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Great Ideas over the Holidays

Posted by Donna Grocott on 2018 Dec 22nd

Cheers Friends!

The weather lately has been interesting in the village. Did you see the lightning last night? Some of us are dreaming of snow rather than heavy winds.

We are thinking of you and want to wish you a safe and wonderful Christmas and holidays as school is officially closed or "shut down" until January.

If you are bunkered up or in need of other things to engage your "crew" like we do, we have some great craft ideas and games we wanted you to know that we have. For Ages 0+ to 3, 3 - 5, and 5 - 99+... see our featured toy ideas below.

For the last minute shoppers, we do gift wrapping for free all year round. Watch 15 second gift wrapping video here.
Feliz Navidad!

Donna & the tribe at BC Playthings

BC PLAYTHINGS | 3044 Edgemont Blvd |604.986.4111

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WATCH GIFT WRAPPING VIDEO
Toys for the Holidays For Ages 0+ to 3!

It is sometimes difficult to find the perfect toy for your child, grandchild, and or friend’s little baby. At BC Playthings we would love to help you in your search for a quality, fun and lasting gift! Come into our store located at 3044 Edgemont Blvd, North Vancouver, please bring your phone so that you can take pictures. Often we suggest a picture to be taken for any parent to give the OK if the giver is not sure. Allowing that openness, we allow a collaboration which makes everyone feel good about the gift. Through the years we have learned from our own children, from child specialists like the play therapists, teachers, parents, and more what toys work very well for us and our family owned store!

Seeing the wonder of a little baby at Christmas time is such a wonderful and beautiful thing! I still remember the first Christmases with our little boys with the outmost love. Seeing their eyes twinkle at the crack of dawn after we stayed up until Christmas morn getting the tree perfect. At BC Playthings, we love the anticipation of the grandparents, parents and aunt and uncles for their “little loves” on Christmas Day. Allow us to assist you in suggesting our favourite items for babies!
For the Eco Baby:

We have a wonderful toy selection from Plan Toys that is made from renewable rubber wood and made in a state of the art manufacturing centre in Thailand. Plan Toys is run with the local Thai community in mind. The manufacturing practices are human and environment focused and Plan Toys uses solar energy to power their enterprise, they use the by product from the rubber / latex industry and all shavings and end cuts are reconstituted into toys made from Plan Wood!
Teething: We have many different teethers that are excellent for the younger set who are just getting their chompers! While they are not going to be chewing through a Turkey Dinner, BC Playthings has a lovely selection of items to make the babes Merry!
Music: A rattle, a tinkling toy, a drum, and bells are all wonderful for developing cause and effect for the baby. Rhythm is also the beginning of math and offers a wonderful use of little hands to grasp, pound and tap! So, sing Jingle Bells and give the give of Brain Power!

Manipulative: Anything that a baby can manipulate develops motor skills, shape recognition, and more. I am a big proponent of sensory toys and any time we can incorporate an item that can offer tactile responses in a babe’s brain, we are so very happy! BC Playthings has a lovely selection of fluffy, smooth, shiny, twinkly, and textured Baby and toddler toys. Please come in and enjoy our store and please ask our staff for any assistance!

Soothing: We all need a little love and sometimes we need a little help with a toy that offers a soothing feeling.

There are Corolle Dolls for the littlest of babes! Snuggle up to the vanilla scented little dolls for a quiet moment. Allow your child to sleep and snuggle with the baby so that their scent transfers to their little noses and in the future reminds them that they are safe with a little sniff of their doll.

Bath Time: Bath time is one of the best times for bonding with your child. The space is small, soothing and water is just about the best thing to play with!
Top Toys for the Holidays 3+ to 5!

Construction: Wheels and Rails: Brio Train Sets are a mainstay for BC Playthings, long before I bought the store, Pat Gallaher had sold his lovely customers Brio for over 30 years. Now, we have those same parents coming to BC Playthings as grandparents to purchase the tried and true Brio Trains. Looking like real trains, Brio’s tracks offer construction, problem solving, pretend play, and cause and effect! Please come in and enjoy our Brio Table that is set up at the front of the store and see the magic!
Top Toys 5+ - 99: We get a lot of people who come and ask what we have at BC Playthings for the best toy of the season and here are some options for the whole family!

PUZZLES! Ravensburger is the reigning puzzle manufacturer for quality of picture and the pieces. I was amazed (during my first Christmas owning the store) at the quantity of families who puzzle during the Winter Break. Whether it was a large Christmas themed 1000pc. puzzle, the smaller 500 pc or 300 pc. puzzles, to the sweet ones for the younger neighbours, we had a huge population of puzzlers in our neighbourhood. Use muffin tins to organize, grab a cup of tea and a nice little corner and have a calming moment. Many a conversation is started when there are two puzzlers working together!











For the Crafter:Christmas Crafting in an age-old pastime while the weather closes us indoors and our children want to get creative. At BC Playthings we have a nice selection of tools and kits for the crafter out there! For the youngest we have Crayola crayons and felts, Do-A-Dot dotters that are non-toxic and washable! For the Early Elementary School kids (Kinder to Grade 3) We have stickers, tattoos

Cross Stitch, Calligraphy Set,
Spooling Fun and more.



BC Playthings Kits – Simple Kits for Stockings! We have put together basic card kits, Bell decorations, Bead findings, and more!

Djeco – Gel Pens are ready for those sparkling Christmas cards!


Caran d’Ache – Our Water soluable crayons and pencils are for the artists in Edgemont! Beautiful water colour fading and mixing are all possible with Caran d’Ache!



For the Teacher: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year. . . “ which gives the teachers a moment to breathe, spend time with their loved ones and get prepared for the school year starting up again in January! Royalco is a fantastic company that sells innovative, creative and educational kits for their classrooms. For building and constructing we have Royalco’s Straws and Connectors, and Topplers, and Royalco’s beautiful Sensory Collage Kit!


Think-ets Game is new to BC Playthings and we are over the moon for the multitude of options for play! I personally love the size of the game that can easily fit in a purse or pocket for when you are traveling!


Magnatiles are a mainstay at BC Playthings and the schools, families and therapists all agree! Easy to clean and easy to store, these tiles are absolutely a wonderful gift! From little tots to adults, Magnatiles are a creative build for the whole family! Come see our selection of Magnatiles and more in the
GREAT GAMES AND A CLASSIC



TURING TUMBLER now at BC PLAYTHINGS. Learn about Coding, Computing, and Build a Computer in an Adventurous Story. Click Image or Below to watch our package opening video.
SEE PACKAGE OPENING VIDEO for TURING TUMBLE HERE