Monthly Archives: November 2011

“Bobble” Fett

Posted on November 30, 2011 | Leave a comment

Bobble Fett

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American-made toys at Pufferbellies — Eye Can Art kits

Posted on November 29, 2011 | Leave a comment

This post is part of our series on American-made toys available at Pufferbellies. For more, see our posts on the Yomega Brain yoyo, Crayon Rocks, Nana Banana coloring books and the Zipfy mini luge.

If you’re searching for high-quality art kits that emphasize process as much as product, Eye Can Art kits are really where it’s at. We currently have two fine-art majors on staff here at Pufferbellies, and both of them love these kits. The kits teach children (and adults!) real art techniques via easy-to-follow instructions that leave a lot of room for creative expression.

At Pufferbellies, we carry the Book in a Box, Collage Printmaking, Pastel Stencil, Sumi E-Ink and Layered Wax Drawing kits.

Tip: We love to recommend these kits for grandparents who have little ones coming for a visit — kids and grownups can learn and work together, and everyone ends up with beautiful artwork to commemorate the occasion.

Eye Can Art kits at Pufferbellies, with a sample from the Layered Wax Drawing kit

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American-made toys at Pufferbellies — Yomega Brain YoYo

Posted on November 27, 2011 | 1 Comment

This post is part of our series on American-made toys available at Pufferbellies. For more, see our posts on Crayon Rocks, Nana Banana coloring books and the Zipfy mini luge.

At Pufferbellies, we see a lot of very young children who are desperate for yoyos. They see big kids and grownups playing with them and they want to do it, too, but they’re easily frustrated if they can’t get the yoyo to come back. That’s why we love the USA-made Yomega Brain. It’s an auto-return yoyo — just throw it, and it comes right back up on its own. Perfect for beginners. Here’s a great video that shows it in action.

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American-made toys at Pufferbellies — Crayon Rocks

Posted on November 20, 2011 | 2 Comments

This post is part of our series on American-made toys available at Pufferbellies. For more, see our posts on Nana Banana coloring books and the Zipfy mini luge.

For this post, I’m breaking out a classic Pufferbellies video, circa 2009. It has our old counter! And Erin S. in pigtails! So nostalgic. Anyway, on to the Crayon Rocks. We LOVE Crayon Rocks. They’re made in the USA out of soy wax, and they’re shaped like rocks for a reason — to strengthen tripod grip muscles, and help prepare children’s fingers and hands for writing with a pencil. They’re used often by occupational therapists to help develop fine motor skills, plus they’re just plain beautiful — the shape allows little ones to draw in wide, bold strokes and to create artwork rich in color. What a stellar stocking stuffer for preschoolers!

Here’s the video!

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American-made toys — Zipfy giveaway!

Posted on November 16, 2011 | Leave a comment

After I posted about the Zipfy mini luge, I just couldn’t stop thinking about how much fun it would be to give one away. So, we set up a sweepstakes that you can enter (one entry per person, please) to win a red Zipfy! Hooray! Have at. The winner will be announced on December 2, 2011.

 

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American-made toys — Zipfy mini luge sleds

Posted on November 16, 2011 | 5 Comments

This post is part of our brand-new series on American-made toys available at Pufferbellies. Also check out our post on coloring books by NanaBanana Classics.

Here’s another one of our favorite American-made toys: the Zipfy mini luge. This was the surprise hit of our 2010 Christmas season here at the store, and we’ve already sold a bunch this year, too.  We’re hoping for lots of snow in Staunton — but not ’til after Christmas!

Zipfy sleds are made in the USA

The Zipfy is super-fast and super-fun — one of the best sleds we’ve seen. Steer by leaning, and slow down by putting your heels down or leaning back. Plus, the Zipfy is lightweight and easy to carry back up the hill! We recommend the Zipfy for ages 6 through adult.

Here’s a great tutorial on how to ride, and a fun video of Zipy sleds in action in the Alps:

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American-made toys — NanaBanana Classics coloring books

Posted on November 15, 2011 | 4 Comments

This post is part of our brand-new series on American-made toys available at Pufferbellies. Please also see our post on the Zipfy mini luge.

The other day, some folks were shopping here at Pufferbellies and asked particularly for toys that were made in the USA. They had been having a difficult time finding them at other stores, and I was really excited to be able to help. Then I realized, hey, there might be folks out there on the interwebs who’d like to know about the American-made toy options that we have, too. So, this is the first post in a series about American-made toys available at Pufferbellies! Fun, huh? We have loads of USA-made toys, so I’ll be posting a lot more in the coming days and weeks.

NanaBanana Classics coloring books

NanaBanana coloring books are made in the USA

We are in love with these coloring books! At 14″x20″ they’re great big, which really appeals to me (I have fond memories of coloring in giant-sized coloring books at my Grandma’s house when I was a little girl). They’re printed on good-quality paper — you could use crayons, colored pencils or markers. And the artwork is really detailed, so they’re great for older children and even younger teenaged girls (notoriously hard to shop for in a toy store). The manufacturer recommends ages 4-94, and I think that’s about right! PLUS, each one is based on a fairy tale or classic children’s book, and the story is printed right on the pages, so it’s like a book and coloring book in one, sort of. They’re beautiful and I adore them.

To order, visit our website.

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Posted in american made toys, Art Supplies, USA made toys