-6pm! And, kids eat free every Wednesday! (1 kid free per adult order)
Have a GROOVY day!
-Child’s Play
Hey there!
Today we have another Screen Free entertainment idea – Read a Book! Here on the blog we post a new book review every Tuesday. We cover everything from pictures books to chapter books to chewable books for babies. To see older reviews, just click the “Books” link in the Categories box on the right side of the page.
And, now for all you readers out there, our very own Chrissy would like to suggest…
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Stargirl Caraway. A magical name, for a magical girl. She is a new girl at Mica High School in Phoenix, AZ. She stands out. She has a pet Rat that she carries with her wherever she goes. She wears funny clothes. Flapper dresses. Indian buckskin. Kimonos. She is the pinnacle of non-conformity. People don’t know whether to be attracted or repelled! What’s more.. She doesn’t care! She floats through the halls of Mica High as if on a cloud of serenity. She makes people cards.. gives them flowers.. whether they like it or not! She attracts the attention of a boy called Leo who is fascinated with her. Leo unlike Stargirl, does care what people think and meaning well, he encourages her to be more “normal.” What follows after is an inspiring story of what it means to be yourself.
Have an AWESOME day!
-Child’s Play
Hello!
Did you know this week is Screen Free Week? From April 30 – May 6 families, children and communities across the US pledge to turn off screen media, unplug and start living in a new way. Without screens in front of our faces there’s lots of time for play, reading, daydreaming, writing, drawing and more. Over the next 5 days we’ll be sharing a new “screen free” entertainment every morning!
And, to cap off Screen Free Week, we’re having an “April Showers Bring May Flowers” event this Saturday from 10am-12pm!!! Decorate a Pot, Plant a Flower and Take it Home! Limited to the first 100 customers. All Ages! Free!
Plant a Flower! Saturday, May 5 10am-12pm. Limited to first 100 customers.
Screen Free Entertainment #1
Play a Board Game!
We just got two new games in from the Gigamic game company!
Katamino. Ages 8+ $19.99
Katamino is a challenging game of logic and spacial reasoning, and reinforces geometry skills without feeling like school. Work to create “perfect combinations” with varying numbers of Pentaminos and an always changing board size. The greater the number, the more difficult the challenge. With a total of 36,057 combinations you’ll have hours of fun!
Quoridor Ages 6+ $19.99
Quoridor is a 2 to 4 player game that takes only 10 minutes! All you have to do is reach the other end, simple enough. But, your opponent puts up fences to slow you down! Incorporates strategy and logic in a beautiful wooden game!
We always have a large selection of games; board games, card games, active games, classic games and more! Just ask and we’d be more than happy to find the perfect game for you and your family!
Have a splendid day!
-Child’s Play
Howdy!
How’s your creativity-o-meter doing lately? Need some new toys to get everyone’s creativity sensors going? Well then, have we got the ticket for you!
The Mighty Sword Pen!
Know a budding writer? This is the perfect sword! Mighty, witty and it fits nicely in small and big hands! And, if a sword pen just doesn’t sound like a good fit, how about a horse pen? We’ve got those too!
Pop Arty Beads, Ages 4+
Are your little ones not quite ready for writing (especially with a sword)? Try out these Pop Beads! This jug is full of beads of all sizes, textures and colors! Great sensory toy!
Supreme Moo Mixer, Ages 5+
Is kitchen creativity more your thing? Jones-ing for some chocolate milk? Try out the new Supreme Moo Mixer. Add milk and chocolate syrup to this battery operated mixing cup, then press the button and watch it go! Super fun! And tasty!!
Oh man, our creative energy is going now (or maybe that’s just the sugar rush from the chocolate milk. Either way…)! Stop by to check out these and other great art and craft kits and supplies!
Have a Craft-tastic Day!!
-Child’s Play
Hey there!
Our butterflies “cocooned” overnight! Below you can see two cocoons hanging, and one caterpillar still crawling around waiting for his time to cocoon.
Caterpillars on their way to becoming butterflies!
Butterfly gardens are a great activity for kids both big and small! Pick up a Butterfly Garden, mail in to get your 5 caterpillars and food, then watch’em grow and let’em go!! Easy to care for, fun to watch, and a great learning opportunity!
Butterfly Garden by Insect Lore, $21.99
Praying Mantis Pagodas available too!
We can’t wait to see our butterflies hatch! We’ll keep you posted!
Have a “high flying” day!
-Child’s Play
Hello!
Do you ever get that itch to brush off the dust of your sleepy little town and see the world? Well, have we got a book for you! Today Chrissy is sharing one her favorite chapter books with us! And, it just so happens to be in stock! Enjoy!
Dominic by William Steig, Paperback $5.99
Dominic is a dog who longs for adventure, so one day he grabs his trusty piccolo and his collection of hats and sets out on the road. Along the way he meets all sorts of characters, who are affected and taken in by his kindness and good-naturedness. As a result and through no effort of his own he quickly comes into good fortune. All is not rosy for Dominic however, because along the way he is followed and pursued by various members of the Doomsday Gang, a group of wild animals who go around causing trouble and tormenting everyone. What will become of Dominic? You just have to read to find out! This book holds appeal for all ages and has a wonderful message!
Have an adventure-filled day!
-Child’s Play
Hey there!
It’s hot out there! Specifically, it’s hot enough out there to have a water fight! Score!
Here’s everything you need to host your own Water Fight Royale!
Double Barrel Surge Shooter, Ages 3+, $11.99
Squirt guns are a must at any water fight. The Double Barrel Surge Shooter boasts an “Air Pressurized Pump for Extreme Release,” “Double Stream Action,” and an “Easy Fill Water Reservoir.” Anytime the packaging says Extreme you know it’s going to be a good time.
Water Balloon Slingshot, Ages 8+, $5.99
Opting for water balloons so you can avoid sneak attacks while refilling your squirt gun? Nice call, good strategic move. The Water Balloon Sling Shot includes not only the sling shot, but also a bag for water balloons, an easy fill nozzle and 25 water balloons!
Grub Scouts Sprinkler, Ages 3+, $19.99
And, for those who are maybe a little young for water fights we’ve got the “too-adorable-for-words” Grub Scouts Sprinkler by Melissa & Doug. Just attach it to your hose and start having fun!
Oh, and after you stop by to pick up toys get some gelato down the block at Alotto Gelato!
Have a sizzling day!
-Child’s Play