GingerbreadToys - The Gumdrop Button Blog

Feature Friday! (ahem....Saturday!)

3/13/2021

I some how lost a day this week! Happens to the best of us, so welcome to Feature Saturday!!
This week we explore sensory bins, and I am inviting you to the store to see all the fun things that can be added to a sensory bin including this weeks feature product.

Insta-Snow Powder is the best!
What's not to love? Insta-Snow turns ordinary water into a white fluffy substance that looks like real snow. No stirring, no mixing, tons of science and sensory fun.

We know that this year, sensory bins have been a challenge for child care centres. Insta-Snow is a perfect for this challenge. You only need to use a little powder for an immense amount of snow!

This allows child care centres to either have each child have their own bin of snow to use over and over again (after letting it dry out), or if you choose to dispose of it after a use, it is inexpensive and you will have more powder for a later day of play!

5 stars from our product tester!

Insta-Snow absorbs 100x its weight in water - and the best part it can be left to dry and be used again and again! It can also be coloured with food colouring for another dimension of play.

We have Insta-Snow available in three sizes!

Feature Fridays! Penmanship

2/18/2021

Penmanship - the art or skill of writing by hand. An important skill to be had for sure!

Today, we will discover what tools we have for your child to practice their skills!

The act of writing by hand has been shown to

reduce stress
improve focus and attention
increase creativity, learning and memory

Among many other benefits depending on what we write about! I don't know about you but receiving a handwritten letter, note or card is a nice surprise and mood elevator :)

We have many tools available to help your child practice and improve their penmanship...

Textured Touch and Trace Cards provide a multi-sensory experience for learning not only letter recognition but also the correct way to form both lower and uppercase letters!

Did you know that teaching your kids lowercase letters is important? The majority of what we write and read is mostly in lower case. Learning is also easier than "unlearning" or breaking a habit, like writing in all uppercase letters.

We also have options for dry erase activities! Use them over and over again to perfect that letter formation.

Workbooks also allow for the trace method and writing on your own in both manuscript and cursive

Come check out what we have available for letter recognition too
- its the gateway to perfect penmanship!

Feature Fridays!

2/4/2021

Welcome back to the Gumdrop Button Blog with a new feature! Every Friday we will feature a product in the store...we hope that you will enjoy seeing the different treasures that we have!

Use this glow-in-the-dark powder by mixing it with a medium to illuminate everything in your life. Heebie Jeebies Phosphorescent Powder is this week's Feature Friday!

Heebie Jeebies Phosphorescent Powder comes in these super cute little test tubes, and there is enough powder to do 2-3 projects depending on your project and the medium you choose to mix it with!
You can mix it with paint, nail polish, slime, soap or experiment! The lighter coloured your medium is, the brighter it will glow.

Use a 2 to 1 ratio, two parts of your medium to one part powder and mix well! Super easy!
Mom hint: Parchment Paper on your work surface makes for easy clean up of any project!

My son chose this cool little dude at the dollar store for his project to paint. We did two coats of the paint-powder mixture.
(In hindsight, I probably should have sanded the wood first !)

After letting our project dry overnight, and a "charge" in the sunny window - our little dude sure does glow! We also experimented with what light sources made him glow better and talked about what items in our daily lives have phosphorescent properties. It also was a gateway into a discussion about Bioluminescence!

Learning doesn't have to be workbooks - it can be fun art projects that lead into discussions and research of questions and facts! We hope that you will pick up some phosporescent powder this weekend to create, learn and have fun! We would love to see your projects - share then on our Facebook Page by clicking the button below!

Top 30 Toys!

11/1/2019

We have a lot of favourite toys here at Gingerbread, it was very hard to narrow down to our top 30 but if you are looking for inspiration this holiday season - here it is!

Squigz
Wedgits
Jelly Cat Bunnies
Calico Critters Cozy Cottage Starter Home Set
Schleich Assorted Animals and Dinosaurs
Bruder Trucks
Magformers Basic Set 62 pieces
Crokinole
Design and Drill Sparkleworks
Brio Railway Starter Set
Puzzle Presto!
Pretend & Play Sliceable Fruit and Veggies

13. Sneaky Snacky Squirrel
14. Hama Beads
15. Baby Stella
16. Junior Helper Broom Set
17. Hape Street Surfer
18. John Deere Fun on the Farm Play Set
19. Simpl Dimpl Keychain
20. Stack Attack Dice Game
21. Cloud B Twilight Ladybug
22. Ultimate Play Sand
23. Rainmaker Rattle
24. Flow N Fill Spout
25. Mortimer or Muffin the Moose
26. Hobby Series Rock Tumbler
27. 100 Flaps to Learn Board Books
28. Schleich Rabbit Hutch

#29 Hoberman's Spheres - A classic toy that comes in two sizes! Each Sphere comes with instructions on how to hang it and how to use it as an educational tool.

#30 Jr. Doctor's Kit - Perfect for imaginative and educational play! Be a doctor or a vet, learn body parts and have fun!!

It's truly hard to pick a top 30, and with more products coming in all the time, our favourites list change everyday! We love to hear about the children in your life and pride ourselves on providing a personalized shopping experience.
So come in, see what we have to offer - and ask questions!!

Don't forget about our Annual Shopping Night
Thursday November 7
7 to 10 PM
The entire store is on sale, plus we have refreshments, prizes and giveaways!!

Epic Playday!

10/21/2019

A big thank you for all of you who came out to celebrate 30 years of play on Saturday at our EPIC PLAY DAY! We hope that you had a ton of fun creating with us :)

Congratulations to all our Play Day winners!
*Games Package - Anne W.
*Arts and Crafts Package - Stella S.
*Thomas the Train Figure 8 Set/Railway Museum Pass - Anna B.
*JJ Cole Backpack - David P.
*Pasta Package - Jason G.
*Tomy/Lamaze/Manhattan Toys Package - Trista F.

Even the "Big" Kids played :) Thank you to the CKPG Fun Chaser for sharing our event and joining in on the fun!

Keep an eye out on our Facebook Page
www.Facebook.com/GingerbreadToys
for upcoming Play Days and Sales!!!!

30th Anniversary Contest! Charlie's Girl Hair and Spa!!

9/30/2019

Last but certainly not least -
a big Thank you to Charlie's Girl Hair and Spa for
partnering with us this month for our 30th Anniversary contest!!

Gingy enjoyed his amazing spa treatments and picked up some product!

Charlie's Girl is an icon of Prince George business, celebrating 45 years this year as a locally owned independent business! Congratulations on such a major milestone!!

For Women, Men and Kids - From the top of your head to the tips of your toes, Charlie's Girl has you covered. Their talented team of professionals want to help you look and feel your best AND with so many years in business you KNOW that they love what they do!

Call and make an appointment today!!!

Charlie's Girl is located in Pine Centre Mall
#109 – 3055 Massey Drive
Prince George, BC

Phone: 250.563.9253

Or catch them online at www.facebook.com/charliesgirlhairandspa or www.charliesgirl.com/

Happy Fall Y'all!

9/23/2019

Happy First Day of Fall!
What is your favourite fall thing?
Mine is hiking through the forest when the leaves are crunchy! Hopefully, this fall I'll have the chance to do so - we just need this rain to stop!!

Did you do a Summer Photo Scavenger Hunt with your friends and family?
I hope you did, and had fun finding new things and seeing the beauty in the small stuff :)
With the start of a new season, my group has a new list.
Since we are all a bit busier, we combine Fall and Winter into one search.
Here is our list for this round, copy it or use it for inspiration!! ~Tracie

Fall/Winter 2019-2020 List
1. Fog
2. Turkey
3. A family tradition
4. Favourite holiday dessert
5. Hot drink
6. Red leaf
7. Yellow leaf
8. Multi-coloured leaf
9. Pumpkin
10. Halloween costume
11. Candy loot
12. A poppy
13. Playing (raking) leaves
14. First snow fall
15. Christmas decorations
16. Something scary
17. Hike/Walk outdoors - Fall
18. Christmas/Winter concert
19. Activity for not in school day
20. A fire
21. Holiday Baking
22. A totem pole
23. Visitor
24. Reading
25. Bare tree
26. A soldier
27. Poinsettias
28. Something orange
29. Harvest
30. Skating
31. Tobogganing/ sledding
32. Christmas tree
33. Christmas craft
34. Snowman
35. Santa
36. Snowball fight
37. Plaid
38. Homework
39. A Huge Snowbank
40. Animal Tracks
41. Jack o lantern
42. Rain boots
43. Bundled up child
44. Frozen Lake
45. Winter Boots
46. Snowy Mountains
47. School activity
48. Back pack
49. School lunch
50. Hike/Walk Outdoors - Winter
51. Farmer’s Market
52. Fall sunrise or sunset
53. Frost
54. Cozy socks and/or pajamas
55. Snowshoeing
56. Ice fishing
57. Shovelling the driveway
58. Scraping off the car
59. Wrapping Paper and Ribbons
60. Letters to Santa
61. Christmas morning aftermath
62. Marshmallows in Hot Chocolate
63. Your favourite Christmas ornament (and why!)
64. Candy Cane
65. Someplace you have never been before
66. A new recipe
67. Something fuzzy or furry
68. A wild animal
69. A snow plow
70. Wet Mittens/Gloves
71. Rosy Cheeks
72. Flock of birds flying south
73. A bright wintery day
74. Something Purple
75. Family Game or Puzzle night
76. Permission Forms
77. Christmas Jammies
78. White Crunchy Ice
79. Snowblower
80. Christmas/Winter Festival or Attraction
81. Icicles
82. Wreath
83. Pinecone
84. Red Berries
85. Garden or Flower bed all tucked in for winter
86. Caramel Apple
87. Wrapped up in a blanket
88. Spell out your last name with something from nature
89. Watching a Christmas Movie
90. Your favourite Christmas album or song
91. Witches Hair/Lichen
92. A tree with animal scrapes/rubbing
93. A lone leaf left on a tree
94. A Christmas/Holiday card
95. Snow Angels
96. Something bright and cheerful
97. A school art project
98. Gingerbread house
99. Snowflake
100. Something awesome not on this list

Happy Hunting!

Black Diamond Bowl and Billiards!

9/19/2019

Black Diamond Bowl and Billiards is another one of our amazing partners in our 30th Anniversary contest! We are very lucky, in Prince George, to have such a beautiful facility that is available to all ages - from leagues, family nights, date nights and birthday parties
Black Diamond equals fun for everyone!

Next summer make sure you check out the Kids Bowl Free program, that Black Diamond Bowl participates in.
An almost free way (shoe rental, and adults not included) to entertain your kids during those summer days :)

You can find out about everything they have to offer on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Black-Diamond-Bowl-and-Billiards-144554998949679/
and Black Diamond is located at 1241-5th Avenue!

Summer Contest! PG Humane Society!

9/10/2019

We are so excited to have the
PG Humane Society on board for our
30th Anniversary Celebrations!
Not only because Gingy LOOOOOOVES kittens - but because we also believe in supporting the community that we live in!
#supportlocal

The Prince George Humane Society is a community based, registered charity that provides a safe haven for abused, neglected and abandoned animals in the north.

Fun Fact! Gingy LOOOOVES kittens!!!

Love is RESCUE is Love

You may have heard that the Humane Society is facing closure -
when we were visiting the shelter, we learned that 2 years ago they housed over
600 evacuee cats, and the next year another 150 plus more -
ALL WITHOUT GOVERNMENT FUNDING OR REIMBURSEMENT!
Anyone who owns a pet knows that they aren't inexpensive
- can you imagine multiplying your monthly pet spending by 600????? WOW!

The PG Humane Society relies on our community to keep it's doors open
so they can keep on doing the amazing work they have been for all animals.
You can donate here www.pghumanesociety.ca/donate or by going into the shelter or
stopping by a number of local busineses and offices who have
Change 4 Change cans - every nickel, dime, dollar add up!

They also have a need for volunteers - check that out here www.pghumanesociety.ca/volunteer

Did you know the PG Humane Society does Birthday Parties? So fun!

The Prince George Humane Society
offers furry fun filled parties with tons of interactions with animals of all kinds, behind the scenes tour, activities, pizza lunch and a party pack for each kid.

Birthday parties are perfect for
children that love animals.

Birthday parties are available by request. Please contact us for availability. The shelter can only accommodate a maximum of 12 children per birthday party. Birthday parties are two hours in length and suitable for animal lovers between 4 and 12 years old.

Summer Contest! Everything Baby!

8/26/2019

Our last fabulous local business to partner with us
this month is Everything Baby!

Celebrating 15 years of business this December (CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!), Everything Baby is filled with baby fashions, maternity & nursing fashions, strollers, diaper bags, furniture, bedding, shoes, and much more.

They also can dress your bigger kids too!
Everything Kids will clothe your growing children in
Roxy, Quiksilver, Mexx, Guess and more! Sizes 2-14.

Everything Baby can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/everythingbabyeverythingkids/
and pop the store at
102 770 Central Street E
Prince George

#shoplocal #supportlocal #shoppg