FOR ICE CREAM!!!!!
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If you haven't heard, we are celebrating 30 years in business at Gingerbread Toys this year! We have teamed up with a few (9 to be exact!) fabulous local businesses to celebrate with a summer FULL OF PRIZES!!!!!
Check out the Little Miss Madison line for the young girls in your life - so many cute and unique styles at affordable prices. You can also Book an after hours appointment for you and your friends for a unique shopping experience and leave feeling as though you just spent some time in your best friend's closet! Madison Avenue Fashions can be found at 2302 Hart Highway or at www.mafashions.ca
- don't forget to send Bonnie some love in the way of liking her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/madisonavefashions as well! For the month of July, you can drop by Madison Avenue Fashions and enter our 30 Year Anniversary Summer Celebration contest! July's prize is worth over $200!!!!!! One entry per person, per location please - no purchase necessary Draw date is August 5, 2019 and psssst....while you're there wish Bonnie a Happy Anniversary too! She is celebrating 5 years in the shop at Northwoods Plaza this November :) My friends and I have been doing a seasonal scavenger hunt via Facebook for the past three years. It is a fun way to get out and explore our world, as well as taking notice of the small things in our lives. We also learn a little more about each other every year and it forces those who live away from us to stay in touch in a small way :)
Here is our list this year for inspiration in creating your own! Or feel free just to "steal" it - I don't mind :) Summer 2019 List 1. Last Day of school picture 2. Running through a sprinkler 3. Reading a book (or 2 or 3) 4. Having a picnic 5. Blowing bubbles 6. Eating Watermelon 7. Playing in the Rain 8. Laundry on the line 9. Roasting Marshmallows 10. Lightning 11. Colouring with sidewalk chalk 12. On a nature walk 13. At a festival/fair 14. Visiting a water park 15. Eating ice cream 16. At the beach 17. At the park 18. muddy child 19. giant leaf 20. Orange flower 21. Making a favourite summer treat (something you don't eat during the school year/not a popsicle) 22. Playing on a slip and slide 23. Face paint 24. Family game night 25. Bowling 26. Construction Zone 27. Learning something new 28. Going for a bike ride 29. Dirty Feet 30. big rock 31. waterfall 32. Rainy day activity 33. An insect 34. Swimming in the lake or river 35. wild animal 36. Something old 37. statue 38. rest stop 39. sleeping child 40. Something pink 41. Something blue 42. Flip flops 43. summer storm 44. Mowing the lawn 45. Riding a bike 46. Having a water fight 47. Writing a pen pal 48. Playing mini golf 49. Eating cotton candy 50. Something new 51. Picking berries 52. A fish 53. Going kayaking/canoeing/boating 54. Canada Day celebrations 55. Something yellow 56. Something orange 57. Drinking a slurpee/iced coffee 58. A sunflower 59. butterfly 60. rainbow 61. parade 62. A boardwalk 63. homemade popsicle 64. Playing hopscotch 65. Jumping rope 66. ladybug 67. Sparklers 68. At the farmer's market 69. train 70. license plate from far away 71. Visiting some place you've never been before 72. mountain 73. painted rock 74. bag of trash (aka clean up your neighbourhood/favourite trail) 75. Something purple 76. wet bathing suit 77. Sunglasses 78. geocache 79. Someone being silly 80. pine cone 81. Something cooked on the bbq 82. Something interesting you see on a walk/hike 83. Wild mushrooms/fungus 84. A bridge 85. Yellow flowers 86. Sunrise/Sunset 87. Playing in the pool 88. Lemonade 89. A family selfie 90. Something fuzzy 91. Something crafty 92. A feather 93. Souvenir 94. A starry night 95. Something that floats 96. Airplane/Helicopter 97. Sunscreen/Bug Protection 98. A picture of whoever normally takes pictures (and thus is never in the pictures) enjoying a family activity 99. Something cool not on this list 100. New school supplies Who will get all 100? Have an amazing summer!!Summer Slide is a phrase that describes the slide backwards that children make in reading and math skills over the summer. Basically, it is the old adage, "use it or lose it!"
Statistics vary as to how much knowledge is lost over the summer, but there are many ways to support our kids in our daily lives! Here are 5 things that I do with my kids over the summer: 1. READ, and read some more! Read out loud to them, have them read to you. Kids emulate what they see, so let them see you reading. Read signs at the store, on the road, wherever you go! Make sure you stop by the store and pick up your free Gingy bookmark. 2. Play Games - so many games promote strategic thinking, math & reading skills and even social skills. This summer, I am introducing Yahtzee and a travel game that we just got in store called Words. Some other favourites are Bananagrams, Mexican Train (Dominoes) and Scrabble! 3. Explore outdoors! Take a net to the lake, what creatures can you find? Look up plants with an app or go geocaching (a family favourite of ours) - so much learning and relaxation occurs in our woods, plus the fresh air and exercise are an awesome bonus. 4. Bake or cook - What a great life skill to learn! Reading, following directions, motor skills and math are just a few of the things that can be incorporated into an everyday need. One thing that I do is take away a measuring cup, and ask my kids how we can measure out the ingredients with the measuring cups that are left (fractions!) For example, if we need a cup of sugar, I'll take away that cup and have them figure out that they need 3 x 1/3 Cups or 2 x 1/2 Cups. 5. Traditional workbooks, flash cards, online programs and apps are another way to mix it up and keep it interesting! My kids love the Hot Dots we have at the store (and we have lots of options coming soon!) - they are a neat alternative to the traditional flash card. So many opportunities arise for added learning, we can help you find the games, tools, workbooks and story books to make this summer fun! If you have a favourite way to add learning to your everyday, share with us in the comments :) On our last road trip, my youngest uttered the words "Are we there yet?" quite early into our journey. In fact, we had barely left city limits, having just passed 15 Mile Road! Oh Boy! But the words are we there yet, |
"Are We There Yet?" is a super fun, eye spy game that easily fits anywhere, perfect for leaving in your glove compartment. In fact, Nancy's never leaves her car! The cute, car shaped storage bag contains 108 cards with a number of items you might spot while on the road and the instructions. The object of the game is to collect the most cards by spotting all your items! Each player is given one card to start, and once you have found that item you receive another card. Players may also choose to help one another :) |
Board games help children develop logic and reasoning skills, improve critical thinking and boost spatial reasoning. As well, their ability to concentrate and focus for a longer periods of time is also developed. BUT board games aren't the easiest thing to travel in a car with. You can purchase travel versions of popular classic games, but one player games such as Rush Hour are perfect for the car! Not only are we keeping busy on long road trips, we are learning and developing skills. |
My kids, including the 13 year old loved this game! Its a combination of cooperation and strategy, but not super hard - my six year old keeps bugging me to play again and again :) One person is in control of the lantern, aka the seeker and everyone else is in charge of the Shadowlings and needs to work together to keep them safe and ultimately get them all to one hiding spot to win the game! We suggest using at least one more Shadowling than there are players and using less hiding places for longer game play - overall we give the game a 5 out of 5 for fun, ease and laughs! | The game has some set up that needs to be done before play, doesn't take very long but if you have some impatient types, its nice to know! I also suggest having a small flashlight if you are playing with younger ones, it can be difficult for them to see the Shadowlings when it is time for them to move! The instruction booklet is well laid out and the rules are simple and easy. If you are more of a visual learner, I liked this video from Geek & Sundry - www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvJJ2b1RUz0 |
Boon's Animal bag helps contain the extra thousands of stuffed animals roaming your house! It turns them into a comfy place to hang out, read a book and cuddle with a stuffy :) If you need a stuffed animal we can help with that too! Pretend & Play Sliceable Fruits & Veggies are a great gift for your aspiring chef! Hours of play and imagination all while learning about healthy eating and practicing motor skills - learning can be snuck into play just like sneaking those veggies into the spaghetti sauce ;) | Skwish is an award winning, classic wooden toy that is awesome for motor skill development and perfect for teething! Keep one in your diaper bag and one at home. Ladderball and Perfect Pitch Washers are great games for the whole family! Both come with convenient carry bags so you can take the fun with you to the beach, camping and your backyard. |
We are passionate about providing quality, developmentally appropriate, and FUN toys to Prince George and beyond!
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