Skylar’s Toys Blog

I have a son who is obsessed with science.  We are currently studying anatomy, and for a 5 year old, he certainly challenges me.  One thing that is amazing to me now is that there are so many “toys” that are designed, not strictly for entertainment, but rather for instruction.  There are many of these toys that are designed to teach children valuable lessons.  There are many that are now used for teaching science, even to young children.

Children are learning about some subjects at a much younger age now than they used to.  I know that I was not using a  microscope when I was 5, and in kindergarten, but I find myself buying a microscope for my son.  I am sure that we will be using it for our other children that are coming along as well.

These microscopes can also be used when studying entomology.  Pair a good stereo microscope with an insect or bug habitat, and you will make any kid happy!  I know that my son loves his bug box, and uses it all summer long.  It keeps everything from crickets to small snakes safe, and handy for “inspection.”

You can use thes “toys” as a great means of sparking your child’s imagination and spur his or her creativity and intellectual development.

Back in the “good old days”, toys were toys.  That’s right, a truck was just a truck.  A puzzle was just a puzzle.  And a teddy bear was just a teddy bear.  But, in today’s “high tech” world, that just isn’t the case.  Every toy has to do something.  For example, I went just a few weeks ago to buy a toy for my son’s first birthday, and found one that I thought was just a truck.  It was a Tonka Truck, which was made of plastic rather than the classic metal that I remember from my own childhood.  When I got it home, one of my other children showed me how to make the truck talk, and make noises.  Unless you purchase a simple Matchbox Car, you are probably going to have a tough time finding a car that is just a car.  That is ok, I suppose, but I wonder how it affects a child’s ability to develop and use his own creativity.

If you want to give your child one of those great toys from days gone by, you can find them out there.  But, you have to do some looking to find them in good condition.  There are  a lot of toys that many would consider to be antique that can be found.  Check out this section of Skylar’s Toys website.  You can find die cast cars, trucks, tractors and semi-trucks.  I now a lot of people who collect these type of vehicles, but they also make good toys for kids.  I know that my son still likes visiting at my parents house, getting out my old trucks and cars, and playing with them outside in the dirt.

If you are more interested in modern vehicles, then check out this section.  There are still some trucks that look like they are sturdy enough to hold up to children who play like children.  Pick out something that looks like it will be strong enough to take those crashes that kids will invariably punish their vehicles with.  Crashing into walls, other cars and even dishwashers (I heard my wife have to tell one of our kids to stop crashing into the dishwasher just this morning) can be hard on toy cars, but if you find those that are tough enough to live up to the punishment handed out by kids.

Cars and trucks are certainly classic toys, that every kid loves to play with.  While some think of them as toys for boys, girls enjoy them just as much as the boys.  I know my daughter loves playing with a tractor just as much as my sons do!

Kids need plenty of time and opportunity to use their imaginations. But with so many toys that move, talk, sing, dance, and do any number of other things, the kids themselves have to do less and less when they play. Those new toys are fun, but it is good to make sure kids have some toys that require them to use their imaginiations a little more!

Pretend play is actually a very important part of the development of children. When the toys don’t do everything for them, then the children have to make up the stories, dialogue, and actions of their toys. Toys such as Little People farms, action figures, cars and trucks, finger puppets, dollhouses, and kitchen sets allow for lots of pretend play. Children can use these toys by themselves, or when playing with other children.

Toys that encourage pretend play are wonderful gifts for children. They can provide many hours of entertainment, and actually give kids a lot more options for fun than toys that just do or say the same things over and over again. Take a look at some great buys on toys for pretend play here, and help your favorite kids get those imaginations going!

I have been to many festivals and street fairs over the last few years.  One recurring attraction is a huge inflatable “village” that is designed to draw kids in and allow them to play:  bouncing, sliding, jumping in the balls.  The catch is that you have to pay $3 per kid for about 10 minutes worth of play.  That is a pretty good profit!

I know many families don’t have enough room in their back yards to set up a huge inflatable toy, but they are not really all that expensive.  Check out this page on Skylar’s Toys website, and you will see that there are ton of these things available on Ebay, and you can have them for a fraction of the price of most local retailers.  Watch out for high shipping charges.  If you shop around the site, you are sure to find a great deal, and get if from someone who will not gouge you on the shipping.

I had no idea that there were so many large inflatable bouncers that were available.  And, they have “add ons” that you can purchase to create your own little inflatable village.  There are ball pits, castles, slides, pools and just about anything else you could possibly want.  I know that my kids love these things, and beg to get on them when they see them set up somewhere.  They would be thrilled to have one in the back yard.  Unfortunately, our dogs would destroy an inflatable bouncer in no time flat.

It is amazing to me how big some toys become…especially when they are virtually free to start with! Think about how many of our kids love to head down to the local McDonald’s or Burger King for a Happy Meal just to be able to get the neat little toy that comes plastic wrapped at the bottom of the bag?

There have been a ton of great Fast Food Toys that have hit the market, and they become collector’s premiums almost immediately. The key is that they have to remain unopened, which is far more than most kids can stand. That is why most collectibles of this type come from adults who have purchased kid’s meals for the sole purpose of securing these toys.

Ebay is always hopping with these collectible toys, but you have to be careful about what you are looking at. Complete sets that are still in the cellophane wrapping are clearly a better investment than an incomplete set that has been opened. So, you have to consider what you want, and why you are looking to buy. If you simply want to get the last couple of figures from a set so that your children can play with them, then you don’t have to pay premium price. However, if you are looking for something that you think just might be worth something in 30 years, then you want to get the best available set out there.

Here are some links that can take you to various restaurant premiums, as found on Ebay:

• McDonald’s
• Burger King
• Wendy’s
• Other Restaurants

You can find just about any Kid’s Meal premium that you would want through those links. Be sure to check out the rest of the toys available at Skylar’s Toys while you are there!

Welcome to our blog for Skylar’s Toys.  We are trying to make it easy to find all kinds of toys, from brand new and popular toys to those antique toys that you had as a kid and want to find for your own kids.  There are so many choices available, it is sometimes hard to keep them straight!

At Skylar’s Toys, we work with the great sellers at Ebay to come up with the best selections.  Many people have started overlooking Ebay as a source, but you can find just about anything that you need or want there.  Jump on over to Skylar’s Toys and you will see that there are so many choices, you will be like a “kid in a toy store.”

So, if your kids ask for something that you just can’t find, do a quick search on Skylar’s Toys, and you will probably be able to locate just what they are looking for.