My shopping checklist when I consider which stores to visit;
Organized
Offer toys and activities for all the kids in my family
Offer educational and high quality toys and activities
Clean and easy to navigate
Helpful and knowledgeable staff
Fun shopping experience
Competitive prices
JR Toy Company in Burlington, Ontario offered all of these things for us. And don't worry if you aren't local to Burlington their online store offers the same qualities;
easy to navigate
organized and sorted by ages and activities
fun shopping experience
educational and high quality toys
competitive prices
Chris and I visited the store to complete our holiday shopping. We set a budget prior to visiting of $100 and had 4 people we needed to shop for of various ages; 1 month old, 8 month old (looking to purchase toys closer to the 1 year age mark), 2 year old and 4 year old. I'll admit I wasn't sure how we were going to stick to the $100 budget once we walked into the store - why you ask? Because there was SO much to choose from and items that I genuinely wanted to purchase for our kids. When I go to buy gifts for my own kids or other children in our family I want to buy items that are going to last them, that are high quality and hopefully educational or activity based. The reason being is because for my own kids, I like when they can all use the items eventually. I also appreciate purchasing or having items gifted to us that are activity based. It keeps the kiddos busy, they are usually fun activities we can do together as a family and have some kind of educational basis that helps our kids learn or practice a skill.
Keep on reading for detailed explanation of why we love JR Toy Company & to see what we were able to purchase for $100!
STORE LAYOUT The first thing that caught my eye about JR Toy Company was the layout of the store. The moment you walk in it is bright and spacious. So if you are visiting with kids and/or a stroller like us you don't feel overwhelmed or crowded. Everything was labelled and sorted by various categories (i.e. baby, musical instruments, puzzles, playsets, arts & crafts, educational, lego & more!). So when we were walking around the store we knew exactly what we were looking at in each section and didn't feel overwhelmed by all of the choices. I also really like how everything was displayed. Most items were at good eye level for children which is something that I look for when shopping with my kids. I like when they are able to explore and look at the items up close especially if we are allowing them to pick something out for themselves.
ACTIVITIES THE WHOLE FAMILY WILL LOVE! Not everyone enjoys playing with their children or doing certain activities with them. So finding something that is fun for everyone in the family is something we think is important. My husband is all into building, science and exploration -- much like our kids. And I will be honest, I think he had more fun shopping in the store than I did. He spent most of his time research and checking out the items in the Stem Toys section. What we were excited about was that there were lots of activities that both my husband and I, and our 2 oldest could do together and enjoy as a family. Giving someone the gift of time spent with their family is the perfect gift!
Educational Activities This is probably the section that stood out most to me. Was the amount of educational activities that could be found throughout the store. From building, science, exploration, reading, math, phonics, sensory play etc. they had something for every type of educational activity you could image. So if you are homeschooling or doing distant learning like we are this would be a great opportunity for you to pick up some new learning activities that are FUN and engaging to help get your kiddos more involved in their learning experience. Prices I will be honest I was shocked at how competitive the prices were compared to other childrens toy stores. Toys are not cheap! And when you are on a budget it can be hard to find items to stick within your budget. I could not believe that we walked out of this store with 6 ITEMS for $100 (we spent $110, so we did go slightly over but that was due to taxes and my hubby sneaking in one item at the end!). So if you are on a budget - don't stress! You should be able to find something for everyone on your list within your budget and I'd be happy to make some recommendations if you are struggling.
What did we get for $100?
Everything pictured here is what we got! Can you believe all of this for $110! If you ask me that is a pretty good deal. There is something wrapped in the candy cane box but I wanted to be able to show you that JR Toy Company also offers wrapping for the holidays! So if you are busy and someone who doesn't enjoy wrapping let them take that worry off your hands and wrap everything before you leave the store!
Also if you are planning on bringing your children or even your husband to the store (see photo below), they have a cute little seating area for children to enjoy a movie while you shop!
So here are the details of what we got (I have linked everything) and why we purchased it;
We picked this up for Lily & Mason. The reason we chose this one is it moves and is activated by remotes in your home. So after they build it with daddy (fun for everyone!) they both can use remotes to control it (and hopefully not fight over it lol). We liked this because it was fun, educational and activity based. Something to keep the kids busy during the winter months and introduce new concepts to Lily's schooling.
Kid O Free Form Magnatab This is something I've been wanting to get the kids for awhile. It is something both Lily and Mason can use but we are gifting it to Mason. It is recommended for someone older than Mason but with supervision he would be okay. We felt it would be a good activity for him to practice drawing and keep him busy while we are doing Lily's schooling. We also felt it would be good to encourage Lily to practice writing her letters and numbers when she isn't feeling up to doing it with pencil and paper. This activity is also great for in the car to keep kids busy and because it isn't too big to take on the go. They also had the Kid O A-Z Upper Case Magnatab which was a bit more expensive but also would make a great gift for a toddler/school-age child.
Schylling Kids Accordion As soon as Chris and I saw this we immediately knew the kids needed it. We are big on dance parties and making music in our house. High quality musical instruments are toys that will be passed down throughout your children and be used for many years to come. Lily is 4 and we still use all the instruments she got when she was around 1. I also like that this comes with instructions on learning how to play the accordion if that is something that interests Lily as a new hobby. If you are looking for a gift idea I highly recommend thinking about purchasing musical instruments. Children even at a young age can join in on the musical fun with rattles! Some other instruments I would reccomend checking out from JR Toy Company are; a guitar, ukulele, B Toys B-Parum Pum Pum, & the Hape Happy Grand Piano.
B Toys B Funkeys This is what we purchased for Violet (and is wrapped in the box pictured above!). Violet is obsessed with our keys and this is about as realistic as it gets to a kids key toy! I like that it is safe for her to use, has a flashlight, makes noises and will be great for pretend play as she grows up. She has a toy car that she sits in and loves to spin the wheel and press the buttons so as she grows up, she will be able to pretend she is using the keys to start the car! When purchasing items for infants/baby's in the family I always recommend purchasing items that are for the next stage up from what they are currently at. Typically infants do not need a lot and probably have most of the stimulation toys that they need. So gifting something for the next stage of their life is always helpful for parents.
The other two items we purchased was a Slinky and the book The Night Before Christmas. The Slinky was a last minute find at the checkout. Chris and I thought this would be fun for the kids and were planning on putting it in their stocking but decided to give it to them when we got home. So if you are looking for a stocking stuffer idea this would be a great and affordable one! The Night Before Christmas is a classic Christmas story that will be able to grow with any child. We purchased this book for Lily for her 1st Christmas and continue to read it every night before Christmas with all of our kids. We are gifting this to our nephew to start his Christmas book collection and a new tradition for him and his parents.
So can you believe it?! All of that for $110! I think that is pretty reasonable and a job well done. If you have any questions about our shopping experience please feel free to reach out to me! Or if you want other gift ideas from the store don't hesitate to ask!
