Friday Fun Feature: Make-Your-Own Valentines

Posted by Leila Warshaw on February 08, 2013 2 Comments

Get creative this Valentine's Day by making your own cards to give to family, friends, and classmates.


The Make-Your-Own Valentines kit from the award winning company, Made By Hands, is perfect for those of you who would prefer to choose your own words and pictures to express how much you love (or like) someone. The kit contains 10 blank cards and envelopes, 1 glue stick, and over 250 pop-out shapes in different colors. These shapes are more than just your standard pink hearts. They range from easy-to-recognize to the more abstract. The idea is that you can use the shape to create whatever picture you want.


The company started when two friends and mothers wanted arts and crafts kits that would encourage their children's creativity, not stifle it. In the past, they could only find kits with limited supplies, limited possibilities...limited fun. And, in the end, they knew that it wasn't really about the result, it was about the process. This kit actively engages your child's imagination and attention. And how wonderful is it when your little one shows pride in being able to do something or make something on his own? Made By Hands understands how special that is and strives to provide arts and crafts kits that encourages little hands to make big ideas.

       

And, here's something that will make this Valentine's Day craft even sweeter: A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Make-Your-Own Valentines kit goes to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a leader in fighting Type 1 Diabetes.

 

   

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Friday Fun Feature: Mod by BrickStix

Posted by Leila Warshaw on January 18, 2013 0 Comments
Mod by BrickStix is the sequel to the ingenious reusable stickers for your little ones' building bricks. We think they're so awesome and are totally impressed by the inventor - a kid. Young Greyson wanted to change his toy to better suit his playing style. We believe that the child should dictate the play and not the toy. Grey did just that, and we love it. Oh, and they're made in the USA. Enjoy!
 
To learn more about the original BrickStix and their young inventor, check out our blog post from the 2011 Toy Fair and #ComeGetYourToyOn.


 


 


To learn more about the original BrickStix and their young inventor, check out our first blog post about BrickStix and #ComeGetYourToyOn.

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From the Archives "Made by US: Name Trains"

Posted by aMuse Toys on May 10, 2012 0 Comments

Toys Made in the USA

Maple Landmark American-made Toys

It's our goal to provide our customers with the world's most beautiful, purposeful playthings. Many of our award-winning toys are designed and manufactured right here in the US. For the next few weeks, we will feature American-made toys in a series entitled, "Made by US."

Maple Landmark NameTrain

Every child needs a NameTrain by Maple Landmark. They make a beautiful keepsake, a unique gift or a playful room decoration. Each piece is artfully crafted in Vermont by the dedicated employees of Maple Landmark.

NameTrains by Maple Landmark

NameTrains are a colorful, personalised, multi-piece train that are cherished throughout childhood. They are fully compatible with all the other major train sets including, Melissa & Doug, Thomas the Tank Engine & Brio. Children learn color & letter recognition when they pretend play with their NameTrains.

NameTrains by Maple Landmark

They are beautifully crafted from solid Rock Maple wood, which is responsibly harvested from locally sourced trees. Maple Landmark makes it a point to do business with other local companies, such as Lathrop's Maple Supply of Bristol, Vermont. Lathrop's Maple Supply provides all wood for Maple Landmark's products, and their family has been in the timber business in their community for 125 years. Both companies are careful to assure that no resources go to waste in the creation of their products. This effort is recognized by Dr. Toy with the Green Toy Company Award.

The employees of Maple Landmark

Maple Landmark is a family-owned business run by husand and wife team, Mike & Jill Rainville. Their two sons help out with the business when they are not away at school. The company provides many long-term, well-paying jobs to members of their community. They are committed to manufacturing the highest quality, safest toys on the market.

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Toy Fair Finds: Eco Bonks

Posted by aMuse Toys on February 15, 2012 0 Comments


Our mission every year is to find beautiful, purposeful playthings and so far Toy Fair 2012 is proving to deliver on just that.

We simply can't explain how excited we are to add Eco Bonks by Pueri Elemental to our roster of quality playthings. Their beautiful design, eco-conscious beginnings and Made in the USA manufacturing make them an aMuse Toy Fair 2012 Top Pick.

The concept of an earth-friendly and exquisitely designed, inflatable bop-bag was born of a parent's desire to have a durable and attractive alternative to the flimsy and disposable offerings of the past.

The first release will include three adorable characters Abigal (elephant), Jackson (bear), and Logan (penguin) with Emma (owl), Noah (whale), Lily (gibbon) soon to follow. Each bop bag is made of biodegradable vinyl and includes one soft cotton character cover [additional covers sold separately]. A portion of every purchase will benefit the Wildlife Alliance in support of animal protection and forestry preservation. 

What we love: Made in the USA [some components are made in Maryland!], bio-degradable and family owned.

Look for these at both locations and amusetoys.com in June. Preorder via email at [email protected]

Fan aMuse Toys on Facebook or follow aMuse on Twitter and be the first to know when shipments arrive! 

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Made by US: Topozoo

Posted by aMuse Toys on September 06, 2011 0 Comments

It's our goal to provide our customers with the world's most beautiful and purposeful playthings. Many of our award-winning toys are designed and manufactured right here in the US. For the next few weeks, we will feature American-made toys in a series entitled, "Made by US."

What is Topozoo? It can be described as many things, but we just call it fun. Topozoo was founded by two dads in Ohio who aim to bring the manufacturing of creative, engaging toys back to the US. Their toy distribution company, Geared for Imagination, produces toys in the US from locally sourced materials, including Topozoo.

Each Topozoo set contains fifteen sturdy wooden pieces that build three animals. Kids (or 'kidults,' playful adults, as Geared for Imagination calls them) can make them or mix them to make thousands of unique creations limited only by the artist's imagination.

Sustainability is key in the manufacturing of Topozoo. The formaldehyde-free wood is sourced in the USA and is made of 100% recycled tree fiber. The US-made packaging utilizes recycled post-consumer paper and is 100% recyclable. The color stains are made in Vermont and are derived from whey, a natural byproduct of cheese making. Each dye is solvent-free, non-toxic and water-based.

Break out your colored pencils, stencils, paints, collage materials and other art supplies to embellish your Topozoo sets. The end result is a fun and colorful pretend-play figure that makes a great room decoration.

Visit the Topozoo website to find free downloadable stencils to add paper wings, tails and spikes to your creatures. This resource is a great way to jumpstart a child's creativity when building with Topozoo.

Below is a video by Geared for Imagination that explains the origin and inspiration behind Topozoo. Happy creating!

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