Christmas Gifts for Kids of All Ages in Boulder and Longmont

I am always on the lookout for holiday gifts that will take my children to a new level of engagement, something to stir their minds and hearts into expanding their universe a little. Sure we can all go to target and buy the star wars helmet but really how long are they going to play with it? Will it engage them to go beyond the initial experience? In my endeavors to find these engaging and interesting activities for my children I have stumbled upon some exceptional places to indulge this kind of gift buying.

If you are looking for something truly unique I suggest you try Blissful family. This is a small family owned shop on the south west end of Longmont that specializes in games, books, toys and activities that are based in the Waldorf approach to education. But don’t cross them off if you’re not a Waldorf parent. They have some truly unique gifts that will stir your young Rembrandts and Einstein’s to a higher place. Take for example the felting projects. Kids can make anything from necklaces to hats to maps with felting kits that come with everything you need to do the project. They also carry a lare collection of cooperative games from around the world that incorporate, geography, philosophy, cultural awareness, musical explorations, etc and you won’t find these games on Amazon! They have a nice website at http://www.blissfullfamily.net that outlines there products and gives information on activities and events.Call for more info and hours 303-682-0016

Mrs. Toads Toys in Longmont delivers on educational toys. Here you won’t see Star Wars, Spiderman, or strawberry shortcake. Instead you’ll find a nice selection of educational toys that are just plain fun. Knex, Playmobile, Brio, and Thomas the tank engine, Breyer horses to name a few. They also sport water games, spy games, marble runs, classic doll houses, music toys, magic trick sets and a large selection of board games. You will also find the prices refreshingly decent with a discount program for return customers (for every $100 you spend in the store you’ll receive in store credit of $10). What I love most about this store is how easy it is to navigate; they offer a great variety in every category so I feel like I have comparison shopped at three different stores when I go there. Take for example the Barn selection. They have small barns, big barns, barns you can paint, original breyer barns, folding barns, and barns with farm animal just to name a few. The only drawback is that they don’t have a large number of each item so give them a call before making the trip if you are looking for something specific. One more bonus to this store is they will gift wrap any item you buy for free. They are located on the SE corner of Hover Road and Nelson call for info and hours at 303-485-0173.

If you’re looking for that perfect stuffed animal Grandrabbit’s Toy Shop in Boulder is the place to go. They have been serving Boulder County for over 25 years and are the local specialists in educational toys with a broader selection than Mrs. Toads. They also have a nice website where you can browse the products available at http://www.grtoys.com. If the kids come with you the once coin operated double pony ride is free and keeps the kids attention while you shop. The store is easy to navigate and orginized into sections that make sense. For example the building toys knex, rokenbok, legos, marble runs etc. are all together. They also offer a gift wrapping service for any oder over $5 complimentary .Call for more info and hours at 303-443-0780.

Also serving Boulder county with stores in Longmont, Boulder and Flatirons crossing , PlayFiar toys offers a nice selection of non-violent , educational toys. They specialize in imaginiatve play items with some trully unique sets for make believe. You can visit their web site at http://www.playfairtoys.com for more information.

Last but not least if you love trains you shouldn’t miss the trip to Hanks Trains, in Louisville. He specializes in O Gauge Trains and carries a large selection of collectble, hard to find cars.He also carries Thomas/Brio trains, a full complement of power supplies a, O gauge track, and Christmas train sets. But what really makes this shop special, is the train set up he has for the kids to see nad play with. It’s a small setup but my kids never fail to be excited over going to see it as it has buttons the kids can push to make different things happen. Every year we go buy one more car for our train set and it’s never a disappointment. Call for information and hours at 303-666-5468. His shop is located at 728 main street downtown Louisville.