Why We Love Rough n' Tumble Bruder Toys!

Toy trucks, buses, fire engines, and bulldozers are just a few of the many classic construction vehicles kids have been enjoying for decades.  At the Ark we definitely love to keep the spirit of traditional toys alive, and we do it through brands like Bruder and wooden toy makers such as Melissa & Doug and Hape for example.

Plus there is something truly magical about finding a bright shiny fire truck under the Christmas tree or a large CAT bulldozer with a big beautiful birthday bow on it!

As far as coming close to the fine detail and experience of those timeless toy vehicles of yesteryear, Bruder definitely takes the cake.  Made in Germany, Bruder makes a stunning variety of vehicles like Mercedes Benz Fire Trucks, realistic tractors with front loaders, CAT excavators, giant cement mixer trucks, Mack Granite dump trucks, and towering cranes; just to name a few!

So which is the right toy vehicle for your child?  The best thing to do is head down to your local Ark Toys and get a feel for which vehicle your kid reacts to best, or have them look through our online store if you're not local to the area, so you can gauge which vehicles they're most drawn to.

Bruder toys are also exciting because young kids already recognize these gargantuan vehicles on the road while on the way to preschool, the supermarket, and family gatherings.  And they could even help spark an early interest in trade, engineering, large construction projects, and city planning.

Showing The Art of Customer Appreciation. Ark Style!

It's been an extra special month here at The Ark!  School's out, the weather's been fabulous, and we've dedicated the entire month of July to our lovely customers.  So we're running this nifty month-long offer that gives new customers a gift card when they sign up for our frequent buyer program and spend over $35.  It's been really great to see new faces welcome brand new customers to The Ark family!

Okay giving away Ark gift cards is pretty awesome, but we're all about having fun here at The Ark.  Yes, we're a bunch of grown up kids here, so we just had throw some weekend events to entertain the kiddos while Mom and Dad shop around. 

Thanks to our store manager Anna, who also moonlights as the world's best cook, we've been able to supply our guests with complimentary homemade baked goods and beverages too.  As well as providing activities like paper flower making, hula-hooping, sidewalk and window art, foam popper bullseye games, and juggling.  Every weekend has been a completely different theme which has been really fun for us and our customers.

So what's in store for this weekend's customers appreciation festivities?  After tackling outdoor and crafts, we're going to harness the power of your mind with brain teasers, window mazes, giant dot-to-dot games for tots, fortune teller games, and of course, super delicious free food.  Oh yeah!  We're also throwing in a 40% off sidewalk sale too for those last-minute birthday gifts.

If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, take advantage of our July offerings before it's too late.  We're looking forward to playing with you this Summer!

Baby's First Birthday Gift Guide

It's almost here!  That awesome day your little niece, nephew, cousin and grand kid turns the big #1.  And the very best part?  Buying them awesome presents they'll absolutely love of course.

Shopping for children may feel a little daunting but it's actually really fun!  Plus it's a blast channeling all that childhood nostalgia for stuffed animals, board books, and blocks.

It's pretty cool what 1-year olds are doing in terms of motor skill development, creativity and logical thinking, so there's tons of awesome gifts to choose from which is great.  And we're talking birthday gifts kids can actually use for a while and grow with too.

All-Natural Wooden Toys

For starters, high-quality wooden play blocks are a great choice for promoting dexterity and creative thinking.  Keeping quality in mind, limit choices to top rated wood toy brands like the following:

• Haba
• Melissa & Doug
• Janod
• Plan Toys
• Hape

These high quality wood toy brands produce some of the most whimsical and creative wooden block sets for babies.  Haba's fanciful Sakrada block sets are made in Germany and features a cool color palette with pastel shades and cool tones; as well as incorporating sensory elements like miniature bells and reflective materials.  

Hape's known for it's dazzling and colorful block sets, plus they're fantastic at blending in themes with their sets too.  1-year olds and toddlers are especially drawn to their Fantasy Castle Blocks that feature sound blocks, bright colors and whimsical illustrations.

Soft Toys & Plush

Switching gears from solid wood toys to extra soft plush goodness, another gift option are plush products from Kathe Kruse, Apple Park, and Lilliputiens.  Like HABA, Kathe Kruse toys are also produced in Germany, plus they're known for their high quality, detail, and charming aesthetic that's uniquely Kathe Kruse.  

Their towel dolls come in a variety of styles like Waldorf dolls, foxes, donkeys and rabbits, which are great cuddly add-on gifts to accompany a building set or activity toy. * Oh btw, If there's a baby shower on the horizon, Kathe Kruse also makes teethers and grabbing toys for infants that come with detachable plush, like Alba the wise owl pictured below/ 

   

Stylish Activity Toys

Like Kathe Kruse, French toy company Lilliputiens has also earned a reputation for their stylish, whimsical plush toy designs.  Crafting a growing cast of adorable characters like Arnold the Hippo and Ophelie & Her Chicks, Lilliputiens has done an extraordinary job at blending style and creativity with fine motor skill development.

Children delight in discovering oodles of plush animals hidden away in Lilliputien's soft Noah's Ark Toy.  It's like opening a clown car of never-ending alligators, giraffes, lions and chickens!  And Mama Chicken Ophelie comes with her own plush nest that's filled with four adorable (and numbered) chicks that transform into small finger puppets.

Need more birthday ideas for that awesome soon to be 1-year old?  Stay tuned for our next blog post on buying organic toys for kids!

Under The Sea Toys For Babies and Tots

The phrase "Under The Sea" definitely resonates with me on that Disney's Little Mermaid Level (90s kid here), but it was also one of my favorite toy and decor themes growing up.  Still today, I'm enchanted by dazzling aquariums, larger than life whales, and coral reefs.  Soothing ocean waters and charming marine life continues to be a popular decor and toy theme for both boys and girls, proving it as a reliable go-to reference for quick birthday gifts and baby shower presents.

Top toy brands like Hape and P'kolino offer great solutions for ocean themed birthday presents for babies and toddlers too.  Offering a more unique twist on the shape sorter game, P'kolino's Fishing Hole Size Sorter encourages children to drop colorful fish into their corresponding fishing holes; helping to foster such fine motor skills as hand/eye coordination, dexterity, and logical thinking.

Children aged 1+ can continue to improve their building skills by creating whimsical oceanic structures with Hape's signature wooden blocks.  Hape is one of those completely charming brands, like eeBoo, Janod, and Haba, that produce vibrantly colored play blocks with personality.   Their "Under The Sea" blocks particularly stand out because they feature a wide variety of visuals, such as bubbles, starfish, water, sea grass, octopus and sand.

Switching gears a little to the Arctic, polar bear plush is a terrific add-on gift with a more educationally-driven toy.  Gund makes adorable baby plush with so much character, with Snuffles being one of the most beloved and softest of the bunch.  This terrifically chubby snow-white polar bear is appealing to both babies and big kids alike.  Snuffles also reminds me of those Coca-Cola polar bears during Christmas time!

"Under The Sea" style gift wrapping is really fun to create too.  There's so many possibilities if you're running short on time as well, such as creating party favor bags with simple recycled brown paper bags, sea-themed party confetti, and tissue paper (sea colors: light blue, white, dark blue, light green and a dash of pink)

Need more ideas? Visit our website for toy and party idea inspiration.

Whimsical Birthday Gift Guide For Imaginative Kids

Magical gnome villages, woodland fairy houses, cute intergalactic toys, and marshmallow soft plush are among the many go-to gifts for whimsical themed Birthdays.

But that's really just the tip of the iceberg. Whimsy can be found in almost any toy genre, like imaginative play food, dress up silks, Waldorf style dolls; yes... the list goes on and on!

Stuffed animals are a classic hallmark of imaginative play. An ideal go-to gift for girls and boys, Jellycats plush is definitely well-suited for whimsical birthday parties because they come in a variety of cool creatures like unicorns and dragons.  Plus they feature fanciful pastel colors too!


Classic, finely crafted wooden toys are reminiscent of Santa's workshop, also making them a surefire choice for whimsical birthday gifts. Like These wooden dress up bears that were made in Germany!  They also come with heaps of adorable miniature outfits for whimsical imaginative play and their own sliding wardrobe box.  

Along with Manhattan Toys' charming finger puppets, these gifts are not only fanciful and creative, but thoughtful as well.  Plus they're a great way to bring kids together and inspire puppet theater masterpieces at that next birthday bash.

Top Local San Francisco Tweets Of The Week

Okay I confess, I LOVE Twitter. Along with tweeting out Ark Toys media, new toys, and events, I also spend my morning Muni commute scrolling through tweets about retro toys, Toy Story theories (too awesome), local San Francisco happenings, and I could seriously just go on and on. There's so much toytastic info out there to share!

Since I have Twitter on the brain, I thought I'd round up some fun local San Francisco Tweets. Twitter is great for finding things to do in the city. And speaking of, don't forget to swing by your local Ark location to take advantage of our 40% Sidewalk sale :)

Washed Ashore, a new art exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo http://t.co/gDVIAVbayg

— San Francisco Zoo (@sfzoo) May 23, 2014

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood! *Mister Rogers Voice* On the corner of #Haight and Lyon. Sun… http://t.co/qwfy72ReUP

— Katherine A (@KAToday) February 3, 2014

Are you an artist in SF? Learn how to safely dispose of unused and leftover art supplies: http://t.co/HrO2pW0Vfv #greensf #SFArt

— SF Environment (@SFEnvironment) May 16, 2014

Happy Carnaval San Francisco! http://t.co/ledyTQ3jYY Look for the bookmobile on the Ninolandia Block at Harrison St btwn 23rd & 22nd Sts

— SF Public Library (@SFPublicLibrary) May 23, 2014

It's another beautiful day on #pier39, perfect for checking out the new @SeaLionCenter that opened yesterday! pic.twitter.com/qZW2yZ4PSi

— Aquarium of the Bay (@AquariumOTheBay) January 18, 2014

Love these SF history makers. RT @pier39: Check out this video of the sea lions' 1990 arrival at #PIER39! http://t.co/FOqzloMEu8

— Kimpton SanFrancisco (@KimptoninSF) August 20, 2013

Unique Plush Gifts For Kids of ALL Ages!

For many of us, stuffed animals never went of out style.  Tossing out our childhood plush friends was definitely out of the question, and from time to time we still indulge in buying a mini plush Totoro or an adorable Steiff baby dragon.  Not to mention they're also tried and true gifts for first birthdays, holidays, and get well baskets.  From fresh Kawaii plush to collector's favorites like Hanza, there's never a shortage of whimsical and fun plush gifts for kids ages 1 to 101!

Dragon Plush

Steiff Baby Dragons make wonderful gifts for friends in the hospital, kids birthdays, and of course Game of Thrones Fans!  He may not be nearly as threatening as Godzilla, but Steiff's Raudi baby dragon will destroy anyone with utter cuteness.  Along with his twin sis, the equally as adorable Racy dragon, this pair would be a wonderful surprise for special occasions throughout the year. Complete with those signature Steiff tags too!

 

Jellycats - The Softest Plush Ever? 

The quest for the softest plush is on!  It's hard to choose between popular favorites like Snuffles and Baby Gund, but Jellycats may take the title on this one. It's up for debate, but one thing's for sure, kids come racing into The Ark Toys looking for magically soft Jellycats to add to their collections.  From zebras, giraffes, to tabby cats and classic teddy bears, Jellycats are quickly becoming the new classic plush for kids. Seriously, check out this giant purple mouse!

 

All this writing about plush makes me want to raid my childhood bedroom for all my favorite Care Bears, Popples, Pound Puppies, and of course BEANIE BABIES! ;) What were your most favorite plush toys growing up?