Toy stores are magical places for young children. I still remember the fun of shopping at my local toy store as a child. Neighborhood toy stores capture our imagination with beautiful window displays, and the owners actually seem to like children and to encourage play in their stores.
While I certainly do my fair share of shopping at discount stores like Target and Walmart, I doubt my son will have warm, fuzzy memories of big box stores when he is older. Whenever possible, we try to support local mom & pop businesses in our community.
Going to the toy store is a magical experience and a real treat for my son. While he plays happily, I have the opportunity to discover some high-quality toys unavailable at the big box stores.
Toy stores across the country will be celebrating Neighborhood Toy Store Day on November 13, 2010. Neighborhood Toy Store Day will highlight the importance of independent toy stores not only to children and their families—but to their local areas as well. As part of Neighborhood Toy Store Day celebrations, hundreds of stores throughout the country are planning fun parties with clowns, magicians, face-painters, balloon-animals and more. Each store’s celebrations will be unique– just like that store. One store will have a visiting reindeer for children to pet. Another will host a world champion yo-yo team, and another will have a puppet show.
While Neighborhood Toy Store Day sounds like a lot of fun, it’s also important to our communities to support local businesses. According to NeighborhoodToyStoreDay.com, “Shopping at neighborhood and independent retailers not only increases consumer choice, it also preserves jobs and local character. According to the 3/50 Project, for every $100 spent in local, independently-owned stores, $68 returns to the community in the form of taxes, salaries, charitable contributions and more–in contrast with only $43 dollars when consumers spend their money at a national chain.”
My son and I will be celebrating Neighborhood Toy Store Day this year by attending an event at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, PA. Many other Philly-area bloggers are attending as well. Museum stores, while not traditional mom & pop stores, play an important role in our communities as well. The money you spend in a museum store helps fund museum operations and keeps admissions fees lower.
To find a participating store in your area, visit www.neighborhoodtoystoreday.com or www.facebook.com/astratoy.
