There’s not a whole lot to do in January and February except play in the snow, watch a movie, read a book or do a really great puzzle.  We love puzzles here at GTB so we decided to dedicate the month of February to these fantastic awe-inspiring works of genius.  Not only are puzzles a great way to pass the time, but they help to build a child’s fine motor, cognitive, language, and problem-solving skills.  Packed with both fun and hands-on benefits!

Puzzles were originally created by painting a picture on a flat, rectangular piece of wood, and then cutting it into small pieces with a jigsaw – hence the name Jigsaw Puzzle!  John Spilsbury, a London mapmaker and engraver, is credited with commercializing jigsaws puzzles around the year 1760.  We’re talking intricate wooden puzzles that took a lot of time to complete and were pretty expensive.  Puzzle-goers could actually rent wooden puzzles, which made the fun more affordable.  Cardboard puzzles were first introduced in the 1800s and sales hit an all-time high during the depression.  News stands even sold cheap daily puzzles alongside newspapers and magazines!

The basics of puzzles are here to stay but the shapes and designs have gotten a bit more advanced.  Some of our favorite puzzle companies include:  Ravensburger, Mudpuppy Press, Crocodile Creek, Grimm’s and GeoToys

Ravensburger

Ravensburger was founded by Otto Maier in 1883 and started out as a publishing company which provided instruction folders for craftsmen and architects.  They produced their first game in 1884 titled “Journey Around the World”.  In the 20th century, they expanded into picture books, books, children’s activity books, art instruction manuals, non-fiction books, reference books and children’s games and activity kits.

They didn’t start producing puzzles until 1964.  In 1977, the company split up into book publishing and game publishing.  Today, they have an extensive line of puzzles and games that are available all over the world.  Geppetto’s will have one of Ravensburger’s 5000 piece puzzles in our window for a “live” display.  We’re asking customers and friends to stop on by and help us complete the task!  We’re pretty optimistic we’ll be able to finish it by the end of the month, but we’ll definitely need some help!

Grimm’s

Grimm’s is one of our favorite companies because they have such beautiful products and their company believes in providing children with quality toys that will last a lifetime.  Even though we’ve already devoted a blog entry entirely to them, we feel it only fair to add them in as one of our favorite puzzle companies.  Along with their delightful toys and products for kids, they make creative puzzles that let a child’s imagination run wild with ideas!  Grimm’s use only European wood, mainly Alder.  The majority of their wooden toys are handcrafted and hand finished.  They are also finished with natural vegetable/linseed oil or child safe water-based dyes.

Who ever thought a simple wooden puzzle could be used to construct such beautiful things?!

GeoToys

GeoToys’ goal is pretty straightforward: “We believe that children possess a natural curiosity about the world and about other people.  If we do our job right and make geography fun, then this curiosity will take over”.  They believe that the more kids learn about the Earth, the more they will do to protect it.  We couldn’t agree with them more!  The more you know about the planet you live on makes you more inclined to take good care of it!  GeoToys is dedicated in making geography fun which is why a portion of all of their profits are donated to geography education.

Not only are their beliefs in line with that of GTB, but their puzzles are utterly delightful and, dare we say, educational!  Loaded with color and packed with information, these puzzles are a sure way to get kids buzzing about geography.  Their jigsaw puzzle pieces are shaped like individual countries/states so kids are learning as they’re piecing it together.

We have a whole lot of puzzles crowding our shelves so be sure to stop by, pick one up, and enjoy a night with your family piecing together a puzzle and some lasting memories!

Did you know….

Cloth diapering is healthier?

Disposables are laden with chemicals which have been associated with many physical problems. Diaper rash also increases with disposable diaper use due to allergies to chemicals, poor air flow and longer time spent in wet diapers which feel dry when wet.

Cloth diapering benefits the environment?

Cloth diapers are reusable. Quality cotton diapers will hold up for 75 – 100 washings (at minimum), and can be saved for the next child. Although energy is required for washing the diapers, it is a fraction of the energy used for disposables. Cloth diapers are also recyclable, making excellent cotton rags in their ‘afterlife’.

Cloth diapering is less expensive?

Many studies have compared the costs of disposables diapers versus cloth washed at home, and cloth diapers provided by commercial diaper services. Results vary, but most agree that the cost of cloth diapers, home laundered, is considerably lower than buying disposables. Estimates range from $800 – $1600 in savings over the 2 1/2 years, and 6000 diaper changes, of diaper use. Using a commercial diaper service, depending on which study you consult, is either comparable to, or a little less expensive, than using disposables.

The roller-coaster we’ve all been riding for the past couple years has certainly changed our daily conversations; we’re all worried about the “bottom line”.  While businesses continue to rethink their financial bottom lines, we recognize that customers are scrutinizing their purchases more closely too.

As our customer, you know that the “bottom line” for us is much broader and more meaningful than the current economic reality.  Our “bottom line” is about the meaning and purpose of the products we sell and the kind of community we want to promote.  Out goal is to make sure the store demonstrates our understanding of how play is essential to a child’s development; it’s not: “here’s a whole bunch of toys,” but “here are carefully selected toys to enable play that builds and establishes relationships, develops physical, cognitive, emotional, and social skills, all while stimulating life-long learning and quests for fun.”  So… it go us thinking.  We offer all these activities for kids, why not some for the parents?

On October 22, 2009, Geppetto’s Toy Box collaborated with local psychologist and mother, Dana Flynn Schneider, Psy.D., to host a conversation entitled: “Why Play?!”  In our busy world, it’s important to remember that play is purposeful, meaningful, and necessary.  Play is the language of children and is how we, as adults, fully connect with our families and those around us.  It is a language that can be “spoken” by all ages and it has an incredible impact on individuals, families and communities – nothing builds better relationships than having fun together!  So on October 22nd, we talked about how spontaneous, imaginative (and “unplugged”) play could lead to happier, healthier children and better-connected families.  We also discussed facets of our children’s development so we could better understand the real “bottom line” of play in the life of our children and families.

So get out there and explore, play a bit, and make sure you take the time to enjoy the beautiful fall weather with your families.  We’ll have lots of fun games and puzzles waiting to keep you busy over the winter!

This is the first of MANY posts to come and we’re really excited! Geppetto’s Toy Box prides itself with serving the Oak Park and River Forest communities with great toys and events for children and their parents. We want to inspire your kids and spark their imagination! Stop on by soon to see our hand-selected array of educational toys that help your kids create, imagine and grow!