live the Shadowlings, mythical creatures who dwell in their hiding spaces and have never been seen in the light. The Seeker has heard the stories of these curious Shadowlings and has always wished to see one in person. Each night, the Seeker searches the forest with the Lantern trying to find all of them and prove the stories are true. Every night, the Shadowlings are too quick and avoid the light of the Lantern; will they be so lucky tonight?"  (Excerpt from the Instruction Manual of Shadows in the Forest by Thinkfun)

Are you intrigued?  Shadows in the Forest is a family game with 2 to 7 players!  As a family of five with a wide range in ages, it can be hard to find a game that we can all play and enjoy. This game hit all those points, and you can customize the difficulty of play.

Are you still working on your shopping list?  Not sure what to get the child or child at heart on your list? No worries!  We love to help you explore the store, and are certain to find the perfect something for you to give :) 

Here are a few of Nancy's favourite things to get you started!!

Winston Churchill once said "We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give"
and what better time to give than the holiday season? 
​
One of my favourite things about working at Gingerbread Toys is the kind, caring and thoughtful community that is the staff and Nancy.  We support a number of community resources  - UHNBC Paediatric Ward, Exploration Place, South Fort George Resource Centre and many local fundraisers just to name a few.   This holiday season we have three fantastic opportunities for you to help put a smile on someone's face :)

The second opportunity is tomorrow, December 5 and Thursday, December 6 - Country 97FM is hosting the 8th Annual Community Christmas in support of the St. Vincent De Paul Society.  More information can be found on their Facebook event here ​https://www.facebook.com/events/710778292636775/   - Make sure you are listening on Thursday at 2 pm ;)

  Christmas Socks are a HUGE tradition in my family, in fact as you got older it became less about what was under the tree and more of what was in the sock!  Christmas socks were also allowed to be opened while coffee was brewing before getting mom and dad out of bed :)
I love the hunt of finding the perfect stuffer for someone!  Here are five of my favourites this year.....  ~Tracie

Mom's Review:  This is a super easy project and one that could be shared as well.  My kids took turns painting and worked cooperatively (rare but it happens!) on deciding colours and patterns.   As far as the kit goes, I was pleased that everything needed was in the box.  There was also a lot of paint, and the paintbrush was of decent quality.  A word of warning,  the instructions say that the paint may stain clothing and in our experience it does, so break out the painting smocks or shirts and cover your surface well.  The baking process was simple, and I can't wait to put this in our garden next year!

Do you have a product that you've purchased from us that you would like to review? 
Please email gingerbreadtoys@hotmail.com with Attention: Tracie - Product Review in the subject line and you may be featured in an upcoming blog!  Don't forget to include your pictures :)

of Gingerbread Toys, Nancy!

I started in the toy business with Gingerbread Playhouse in Skeena Mall in Terrace back in 1989! 
Almost 30 years...it has flown by.

Back then, and still today, it was important to me to have good quality toys available, ones that wouldn't end up at the bottom of the toybox or in the landfill!

So much toy advertising is done where the toy is tied to TV shows/movies or corporate interests, and more money is invested in the advertising than in the quality of the toy.  And it is my privilege today to work with others who believe in the same philosophy of "good" toys.

I have 2 sons, and was recently made a grandmother by the older one, Jim, when James V was born. Jim works in IT at Northern Health (the guy with the math and computer brain from day one).  My daughter-in-law, Emma, is currently on mat leave from Exploration Place, where she has worked many years.

Tennis is our family sport, we all play, and my younger son, Kristian, is currently playing on the UBC team and working on his doctorate in Chemistry, after 4 years at Doane College in Nebraska.  He has also "imported" a wonderful girlfriend in Cheyanna. We are also big hockey fans, enjoying the NHL, and support the Prince George Spruce Kings.

​And my husband and I currently share our home with Bolty (cute and fast guinea 
pig named for Usain Bolt) and Snoopy (adorable lop-eared black rabbit who is
very curious--snoopy-- and mischievous).  So that may be why we always have
so many rabbits and rodents in our selection of stuffed animals in the store!

Favourite all time toy in the store: 
​Wooden trains (Brio, Thomas, Hape) 
They are a great toy for boys and girls, for a wide age range and the building of the track grows young brains.  Then the fun of "driving" the trains around begins! Every time you add a new piece or train, it's a whole new toy.  And all practically indestructible, pass it on to the grandchildren and their children!

Endings: Pick a theme (e.g., animals). One person says a word in the category and the next person says another word beginning with the last letter of the previous word.  For example, monkey-yak.

Alphabet Game:  Can you think of a city, name, fruit, or colour that starts with each letter of the alphabet?

The "other" Alphabet Game:  Find the letters A-Z in order on the signs or license plates.  Anything goes as long as it's outside the vehicle.  The first person to spot a letter gets to use it.  Change it up by doing number 0-9 after the letters.  Or finding A-Z, 0-9, and then 9-0, Z-A.  For a more advanced version if you're in an urban area, only letters starting a word can be used.

Travel Bingo:  An adult can make up bingo "cards" with different pictures, words, numbers or letters for the kids to find as they drive.  There's lots of free printable cards like these online too if you don't want to make your own!  

Stories:  One person starts a story and the next person adds a sentence.  Use a story in a book and ask for nouns, verbs, etc... to replace the ones in the book.

Name that Tune:  One person hums or sings a song.  The person who guesses the tune hums next.  

Jim Dandies:  Pick a word and see how many rhyming words or sentences you can say.

License Plate Scrabble:  Be the first to make a word out of the letters on a license plate.  Add any letters you want but keep the letters on the license plate in the same order.  For example, WLK=walk, FLD=flood.   

'Tis the season for toy gift guides, and the more of them we see the more we wanted to share our favourite toys to give.  It was no easy task, but our staff have each picked a few of their favourite things to give as gifts this Christmas.  

Many gift guides you'll find are laden with "hot" toys that are heavily marketed and in our opinion, just not that great.  We have high standards for toys and expect a lot of them.  We put a lot of time and effort into sourcing the best toys that we believe will foster imagination and creativity, and deliver play value far beyond Christmas Day.  Children learn through play and providing the proper tools to facilitate that learning is a privilege we take very seriously.  While having a lot of fun of course!

Puzzles are always a great gift idea and Pastime puzzles are especially fun.  They come in a variety of sizes and feature "whimsy" pieces in fun shapes in addition to traditional puzzle pieces.  Puzzle Store from Ravensburger provides a way to keep puzzle pieces sorted and secure and partially completed puzzles intact.  Folds flat for easy storage.  

Bunnies by the Bay is a new line in the store that features absolutely beautiful plush toys and infant accessories like these adorable and incredibly soft bunny booties.  We only wish they came in adult sizes.  

Calico Critters are always a hit.  Critters are poseable, and the Outdoor Sports Set has a variety of sports equipment for imaginative play.  We love that Calico Critters are appropriate for a broad range of ages increasing the play value.  The Stablemates Breyer Acres playset is another favourite with an awesome tractor and accessories for feeding and caring for the animals.  

Stomp Rockets are always a popular gift to get kids outside.  Send rockets soaring with just your body weight.  There are stomp rockets for small children up to adults.  We have a hard time keeping Foam Strike compound bows in stock they're so popular.  Made of durable and safe high density foam they can soar up to 100 ft.  

This Tournament Table Tennis game sits on top of a table to make any table into a ping pong table.  Comes with paddles and balls, it's a perfect family gift to get everyone in on the action.  

It may not be camping season outside but why not camp inside with the Pretend & Play Camp Set. Spark a child's imaginative side with this gift that is sure to please. 

Nurture children's explorative and curious nature with our geode kits.  There's a variety of different kits that will reveal the fascinating world of geology.  

Tranquil Turtles are a great gift for the littlest ones on your Christmas list.  Soft plush turtle projects calming wave patterns on the ceiling of a dark room.  There's also a variety of soothing sounds and music to make bedtime a little more pleasant.  

Pretend play is important to so many aspects of child development and Alex's Complete Kitchen Set is a great choice for children to cultivate pretend play.

Bath time should be fun!  Alex's Tub Island provides a floating roadway and vehicles for an enriching bath time experience.

The Very Berry Tea Set is absolutely adorable and made of tin making it safe for younger children.  Tea parties await!

Jellycat plush may just be the softest plush we've ever had in the store.  The Pink Tootle Tortoise is extravagantly soft and very huggable making it an excellent comfort toy.  

We love Playmobil!  Incredibly detailed, high-quality playsets deliver value and years of use.  The farm is filled with all kinds of animals and accessories and is sure to be a hit.  

Hape's Gingerbread Baking Set is play food at its finest.  Made from thick felt, gingerbread cookies can be rolled, cut out, and "baked".  

Amaze 'n' Marbles might just be our favourite marble runs.  Build a marble run from these special wooden blocks and see where the included marbles end up.

Duplo's Read & Build sets combine Duplo blocks with a storybook that compliments the building set.  Perfect for the toddlers on your gift list.  

Babies need toys too!  The EarlyYears Owl Busy Buddy Blanket has lots of fun textures to explore and lots to chew on too.

The Giant Road Jigsaw Puzzle can be endlessly rearranged to provide a roadway for cars and trucks.  Puzzle pieces interconnect in many different ways so there's no wrong way to put it together.  

WOW toys are always a favourite.  Their slogan is "toys that don't break their promises" and it's very true.  These toys are built to last.  They are all friction-powered and are easy for even the littlest hands to get moving.  

Schleich is known for their detailed, hand-painted animals and what better place to store the animals than this wooden red barn.  It folds open completely for easy access to animal stalls and a loft.  It also comes with some animals and accessories.  

There's so much more in store!  Come visit us and find unique, quality toys that you won't find anywhere else.  

September has arrived with a bang!  We are in the midst of a couple of busy weeks renting band instruments with Sight & Sound to various schools around Prince George and also in the store.  We also have band books and many accessories for the instruments in store.  

Our staff have also had a busy summer and there are some big changes!  We want to congratulate Stephanie on the birth of her healthy baby boy, Simon.  We also want to wish Nycol the best as she pursues other endeavours starting her own daycare.  Finally, we are excited to welcome another Stephanie to the Gingerbread crew.  Stephanie shares our enthusiasm for amazing customer service and we can't wait to put her to work!

In just a few short weeks our new store catalogue will be arriving and we're busy getting all the finishing touches done.  Kate and Megan had the pleasure of working with a couple of awesome children while constructing the cover.  Thanks, Alden & Adira!  If you haven't been receiving the catalogue and would like to, please call the store and we'll make sure you're added to the list.

This is also the time of year that our fall shipments come in and Christmas presents need to be thought about.  If there are specific items that you are looking for or something you need to special order, now is the time to let us know to avoid disappointment.

Speaking of Christmas, did you know that we provide a gift service for corporate Christmas parties?  Give us a list of children (with ages and genders) and a budget and we'll make sure that each child receives a unique gift.  We'll even take care of the wrapping!

Keep watching this space for more updates!  

It's been a busy couple of months packing up the Hart store and consolidating everything into the College Heights store.  One of the really awesome things that's come out of the move is it's given us an opportunity to help out our community in ways we never expected.  

When a young customer came in a couple of weeks ago and told us that his school was burning down we were shocked and like many people and businesses in our generous city we wanted to help but weren't sure how.  We know how much of their own money teachers put into their classroom supplies and with the School of Education at UNBC were able to provide gift certificates for the teachers with a considerable discount to help them replenish their classroom supplies.  As we were packing up we also realized that we had some surplus stock that would fit really nicely in some empty classrooms.  The picture above shows a bit of what we were able to donate.  We've got some fixtures and shelving headed their way too!  The timing was perfect for us to be able to do this and it felt really good to be able to help the teachers and students in a practical way.  

Also, when we started packing up we realized we had more Playmobil demos than we knew what to do with.  So we decided to sell them and some extra fixtures and shelving with proceeds going to the Child Development Centre.  Our customers were incredibly generous, many donating more than suggested and as a result we were able to drop off $1375!  

Being able to do these kinds of things has really made us feel better about the difficult decision to leave the Hart.  Thank you all for your patience and support during the somewhat chaotic move!  See you in College Heights soon!